ã€ŠLife of Being a Crown Prince in Franceã€‹


 Chapter 1 - 1 Introduction

    Chapter 1: Introduction

    In the early winter of 1787, in the east wing of the Pce of Versailles.

    Joseph sat in a room adorned with rococo gold trimmings andrge oil paintings, shaking his head with a wry smile at the exam paper in front of him.

    The light from a luxurious two-meter diameter crystal chandelier flickered, casting reflections on his fair skin, as well as his youthful and delicate features, making him look like the handsome Paris from a painting.

    At his side, an elderly man with a white curly wig and wearing ace cravat sighed and with disappointment shing in his brown eyes, he bowed to Joseph and said, ¡°Crown Prince, if you find this difficult, perhaps you can start with the basic courses¡­¡±

    Joseph was startled and quickly returned to his senses from his reverie, nodding politely to the old man:

    ¡°Mr. Lagrange, I think you may be mistaken, I meant to take your course¡¯s final examination, not the entrance exam.¡±

    Indeed, this unassuming old man was none other than the founder of analytical mechanics, a pioneer of group theory, and the celebrated French mathematician and physicist known as the prince of mathematics¡ªLagrange.

    ¡°Final examination?¡± Lagrange frowned at the boy of only thirteen, ¡°Your Highness, the courses I teach are university level, you might¡­¡±

    The other extravagantly dressed noble youths who were taking the exam immediately turned their heads and looked over, their eyes filled with curiosity.

    At that moment, a sixteen-year-old boy wearing an embroidered silk coat withced cor and with slightly droopy eyes showed a disdainful expression and loudly said,

    ¡°Crown Prince, I remember you still have two years toplete the basic courses.¡± He nodded to the old man, ¡°Mr. Lagrange often says that one must climb thedder of mathematics step by step, aiming too high will surely lead to a nasty fall. Perhaps Your Highness should heed this advice.¡±

    Joseph ignored him and earnestly said to Lagrange:

    ¡°Sir, I have studied university mathematics courses on my own. I really do need to take the final examination.¡±

    The elderly mathematician sighed with resignation and turned to his assistant, ¡°Andrei, please bring me the exam paper from the very bottom of my folder.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Professor.¡±

    Soon, several exam papers wereid out in front of Joseph.

    He quickly scanned them and found that the difficulty had increased several timespared to the previous one, but most of it was still high school level fromter generations, involving a limited amount of calculus content¡ªit really wasn¡¯t difficult for him.

    Yes, just over half a month ago, he was still in the 21st century, studying for his master¡¯s degree. That day, he went to France with his tutor to work on a wind turbine project, identally fell from the top of a tower, and when he woke up, he found himself reincarnated as Louis XVI¡¯s eldest son¡ªLouis Joseph. Perhaps due to the effects of time travel, Joseph was born a few years earlier than in history, and was already thirteen.

    As Joseph quickly wrote down the answer to the first question under Lagrange¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, his mind wandered to France¡¯s historical trajectory: the French Revolution would erupt next year, the royal family would be executed, and as the Crown Prince, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape¡­ King Louis XVI was inept at everything except locksmithing, France was in debt for more than two billion, but had an annual ie of only 500 million.

    Due to financial copse, civil servants were backlogged with wages, government operations were struggling, foreign trade stalled, and the colonies were deteriorating. In order to bolster the finances, the Cab had no choice but to levy heavy taxes, sucking themon people dry to the bone, while the tax-exempt nobility lived a life of extravagance.

    Moreover, next summer France would face a severe hailstorm, and with the impact of previous years¡¯ droughts, a national famine was imminent. This would be followed by a mob of hungry people storming the Bastille, triggering the immense upheaval of the Revolution, with hundreds of thousands meeting their end at the guillotine¡­

    So, to keep his own head, he counted his options on his fingers: one, solve France¡¯s fiscal deficit; two, secure enough food to prevent starvation; three, deal with treacherous nobles; andstly, fend off the covetous British and Prussians.

    With a famine starting in July, he had barely more than half a year left, and he rubbed his forehead in annoyance, for being too young to participate in state affairs, having no outlet for his efforts.

    It was an absolute hellish start, with scant hope¡­

    ¡°`

    Not far away, the young man with the droopy eyes saw his movements and assumed he was fretting because he couldn¡¯t solve the problem. He immediately sneered with disdain: ¡°What an idiot, actuallying here iming he can handle university courses, how embarrassing! Why is this strawman the Crown Prince and not me?!¡±

    While thinking about how to save his life, Joseph quickly wrote down the answers, soonpleting the first page of the exam.

    He flipped through the pages with some impatience, for once he had passed Lagrange¡¯s subject, he could consider his studies at the University of Parisplete!

    Half a month earlier, he had proposed to Queen Mary, his stepmother, that he wanted to participate in politics in order to reverse the dire situation he was in, but she promptly refused him, telling him to focus on his studies and wait until he had achieved academic sess.

    So he had to make an agreement with the queen that after finishing his courses at the University of Paris, he would formally join the political scene.

    Of course, with his level of knowledge during that era, he was a study prodigy among the fighter jets. In the past half-month, he had already passed most of the subjects, and that was because he had to remember incorrect knowledge which dyed his time¡ªmany truths widely epted in that era were actually errors.

    Lagrange, watching the Crown Prince¡¯s pen fly across the paper, had stopped paying attention to the other students, his eyes growing wider and wider.

    This was work meant to bepleted with five years of study at the University of Paris, yet the Crown Prince was answering effortlessly, with clear thoughts and not a single mistake!

    He was only 13 years old, and he was self-taught! Lagrange¡¯s heart shook violently¡ªcould it be that another Leibniz had been born?

    Suddenly, Lagrange nced at his assistant, his eyes narrowing slightly, wondering if Andrei had leaked the exam questions to the Crown Prince. After all, the Crown Prince¡¯s performance was too unusual, considering that a super prodigy like Leibniz had only started attending university at the age of 14.

    He immediately took a piece of paper and quickly wrote down a few lines and handed them to Joseph, saying,

    ¡°Your Highness, there is no need to finish the rest; justplete these few questions and I¡¯ll consider you to have passed.¡±

    Seeing this, the young man with droopy eyes sneered to himself: Hah, is Lagrange trying to make it easy because he sees that he doesn¡¯t know how? What a fool clinging to the royal family! I must find a way to let everyone see the Crown Prince¡¯s exam paperter, to let him properly embarrass himself.

    Joseph looked at the paper in surprise¡ªthere were only 5 questions. The difficulty remained the same, but the quantity was less. Good news.

    He quickly finished the first two questions, and then he saw the third question, ¡°Please write out the proof of Rolle¡¯s Theorem.¡± This he knew very well, without a second thought, he wrote on the nk space:

    Rolle¡¯s Theorem states that for a continuous function f on a closed interval [a, b], and f is differentiable on the open interval

    (a, b), if f(a) = f(b), then there exists at least one point c in the open interval (a, b) such that the derivative of f at that point is zero.

    Proof: Because the function f(x) is continuous within [a, b], it attains its maximum value (M) and minimum value (m)¡­

    Josephpleted the proof quickly but then felt Lagrange¡¯s breath quicken next to him. He looked up and saw the old mathematician looking at the exam paper with the excitement of seeing a first love.

    Joseph immediately looked down at the questions again, and hesitated, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have written it wrong, should I?¡±

    Lagrange grabbed the exam paper and after examining the proof several times, muttered to himself, ¡°So it holds true for differentiable functions as well! Why didn¡¯t I think of it?¡±

    He then turned his fervent gaze back to Joseph: ¡°Your Highness, how did youe to think of this?¡±

    ¡°Ah? Isn¡¯t it just¡­¡± Joseph suddenly recalled that Rolle had simply proven that in a polynomial equation with two adjacent roots, the equation has at least one root in between, and it was not until the neenth century that it was extended to differentiable functions.

    He had been careless and not careful enough¡­

    ¡°Cough!¡± He hurriedly took back the paper, changing the subject, ¡°Lagrange, sir, I¡¯m going to do thest two questions now.¡±

 Chapter 2: The Favored Son of God

    Chapter 2: The Favored Son of God

    ¡°`

    ¡°No, no need to continue!¡± Lagrange gripped Joseph¡¯s shoulders tightly, excited, ¡°This entirely new derivation is enough to prove your capability, I will go back to the university today to apply for your degree certification.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Joseph beamed with joy, breaking free from the old mathematician¡¯s grasp, he bowed to him and rushed out the door.

    Lagrange had intended to deliver a speech, but found that the man had run off.

    He paused for a moment, then hurriedly followed, calling out urgently:

    ¡°Your Highness, how did you think of differentiable functions? Tell me about your thought process!¡±

    The young men in the ssroom looked at each other in bewilderment, and it took a while before someone hesitantly said, ¡°Can anyone tell me if the Crown Prince has graduated?¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    ¡°But he only came today¡­¡±

    The youngster with the corner-upturned eyes stared at Joseph¡¯s retreating figure, bitterly saying, ¡°No, he must have cheated!¡±

    Andrei nced at him expressionlessly, cing the problem Lagrange had posed before him:

    ¡°The question was made up on the spot by the professor, and the Crown Prince¡¯s proof is an entirely new mathematical discovery. Duke of Chartres, if you think cheating could achieve this, perhaps you might like to try it yourself.¡±

    The Duke of Chartres stared at the forms he couldn¡¯t understand at all, as if struck by lightning; he had always considered himself the cream of the crop among the royal youth, yet now he couldn¡¯t evenprehend the written proof¡­

    Could it be that Joseph¡¯s previous ipetence was all an act, just to make a fool of himself?

    He clenched his fists tight, Joseph, you wait, I will have you crawling at my feet sooner orter!

    Joseph, of course, couldn¡¯t hear the others¡¯ conversation, but even if he had, he wouldn¡¯t have cared¡ªjust the prattle of children. Right now, all he was thinking about was that he could finally participate in politics, how to reorganize France, and avoid the outbreak of the Revolution and the risk of losing his head.

    Lagrange, panting, caught up to him, pestering him with numerous questions for a while, then suddenly, he felt as if he had grasped something from the Crown Prince¡¯s proof, muttering to himself:

    ¡°What if, f(a) isn¡¯t equal to f(b)¡­¡±

    He repeated it several times, his expression growing serious, then he hastily took his leave from Joseph, returning directly to the office at the university.

    Joseph watched him walk away, whispering softly:

    ¡°If f(a)¡Ùf(b), then that¡¯s your Lagrange¡¯s Mean Value Theorem. Good luck with proving it a few years early.¡±

    Once the old mathematician¡¯s silhouette was out of sight, he waved over the attendant who had been following close behind:

    ¡°Eman, where is Queen Mary now?¡±

    The tall blond young man quickly bowed and responded, ¡°Your Highness, Queen Mary is in her tea room.¡±

    Joseph nodded at him and ran towards the far end of the wide corridor. The vigorous exercise induced a bout of coughing, reminding him that his pneumonia had not yet healed¡ªthe original owner¡¯s physique was very weak, and the pneumonia hadsted for over a month with no signs of recovery.

    He waved to Eman, who hade closer, to indicate that he was fine, then after meandering for over a hundred meters, he finally saw the door to the Queen¡¯s tea room.

    Starting today, he could finally put his abilities to use, begin saving himself! He took a deep breath and pushed through the doors, between the guards on both sides, striding into the room.

    In the tea room, decorated with a cozy elegance, sat Queen Mary, her hair in aplicated two-foot-high hairstyle, her skin fair, and with a pair of light blue beautiful eyes. She leaned on an armchair with oriental styling, holding documents in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, listening intently to a minister next to her¡ªit appeared she was dealing with government affairs. With Louis XVI spending his days in a lock-making workshop, most of the time it was Queen Mary who governs.

    Joseph sighed inwardly. Louis XVI was one of the rare benevolent rulers in the history of France, but he had inherited a deeply troubled nation. Coupled with his ineptitude in governance and his obsession with lock-making, he ended up driving the people to such despair that the Revolution broke out.

    If it had been a more peaceful and prosperous time, Louis XVI might have been a beloved and good king. In fact, Joseph had a rather good impression of him and would actually like to save him if possible.

    Then came the voice of the Ceremonial Officer: ¡°The Crown Prince has arrived¡ª¡±

    Following court etiquette, Joseph stepped half a pace back with his right foot, facing Queen Mary, touched his chest, and bowed, then returned salutations to each minister in the room before excitedly stepping forward and saying to the Queen:

    ¡°Mother, I have passed the mathematics graduation examination at the university!¡±

    ¡°`

    ¡°Joseph, you truly are the pride of your father and me!¡±

    She had already sent someone to verify the Crown Prince¡¯s studies and confirmed that, aside from mathematics, he had passed all subjects with excellent grades, meaning, at this moment, he hadpleted the University of Paris¡¯s curriculum!

    She looked at her son with aplex expression, ¡°Why did you keep your self-study a secret from your father and me? I mean, you could have studied with a tutor.¡±

    To exin the sudden transformation into a top student, Joseph could only fabricate an excuse that he had studied privately for many years.

    ¡°Because¡­¡± Joseph said, bracing himself, ¡°I wanted to give you a surprise.¡±

    ¡°This surprise is really wonderful!¡± Queen Mary picked up a piece of pudding with strawberries and stuffed it into his mouth, then affectionately stroked his slightly curly hair, ¡°How did all this knowledge fit into your little head?¡±

    A tall, thin man in a dark blue patterned stuffed shirt with a cor adorned with sapphires furrowed his brow and whispered to the minister beside him:

    ¡°Bishop Brienne, did the Crown Prince just say he haspleted university mathematics?¡±

    Thetter nodded, ¡°It seems so.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°I am also very shocked.¡±

    Behind them, Queen Mary¡¯s trusted Clerk softly added:

    ¡°It¡¯s not just mathematics. His Highness haspleted over a dozen courses at the University of Paris, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, geometry, English, and more.¡±

    The few ministers around them immediately widened their eyes, ¡°How is that possible?!¡±

    ¡°I remember, isn¡¯t the Crown Prince just thirteen years old?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simply unbelievable!¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± sighed the Clerk, ¡°Those teachers who once taught His Highness all called him ¡®the Child of Divine Favor¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The Child of Divine Favor? Haha, with such a genius heir, France will surely shine even more brightly!¡±

    ¡°Truly, Heaven blesses France!¡±

    Joseph ignored the ministers¡¯ ttery and eagerly pulled away from Queen Mary¡¯s hand, saying to her:

    ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, ording to our agreement, I can participate in government affairs now, right?¡±

    Queen Mary nodded indulgently, ¡°Indeed, my genius son. Oh, by the way, I suggest you start at Paris City Hall, to gain some experience.¡±

    Joseph frowned, he was to reform France! To fundamentally prevent the enraged citizens from ughtering the entire Royal Family! What could he do at the City Hall? Manage urban transportation or sewage treatment?

    He had seen many documentaries about the French Revolution before and knew that France¡¯s core problem at the moment was finance¡ªthe copse of administration, the inability to provide relief during disasters, the nobles¡¯ dissenting hearts, and so on, were all triggered by the financial copse.

    Therefore, to reform France, one must first reform its finances!

    Joseph looked towards Queen Mary and ventured, ¡°I think, perhaps the Finance Minister might be more suitable for me.¡±

    Queen Mary smiled kindly when she heard this. France¡¯s financial problems were a chronic illness, and since the ascent of Louis XVI, almost all efforts of the court had been focused on solving the financial crisis, yet they had always been helpless.

    A thirteen-year-old boy, even if he was ¡°the Child of Divine Favor,¡± how could he possibly shoulder such a heavy burden?

    She dropped her smile, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Joseph, if you are interested in finance, you can start at the Paris Tax Bureau.¡±

    Joseph knew this meant she did not believe in his ability, but it was normal; after all, his body was only thirteen years old. He had no choice but to request the next best thing:

    ¡°Then let me be the assistant to the Finance Minister?¡±

    At that time, the role of the assistant was essentially that of a deputy Finance Minister, the second inmand in financial matters.

 Chapter 3 - 3 Heading to Paris (Please Bookmark)

    Chapter 3: Heading to Paris (Please Bookmark)

    This time, Queen Mary had yet to speak when the thin, tall man with the cold gaze suddenly coughed dryly and stepped forward half a step, saying:

    ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, it seems you mentioned that you would allow the Crown Prince to participate in governance?¡±

    Queen Mary turned her head, her tone calm:

    ¡°Yes, Duke of Orleans, the Crown Prince and I agreed that if hepletes his university courses, he can participate in the nation¡¯s affairs.¡±

    The Duke of Orleans¡¯s gaze sharpened as he thought to himself: The Crown Prince has always been mediocre, so why has he suddenly be so formidable? Could it be that he was pretending all along? But why would he do that, and now, revealing his strength all of a sudden, what is he scheming?

    No matter what, after years of maniption by himself, the prestige of the Royal Family had greatly declined, and his position was increasingly unstable. If a ¡°genius Crown Prince¡± were to suddenly appear, it would surely strengthen the court and the public¡¯s confidence in the Royal Family.

    This was very unfavorable to his ns; he had to find a way to hold him back!

    With this thought shing through his mind, he immediately spoke loudly, ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, the Crown Prince is still young andcks experience in governance. I think it would be more appropriate to select a seasoned minister to teach him the knowledge of administration for a few years before he participates in governance.¡±

    Queen Mary frowned slightly; the Duke of Orleans made some sense. Though the Crown Prince was extraordinarily talented, he was after all only 13 years old. If he were to mess up in state affairs, it could negatively impact his reputation.

    She looked at her son and suggested gently, ¡°Joseph, perhaps you could study for a while longer.¡±

    Joseph nced at the Duke of Orleans. As a transmigrator, he was well aware of the man¡¯s background¡ªLouis Philippe, a rtive of Louis XVI. Everyone believed him to be loyal and patriotic, but in fact, he had been working to overthrow the line of the King and ascend to the throne himself since his father¡¯s time.

    After the sess of the French Revolution, when the Girondin Party voted on whether to execute the King, the Duke of Orleans did not hesitate to cast a vote in favor. Eventually, Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a vote of 301 to 300. It could be said that it was his key vote that sent Louis XVI to the guillotine!

    Joseph didn¡¯t expect him to jump out so hastily, and without yielding, he retorted:

    ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, Joan of Arc defeated the British army at the same age as I. She proved herself through her actions. Please believe in my ability and give me a chance to prove myself!¡±

    The Duke of Orleans spoke ¡°with weight and solemnity,¡± ¡°Your Highness, state affairs are of great importance; it is not just about having confidence¡­¡±

    Joseph had no patience for him and, firmly gesturing with his hand, said: ¡°Duke of Orleans, this is an agreement between Her Majesty the Queen and myself, please do not interrupt.¡±

    He then looked toward the Queen, ¡°Mother, I can also learn by being an assistant to Bishop Brienne, can¡¯t I?¡±

    The Cab Ministers were all taken aback; they did not expect the young Crown Prince to have the courage to confront the Duke of Orleans face to face. They knew that even the Chief Minister usually had to discuss matters with thetter.

    The Duke of Orleans certainly did not expect Joseph to be so dismissive. Stunned for a long while before regaining hisposure, he raised his voice indignantly:

    ¡°Finance is the lifeline of France and absolutely cannot be meddled with by an inexperienced youngster!¡±

    Many ministers around him nodded and agreed. Seeing this, Queen Mary then looked at the Crown Prince, who stood with a steadfast expression, and finallypromised:

    ¡°Joseph, you will first take a position at Paris City Hall. If you perform well, we will then discuss letting you get involved with finance.¡±

    Joseph swept a look at the seven or eight Cab Ministers present, knowing that with them there, it would be difficult for the Queen to give him the green light. It seemed he would have to bide his time at Paris City Hall for the time being and so he nodded, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty the Queen.¡±

    The Duke of Orleans still wanted to stir things up, stepping forward and saying, ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, the Crown Prince should first learn¡­¡±

    ¡°It has been decided,¡± Queen Mary raised her hand and interrupted him, looking at Brienne, ¡°Please continue with the matter of tax reform.¡±

    Joseph sat to one side, having listened to the cab meeting, and gained a deeper understanding of France¡¯s dire financial situation¡ªthe conversation was ny percent about money. Oh, to be precise, it was about having no money.

    At the end of the meeting, Queen Mary insisted on rewarding him. She dragged him through a tasting of a vast array of desserts, until he was sore-throated from gorging on various exquisitely made and colorfully varied cakes, puddings, and macarons, finally winning his freedom.

    With heavy thoughts, Joseph left the tearoom and suddenly thought that perhaps he could walk in Louis XVI¡¯s footsteps.

    Upon his arrival at the King¡¯s Bedroom, he was informed that Louis XVI was busy with a ¡°project of the ages,¡± having spent thest three days eating and sleeping in the lock-making workshop withouting out.

    Joseph felt a wave of weariness wash over him; with such a father, how could one not worry about ending up on the guillotine?

    Forget it, he spected that the engrossed Louis XVI would probably send him to find Queen Mary, like a boomerang¡­ He smiled bitterly, shook his head, and turned to instruct Eman, ¡°Please prepare the carriage; we¡¯ll go directly to Paris City Hall.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    As Joseph stepped out of the main entrance of the Pce of Versailles, he saw over ten carriages stopped in the Marble Courtyard in front of him, with sixty to seventy people standing respectfully to the side.

    He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with his hand on his forehead. He recognized most of these people; they were the Crown Prince¡¯s personal attendants, including beauticians, chefs, tailors, and more¡ªall seemingly prepared to apany him, hence the need for so many carriages.

    Joseph hurriedly had Eman send them back. Bringing this crowd to City Hall would surely cause chaos, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Then, he nced at the silver royal carriage parked before him. Its elegant design and the intricate reliefs that covered its surface, adorned with gold filigree at the corners, exuded sheer luxury.

    After a moment¡¯s thought, he turned and boarded an ordinary carriage used by attendants¡ªtraveling in a royal carriage would mean there would be no peace along the way.

    Soon, three gray-ck carriages left Versailles Pce Square and sped eastward.

    The Pce of Versailles was located west of Paris, a journey of more than three hours to the city. Inside the carriage, Joseph yawned listlessly. His eyes caught sight of a stack of documents on a wooden stand in front of him, so he picked it up and began to flip through, discovering it was information about Paris City Hall.

    He looked at Eman sitting opposite him; the man immediately smiled, pressed a hand to his chest, and bowed, having clearly prepared everything.

    Being a Chief Steward for the Crown Prince takes exceptional insight, something not just anymoner couldpare with. Joseph smiled and nodded at him, then began reviewing the detailed information at hand, which covered everything from the organizational structure and functions of City Hall to its daily operations.

    When Joseph turned to the third page, he saw that among the City Hall¡¯s subordinate departments, there was, indeed, the Police Department.

    He eagerly continued reading and confirmed that the Paris Police were entirely under City Hall¡¯s jurisdiction, his eyes lighting up at the discovery.

    It appeared that taking a position at City Hall wouldn¡¯t be a waste of time; at the very least, he could reorganize the Paris police force.

    For the lower sses of France,wlessness was the second greatest nightmare after crippling taxes! Being robbed or mugged on the streets was the least of concerns, with frequent home invasions, murders, and kidnappings. Not to mention the gang members who oppressed and exploited the citizens of Paris, a significant blight on the city.

    At that time, no modern police system had been established in Europe;w enforcement relied on themunity¡¯s self-defense, and solving crimes was hardly feasible. Crime was rampant, and the general popce lived in constant fear for their safety.

    Therefore, reforming the police was of great significance; addressing the problem of public security could greatly enhance social stability, and social stability could, in turn, substantially reduce the people¡¯s impulse to rebel against the Royal Family.

    After Joseph had finished perusing the City Hall information, he pondered in detail over the improvements needed for police reform. The carriage had already entered Paris City, and an overwhelming stench instantly wafted in through the window.

 Chapter 4: There is only one truth! çœŸå®Ÿã¯ã„ã¤ã‚‚ã²ã¨ã¤!

    Chapter 4: There is only one truth! ÕæŒg¤Ï¤¤¤Ä¤â¤Ò¤È¤Ä!

    Joseph casually drew back the curtains and, upon seeing the surrounding scene, immediately furrowed his brow.

    Since arriving in this world, he had been taking exams at the Pce of Versailles. This was his first glimpse at the face of Paris.

    Completely unlike the most prosperous metropolis in Europe that he had imagined¡ªthe buildings were dirty and old, the streets were full of mud and sewage, and even excrement. The stench originated from there. asionally, the bodies of dead animals floated down the Seine River, while workshops along the bank discharged strangely colored wastewater into the river, staining it brown.

    Merchants haphazardly set up their stalls on both sides of the road, making the already spacious street extremely congested. Children waved clumps of mud, happily chasing each other. Curses could be heard without any clear reason.

    Fights and scuffles were amon sight, and passersby turned a deaf ear to the screams of those being beaten.

    There were even robberies in broad daylight, which did not cease until Joseph had his guard intervene. The robbers then scurried off into the alleys. And this was in the Louvre District, supposedly the safest area in all of Paris¡­

    In short, the entire citycked any romantic vibe from the influence of enlightenment thought, nor did it show the vigorous spirit of the industrial revolution.

    Despite its proximity, the grand Pce of Versailles seemed to exist in a different world from Paris.

    The carriage crossed the northern bank of the Seine River, and the coachman softly called ¡°Whoa,¡± bringing the vehicle to a slow stop.

    ¡°Your Highness, we have arrived,¡± Eman bowed to signify and then descended from the carriage to open the door for the Crown Prince.

    Joseph rubbed his buttocks, which had nearly been jostled to pieces, and walked down the stairs set up by his attendants, and raised his eyes to see a grandiose building nearly a hundred meters wide in the front, its outer walls covered in statues,posed of numerous columns and arched floor-to-ceiling windows, like a huge castle presiding over the center of Paris, dering the supreme power of the feudal ss.

    The city hall had already received news of the Crown Prince¡¯s visit and officials of all ranks were now gathered on the square outside the main entrance to greet His Highness.

    But the silver royal carriage they had been eagerly waiting for never appeared.

    It wasn¡¯t until three grey-ck carriages stopped in front of the city hall¡¯s main entrance, and Eman emerged from the carriage, that Paris Municipal Commissioner Levebelle twitched his eyelid and hurriedly beckoned those around him:

    ¡°Quick! It¡¯s the Crown Prince!¡±

    Levebelle pressed his ck tricorn hat and moved his widely spread legs, driving his body that was close to 200 pounds, and led everyone to run in front of Joseph to bow respectfully one after another, ¡°Your Highness, the Crown Prince.¡±

    The surrounding musicians also snapped to, and began to y their music in a flustered hurry.

    Levebelle made his introduction first, and then, pointing towards a middle-aged man next to him with grey-blue eyes and cheekbones so sharp they seemed about to pierce through his skin, said, ¡°Your Highness, allow me to introduce you, this is Viscount Freselle, President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Joseph took a longer nce at the man. From the information he received a while ago, he knew that although Levebelle was the Paris Municipal Commissioner, equivalent to the mayor, the actual foremost authority in Paris was this Freselle. There was no helping it, the government was short of funds and in order to maintain operations, it had to rely on the Chamber of Commerce to finance them, plus the connections of the Chamber of Commerce could solve many problems, so the President of the Chamber of Commerce had be extremely powerful.

    Viscount Freselle stepped forward again to bow, ¡°Your Highness, we have prepared a luncheon in your honor. We hope you will grace us with your presence.¡±

    Although Joseph greatly disliked banquets and balls of this era, finding their intricate ceremonies and rules to be outright torture, societal expectations could not be ignored, so he nodded in response:

    ¡°Then I thank you all very much.¡±

    In the spacious and luxurious hall of the city hall, servants bustled back and forth, and tables were filled with various precious dishes. Any that cooled were promptly reced with new ones.

    Laughter and chatter flowed amidst the clinking of cups; Joseph responded to the endless ttery from the officials, but his thoughts were preupied with the issue of police reform.

    ¡°Does His Highness mean to get involved in managing the police?¡± The stout mayor, surprised, exchanged looks with the President of the Chamber of Commerce and then quickly turned to Joseph with apensating smile, ¡°Your Highness, you are so noble, how can you deal with petty thieves and murderers?¡±

    The President of the Chamber of Commerce hastily nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly, and the Police Department is burdened with many trivial matters, which are incredibly tedious.¡±

    His heart was full ofints, ¡°Good Lord, you were just supposed to be here for a touch of gold, but please don¡¯t take it so seriously. If the police system is thrown into chaos, won¡¯t Paris erupt in rioting?¡±

    Joseph felt somewhat helpless as he was caught up in a back-and-forth argument with the two men when suddenly a woman¡¯s high-pitched voice came from outside the town hall:

    ¡°No! Lenot couldn¡¯t possibly have killed himself! You must catch the murderer!¡±

    Her voice turned shrill at one moment and melodious the next, ¡°Lenot was so cheerful, and we were going to get married next month. How could hemit suicide? The case cannot be closed! The murderer is still atrge¡­¡±

    The chubby mayor¡¯s face turned dark as he angrily said, ¡°Why has shee back again?¡±

    Freselle immediately waved vigorously at the guard, ¡°Get her out of here! Don¡¯t you see who¡¯s here today?!¡±

    He then turned to Joseph, with an apologetic smile, ¡°Ah, Your Highness, she¡¯s just a madwoman. Don¡¯t let her affect your mood.¡±

    Joseph looked out the window and asked, ¡°I heard her mention a murderer, what exactly happened?¡±

    Mayor Levebelle hurriedly replied, ¡°A month ago, her fianc¨¦, that is, Viscount Lenot,mitted suicide by swallowing his sword. Oh, the case is clear, there is absolutely no problem, but it seems this woman has gone mad, insisting it was murder.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been so disruptive that we had to bar her from entering the town hall, but every few days shees back to shout outside.¡±

    Joseph found it odd and remarked, ¡°Swallowing his sword tomit suicide?¡±

    The thin man sitting to the right of Levebelle indicated his chest:

    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s when one rests the hilt of the sword on the ground, ces the tip in one¡¯s mouth, and then thrusts downward, driving the sword through the back of the neck. It¡¯s amon method of suicide.[Note1]¡±

    Joseph remembered that the chubby mayor had just introduced him¡ªhe was Viscount Gizo, the Director of Police Services, the highest-ranking official in Parisw enforcement.

    Gizo, seeing that the Crown Prince seemed interested, eagerly recounted the story:

    ¡°Over a month ago in the afternoon, a servant of Viscount Lenot came to report his master¡¯s death in his own bedroom. I sent people to investigate, and we found that he hadmitted suicide by swallowing his sword.¡±

    Joseph frowned, ¡°How can you be sure it was suicide? Was there a suicide note, or had he shown signs of world-weariness before?¡±

    ¡°There was none of that,¡± Gizo said, ¡°But Lenot used his own sword, and no valuables were missing. There were no signs of a struggle in the room, and he had no other injuries on his body.

    ¡°You must understand, Your Highness, Lenot had fought wars in the United States, was over 6 feet tall, and was skilled in hand-to-handbat. If someone could manage during a clear day, without leaving a scratch on him, to push a sword into his mouth, that person could only be himself.¡±

    At over 1.9 meters, 6 feet was indeed quite towering.

    Joseph narrowed his eyes slightly. He had seen simr murder methods plenty of times in detective novels. Without signs or a note of suicide, only the untrained and isted police of the 18th century would crudely determine such a case as suicide.

    He looked at Gizo and said, ¡°No, there is one other kind of person who could do it.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness must be joking,¡± the chubby mayor said with augh, waving his hand, ¡°Do you mean the person could use magic?¡±

    Joseph spoke calmly, ¡°No, he just needs to know how to treat teeth.¡±

    ¡°To treat teeth¡­ you mean a dentist?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, a dentist.¡±

    The people around were suddenly stunned, images forming in their minds¡ªLenot, obediently opening his mouth at the dentist¡¯smand, then the dentist covering his eyes with the white cloth used during operations, turning around to draw the sword hanging on the wall and effortlessly stabbing it into Lenot¡¯s mouth, with blood spurting out instantly¡­

    [Note1]: Since in 18th century Europe, swordsmanship was esteemed for being ¡°quick and agile,¡± which led to nobility carrying swords that were both thin and light, making it difficult to cut one¡¯s own throat, they often resorted to the method of swallowing their sword to die. Moreover, this way of taking one¡¯s life allowed the person to maintain a kneeling prayer posture after death, which made it even more favored by the nobility.

 Chapter 5 - 5 The Duke of Orleansâ€™s Counterattack

    Chapter 5: The Duke of Orleans¡¯s Counterattack

    Gizo was the first to react, summoning a subordinate sitting at the far end of the banquet table and instructing,

    ¡°Cesar, take some men and check if there was any dentist who had contact with Lenot a month ago!¡±

    Joseph pondered for a moment and then added, ¡°If a dentist had been to Lenot¡¯s house, his servant should know.¡±

    ¡°But the servant¡¯s testimony didn¡¯t mention¡­¡± Gizo began before he suddenly paused, realizing something, ¡°Wait! Cesar, interrogate the servant as well!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡±

    Outside the city hall, the wailing of Lenot¡¯s fianc¨¦e had stopped, whether because the guards had driven her away or someone had informed her that the case was to be reinvestigated was unknown.

    In the afternoon, the portly mayor, apanied by a group of city hall officials, came to invite Joseph to a dinner. It was then that the policeman named Cesar hurried over and whispered something to Gizo.

    Thetter¡¯s eyes lit up. He turned to Joseph, ced a hand over his chest in a gesture of respect, and proimed in a lofty voice,

    ¡°Your Highness, as you had surmised, Lenot¡¯s servant confessed shortly after his arrest. He said that indeed, a dentist had visited Lenot¡¯s home at the time of the crime. The servant had taken money from that man and provided false testimony.¡±

    The head of the merchants¡¯ council urgently inquired, ¡°What about the murderer?¡±

    ¡°Cesar searched the dentist¡¯s residence and discovered he was a Briton. His brother had fought in the United States and was killed by Lenot. He came seeking revenge.¡± Gizo lowered his head, clearing his throat with a cough, ¡°However, Cesar identally killed him during the pursuit.¡±

    The surrounding dozen or so city hall officials upon hearing this could not help but look towards Joseph with surprise and admiration in their eyes. At the noon banquet, the Crown Prince had deduced the situation of the murderer based solely on some overheard clues.

    And now, the actual investigation by the police almost perfectly matched his prediction!

    The portly mayor immediately eximed loudly in praise, ¡°Thank heavens for the Crown Prince¡¯s wise and discerning judgment, or the murderer might have eluded justice.¡±

    He then turned with a smile to the officials behind him and said in a low voice, ¡°That woman will finally stop causing disturbances at the city hall¡­¡±

    As night fell, upon the repeated invitations of Freselle, the head of the merchants¡¯ council, Joseph stayed in his private vi. The city hall was too far from the Pce of Versailles, and he did not want tomute back and forth.

    Joseph reclined on the soft bed, staring intently at the wall opposite, but feeling somewhat vexed.

    Today, the portly mayor and the head of the merchants¡¯ council had kept deflecting him, unwilling to agree to his involvement with the Police Department. He turned over, contemting that if he still could not persuade them tomorrow, he would write to Queen Mary, asking her to ce him in the Police Department.

    Outside the room, Eman knocked lightly on the door: ¡°Your Highness, have you gone to bed yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,e in.¡±

    Eman entered, presenting a letter respectfully to Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, this was delivered by the Police Department, it appears to be from Miss Lenot¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡±

    ¡°Her? A letter for me?¡±

    Eman spoke with a solemn tone, ¡°That is¡­ she took her own life out of love tonight¡­¡±

    Joseph felt a heavy sadness, not having expected there to be such a devoted woman in the world.

    As he unfolded the letter, he saw that the first few lines were filled with thanks to police officers like Cesar, followed by her expressing a strong desire to personally thank the Crown Prince who had exposed the real culprit, but due to the enormous difference in their social standings, she could not meet him and could only show her gratitude in this way, filling an entire page with her thanks. At the end of the letter, she wrote that without Lenot, life held no appeal for her. Now that the police had avenged Lenot, she was ready to follow her lover in death. After her passing, she wished to bequeath all her property to the Crown Prince and the Police Headquarters.

    Joseph was somewhat surprised by this bequest, while Eman added softly at his side, ¡°Your Highness, it is said that Miss Estelle leaves behind a fortune of 4000 livres¡­¡±

    The banks of the Seine River.

    The Royal Pce situated here was once a hunting lodge of Louis XIV and now belongs to the Duke of Orleans.

    The Orleans family once served as Regent during the reign of Louis XV, wielding immense power and, after more than a hundred years of umtion, possessed wealthparable to the Royal Family.

    The current Duke of Orleans had continued to expand his influence since his father¡¯s time, using this as a basis. Though he held no official position, he was able to attend Cab meetings and held substantial authority. Additionally, being a skillful actor and not stingy with his money, he was a weed guest in various political circles and maintained great prestige among the nobility.

    A luxurious carriage entered the Royal Pce and stopped in front of the gallery where the Duke of Orleans stepped out, descending the stairs arranged by his servants.

    Not far away, the sound of a speech drifted from the garden; he turned his head to nce in that direction, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He knew that this was a gathering of some organizations dissatisfied with the Royal Family.

    Indeed, the Royal Pce had be a secret base against the Royal Family, where future core members of the Feuints, Girondin Party, and Jacobins often met. Moreover, various prohibited items, including controlled weapons, were traded here.

    The Duke of Orleans used his power to provide them with a protective umbre. He had painstakingly managed this for decades, supporting anything that could help overthrow the Royal Family.

    The Duke of Orleans tossed his coat to a servant and strode into the main hall. Just as a guard opened the door, he saw his son berating a maid.

    He cleared his throat and approached, saying, ¡°Philippe, what has happened here?¡±

    The young man turned around. It was the droopy-eyed youth who had taken the math test with Joseph that morning. He pointed at the maid, shouting sharply, ¡°This idiot! She brought me ck tea when I was in a bad mood! And it¡¯s so hot!¡±

    ¡°What has upset you so much?¡±

    ¡°That Joseph!¡± Philippe clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, ¡°He must have cheated! There¡¯s no way he could have studied university-level courses!¡±

    The Duke of Orleans asked about the details and frowned. He hadn¡¯t expected the Crown Prince to impress a university schr like Lagrange so much. After such difficulty with Louis XVI, whocked intelligence, why was his son so outstanding?

    He needed to suppress the Crown Prince¡¯s growing prestige before it made overthrowing the King even more challenging.

    He consoled his son for a while before the butler approached rapidly, bowing and saying, ¡°My lord, Mr. Frouwa requests an audience.¡±

    ¡°Is it Levebelle¡¯s confidant? Have him wait for me in the study.¡±

    In the study, the Duke of Orleans read through the letter Frouwa had brought, a cold smile appearing in his eyes. He handed the letter to the butler beside him:

    ¡°The Crown Prince may have some cleverness, but he¡¯s still a child after all. If he were to mingle at the town hall, I would indeed have no way of dealing with him, but he has actually volunteered to participate in police management.¡±

    The butler, looking at the letter, clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Paris has always been a ce of chaos, especially the poor districts where robbery and murder never cease. Even those with decades of municipal experience are at their wits¡¯ end. The Crown Prince is really asking for trouble.¡±

    The Duke of Orleansughed and nodded, ¡°Since Joseph is so confident, let¡¯s help him make a name for himself.¡±

    He turned to Frouwa and said, ¡°Go back and tell Levebelle to appoint the Crown Prince as the Police Commissioner of the Saint Antoine District.¡±

    The Police Commissioner was a powerful position second only to the Director of Police Services, in charge of all police matters in one of Paris¡¯s major districts. There were only six Police Commissioners in all of Paris.

    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±

    After Levebelle¡¯s confidant had left, the Duke of Orleans instructed the butler, ¡°Ensure ¡®Paris News¡¯ and ¡®The Citizen¡¯s Daily¡¯ pay close attention to crime in the Saint Antoine District and the police management there. They should specifically mention the one in charge of the police affairs, our Crown Prince.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the butler bowed and exited.

    The Duke of Orleans strolled to the window, contentedly gazing at the Royal Pce Gardens in the night, a smirk forming on his lips:

    ¡°Once the Saint Antoine District turns into chaos, let¡¯s see how the Austrian wench defends her son. Crown Prince? Hmph, soon you¡¯ll be considered just as inept as your father in the eyes of the people!¡±

    By ¡°Austrian wench,¡± he referred to Queen Mary, born in Austria.

 Chapter 6: Start as a Minor Official (Seeking Recommendations)

    Chapter 6: Start as a Minor Official (Seeking Rmendations)

    Early the next morning.

    As soon as Paris Municipal Commissioner Levebelle caught sight of the head of the Chamber of Commerce, he waved at him with his chubby face and after exchanging a few pleasantries, he said,

    ¡°By the way, what are your thoughts on the case the Crown Prince solved yesterday?¡±

    Freselle eximed with emotion, ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s intelligence and wisdom left me absolutely stunned. I really look forward to the day he leads France.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Levebelle said with a smile, ¡°after careful consideration, I think His Highness is entirely capable of serving as the Police Commissioner.¡±

    After his persuasion, Freselle was eventually convinced. Since the Crown Prince himself also wanted a position within the Police Department, it was better to offer him a favor that would go with the flow.

    Meanwhile, when Joseph had just entered the entrance of the City Hall, he was greeted by the portly mayor, who approached him with a beaming smile,

    ¡°Your Highness, yesterday the Police Commissioner from Saint Antoine District, old Similion, took an extended sick leave. I wonder if you would be interested in the position of Police Commissioner?¡±

    ¡°The Saint Antoine District?¡± The head of the Chamber of Commerce was taken aback, then whispered to Levebelle, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention it was that ce? It¡¯s too chaotic there; if the Crown Prince¡­¡±

    The Municipal Commissioner interrupted him softly, ¡°The Crown Prince won¡¯t be patrolling; there won¡¯t be any danger.¡±

    Freselle wanted to say more but was blocked by the plump mayor, ¡°Your Highness, the people left by Similion are all experienced. You can rest assured.¡±

    Joseph was somewhat surprised at how quickly the two men changed their tune, but he immediately epted the offer, ¡°Alright, I ept the position.¡±

    He had learned the day before that the Police Commissioner oversaw all police operations in arge district, with only the Director of Police Services above him. And it would be unlikely for the City Hall to allow him to be the Director of Police Services, considering his age.

    Levebelle immediatelyid on the praise thickly, apanying the Crown Prince all the way to the Police Headquarters, and ensured that the appointment documents were signed before leaving contentedly.

    Joseph wasted no time. Under the personal escort of Director of Police Services Gizo, he headed straight to Saint Antoine District to take up his new position.

    After more than an hour in the carriage, they entered the perimeter of Saint Antoine District, and the surrounding scenery immediately became even more dpidated.

    The passersby had numb expressions, wobbly makeshift shacks were everywhere, homeless people emitting foul odors were sprawled in the corners, half of the shops were closed, and there were very few street vendors. Only prostitutes in cheap clothing intermittently solicited customers, bringing a slight semnce of vitality to the area.

    Not long into their journey, Joseph saw several instances of protection racketeering, followed by gang members fighting on the streets, with blood everywhere. Passersby who spotted the fights from a distance quickly lowered their heads and fled, and throughout it all, no police appeared.

    Gizo, however, seemed to be ustomed to the scene, cheerfully talking about the ball and even encouraging the Crown Prince to attend a masquerade next month.

    Joseph thought to himself: No wonder this was the first ce in France where the Revolutionary unrest started. Anyone living here for years amidst such extreme poverty would definitely umte a deep resentment, and once unleashed, the destructive power would be astonishing.

    He sighed deeply. It seemed that he had, after all,e to the right ce bying to Saint Antoine District.

    Another half-hour passed, and the carriage stopped in front of a small yard, surrounded by uneven wooden nks. Inside was a decrepit building with no sign in sight.

    Gizo made a courteous gesture outside the carriage, ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve arrived at the Saint Antoine District Police Station.¡±

    Seeing that the person getting off the carriage was the Director of Police Services, a police officer hastily ran inside to report. Momentster, several officials from the police station came out to greet them hurriedly.

    First, Gizo bowed to Joseph, then, turning to the people in front of him, he cleared his throat and dered loudly, ¡°The esteemed Crown Prince has graced us with his presence, and from now on, he will serve as the Police Commissioner here.¡± An assistant immediately disyed the appointment document.

    All the members of the Saint Antoine District Police Station were so shocked that they stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to think: How could such a high-profile figuree to our humble ce? But isn¡¯t the Crown Prince only 13 years old? Lord, he¡¯s going to be a Police Commissioner? The police station will probably be thrown intoplete chaos¡­

    After a long pause, a tall, thin man with sunken eyes stepped forward and bowed respectfully, ¡°Crown Prince, your arrival brings splendor to our modest ce! Acting on behalf of everyone here, I, assistantmissioner Bono, sincerely wee you.¡±

    He then turned to introduce the others, ¡°Your Highness, this is Magone, the second squad¡¯s security supervisor, and this is the third squad¡¯s security supervisor¡­¡±

    The several security supervisors hurried forward to bow, and Joseph smiled as he returned their greetings one by one. He had seen in the documents at the town hall that the assistant to the Police Commissioner was the second inmand at the police station, while the security supervisors were responsible formanding police officers to respond to emergencies and patrol, usually with more than a dozen subordinates, and were part of the police station¡¯s middleyer.

    Bono and others escorted Joseph inside the police station, and Magone, rushing a few steps ahead to catch up, said with a look of admiration, ¡°Your Highness, I heard from Cesar that just yesterday, you solved a murder case in merely over ten minutes, making us old police officers who have served for over a decade ashame.¡±

    Joseph hadn¡¯t expected the news to have reached the Saint Antoine District so quickly and hurriedly responded with a few modest words.

    After entering the rundown building of the police station, Joseph, seeing the policemen following him step by step, frowned slightly and instructed them not to all follow and to go about their duties, including sending Gizo away.

    Once the surroundings were finally quiet, Joseph, led by Bono, made his way to the Police Commissioner¡¯s office. He looked around the room and sat down at therge oak desk.

    With a smiling face, Bono offered, ¡°Your Highness, would you like tea or hot chocte? I will immediately prepare dinner for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, no trouble is needed,¡± Joseph waved his hand to decline, ¡°Please bring me the files regarding the situation in our jurisdiction, as well as those rted to cases and personnel.¡±

    Bono was somewhat surprised; he had thought the Crown Prince was justing to y for a few days but didn¡¯t expect him to be serious!

    The files were quickly brought over. Joseph only flipped through a few pages before his brow furrowed ¡ª justst month, the Saint Antoine District had seen 28 murders, 63 robberies, and 220 thefts¡­

    And the district¡¯s poption was only 80,000!

    Those numbers were just the reported cases; who knows how many went unreported? The situation was much worse than he had imagined.

    Joseph then picked up the police officers¡¯ information. There were a total of 181 policemen in the Saint Antoine District, 120 of whom had bought their positions, while only 61 had joined the force through inheritance, recruitment, and other methods.

    Besides these, there were the civilian volunteer patrol squads, totaling over 200 people.

    He had seen in documentaries that the mostmon activity for Paris Police officers nowadays was extortion! From vendors to criminals to victims, they shook down anyone they could. As for fighting crime? They¡¯d get around to that in their free time, after all, they needed to earn back the money they had spent on buying their positions, right?

    Therefore, maintaining public orderrgely depended on the civilian patrol squads, but they were volunteers withoutw enforcement authority, and their weapons were rudimentary; they could only intimidate criminals, not even capable of making arrests.

    So, the truly useful police force amounted to roughly just those 60 or so who were recruited.

 Chapter 7 - 7 Reorganizing the Police Force (Seeking Investment)

    Chapter 7: Reorganizing the Police Force (Seeking Investment)

    After flipping through the files, Joseph learned that these more than 180 police officers had not received their full wages for four months.

    Their sries were supposed toe 20% from the city hall and the remaining 80% from the chamber ofmerce. However, because the merchants often failed to cooperate, the funds were insufficient, which meant the police officers received less pay.

    Joseph frowned and shook his head. To have over sixty people managing arge district of 80,000 inhabitants and to be in sry arrears¡­ it was no wonder that there were twenty-eight murders popping up in a month. It was equally unsurprising that in the beginning of the great upheaval in France, when masses of citizens went to the military hospice to grab muskets, no one stood in their way.

    Everything depends on people, so it seemed that the urgent matter at hand was solving the manpower issue.

    Joseph pondered for a long while, recalling various advanced policing concepts fromter generations, and then wrote a good four or five pages, sorting out a framework for reforming the police force, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

    He put down his pen and nced at the first item he had written, ¡°Restructure civilian patrol teams,¡± and summoned the Police Commissioner¡¯s assistant Bono, instructing:

    ¡°Please gather all the police and civilian patrol teams of the Saint Antoine District here tomorrow morning.¡±

    Thetter was startled, ¡°Your Highness, you mean, everyone?¡±

    ¡°Yes, everyone. I will have Viscount Gizo bring in people from other districts to help with the patrol, so do not worry.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Joseph then turned to Eman, ¡°Please arrange for someone to fetch twenty thousand livres from my private funds.¡±

    ¡­

    When the sun rose again, nearly 400 police officers and civilian patrol members had gathered in the open space in front of Paris Police Headquarters, standing in two somewhat disorderly squares.

    Even though they had been informed that they would meet the Crown Prince, their current superior, today, when they saw that handsome young man in a red double-breasted uniform and tricorne hat on the wooden tform in front of them, they were still filled with nervousness and shock.

    At nine o¡¯clock sharp, apanied by the sound of military drums, Joseph raised his hand to signal, and loudly said:

    ¡°Gentlemen, good morning. I am not one for idle chatter, so I will make just three points, and I ask everyone to listen carefully.¡±

    Though his voice was youthful, it carried a strong presence: ¡°First, as of now, the entire civilian patrol team of the Saint Antoine District will be incorporated into the Police Department, bing official police officers. Of course, those who are unwilling are not forced.¡±

    The civilian patrol team members were in an uproar!

    To buy a police officer position cost 500 livres. With just one casual statement from the Crown Prince, they had all be official police officers?!

    In Paris, while the reputation of the police was not very good, it was nheless a government position with status and standing! These folks who had organized themselves out of sheer necessity could never have dreamed of bing police officers; this was a rapid promotion!

    Joseph signaled for everyone to be quiet and continued, ¡°Second, from now on, everyone will have to go through an evaluation process. The content includes character, physical fitness, and professionalpetency, etc. Based on the scores, police ranks will be granted¡ªah, simr to military ranks, divided into Police officer, Inspector, and Chief, each with three grades. In the future, as ranks are promoted, sries will also increase.

    ¡°Starting from trainee police officers, the monthly sry is 18 livres. The sries for the first to third grade officers are 22, 25, and 30 livres respectively. The sry for inspectors starts at 40 livres.¡±

    He pointed to several wooden boxes nearby: ¡°Here are twenty thousand livres; after the evaluation of ranks, you will be able to receive this month¡¯s sry. From now on, sries will be paid here in cash, with not a day¡¯s dy.¡±

    The crowd exploded again! 30 livres was nearly the ie of a city hall official, and 22 livres was enough for modestfort, with the sry being paid in cash! The previous sry for the Paris Police was only 16 livres, and it was often docked, so what they actually received in hand was just over half.

    All eyes shone bright, reflecting the glint of silver coins.

    They had topete fiercely in the assessments! If one could be evaluThe ated as a third-grade officer, it meant saving at least ten, no, twenty years of struggle!

    As for those who were portly, they were already bing anxious as they looked at their own figures.

    ¡°Third,¡± Joseph¡¯s voice interrupted everyone¡¯s thoughts, ¡°in the future, a performance review system will be implemented. This means that based on indicators such as case-solving rates, the volume of emergency calls, and the number ofints, assessments will be conducted monthly. Good work will be rewarded with bonuses, and unsatisfactory performance will result in fines deducted from the sry. Promotions in rank and position will also rely heavily on performance scores.¡±

    He looked around at those present: ¡°That is all I have to say. I believe everyone is in favor.

    ¡°Now, everyone will begin the reorganization and evaluation on the spot; the reorganization must bepleted within ten days!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± an enormous roar immediately went up from below the tform.

    The former civilian patrol team members were so excited that their faces turned red and their hands trembled, cries of ¡°Long live the Crown Prince¡± rang out continuously.

    They could never have anticipated that this unexpected gathering would result in such a huge turn of fate. It was foreseeable that their lives would be filled with hope from now on!

    The Crown Prince had already be like a savior in their hearts, emanating a sacred radiance; hundreds of people swore in their hearts to give it their all, to repay the Crown Prince¡¯s great kindness!

    Then, several of the Crown Prince¡¯s guards ran over, each picked several tens of police officers, and led them off to start reorganizing into teams.

    Joseph¡¯s measures may seemmonce inter times, but in the eighteenth century, they were definitely seen as the most advanced concepts¡ªstandardizing structure, detailed job roles, performance evaluations, and rewarding capability; all were revolutionary improvements.

    ording to the original historical trajectory, it was not until decadester that the talented and mighty Napoleon initiated police reform, and his efforts, although less than half of those made by Joseph, had already be an example for all of Europe to learn from.

    Two dayster, the residents of the Saint Antoine District began to notice many new things.

    At the corner of each street, a wooden box with a slit at the top was hung,beled ¡°Police Comint Box¡± in bold letters painted on with oil, with a small note exining that all dissatisfaction with the police could be written down and dropped in there, and the Police Commissioner would personally review and address them. The results would be made public immediately.

    And in many popted areas, arge number of wooden stands were being constructed. ording to the carpenters, these were security pavilions requested by the Police Headquarters, where police officers would be on duty all day, ready to support the patrolling officers.

 Chapter 8 - 8 Problems

    Chapter 8: Problems

    Three dayster.

    The Commissioner¡¯s office.

    ¡°Sir, are you aware of the Crown Prince¡¯s reorganization of the police force?¡± Frouwa stared at the Commissioner, voicing his concerns anxiously, ¡°The Duke of Orleans wants the Crown Prince to be embarrassed, but now the reformation is quite impressive, and the officers have high morale. I¡¯m worried¡­¡±

    Levebelle carefully selected a bottle from the wine cab and took out a bottle of wine, ¡°Rx, Gael, someone will take care of this.¡±

    ¡°Someone will take care of it? Who?¡±

    Levebelle admired the purple liquid in the bottle against the light, and said slowly, ¡°I spread the word about the Crown Prince¡¯s actions yesterday, and I guess some people should already be unsettled by now.¡±

    As he spoke, Director of Police Services Gizo knocked and entered, hastily saluted him, and urgently said, ¡°Sir, you must go and advise His Highness the Crown Prince.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± The portly mayor took out a corkscrew, deliberately asking, ¡°Advise him on what?¡±

    Gizo paced back and forth on the floor with his leather boots, annoyed, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? His Highness haspletely transformed the police force, and it¡¯s going to severely affect the order in the Saint Antoine District!¡±

    He recounted how Joseph had reformed the police force and added with a worried face, ¡°Honestly, if it were anyone else causing such upheaval, I would have fired them already, but this is His Highness the Crown Prince, you see¡­¡±

    Levebelle forcefully pulled out the cork, sniffed the aroma wafting from the bottle, shaking his head, ¡°Viscount Gizo, the actions of the Crown Prince are internal matters of the Police Department, it would be difficult for me to intervene.

    ¡°Besides, I have to deal with the matter of fundingtely. You know, the funding from the merchants is just so little, and the Crown Prince has added many officers, so nearly half of the Police Department¡¯s funds have to be allocated to the Saint Antoine District.¡±

    ¡°How can this be?¡± Gizo eximed loudly, ¡°He can¡¯t use up that much of the funds! You must help me think of a solution!¡±

    Levebelle feigned difficulty and pondered for a while, poured a ss of wine and handed it to Gizo, the corners of his eyes revealing a subtle smile, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way out, for example, you could make the Crown Prince back down. I will try my best to support you here.¡±

    Gizo looked deeply at him, gulped down the wine in one go, nodded forcefully, and left with a dark expression.

    After the office door closed, Frouwa looked at the portly mayor in surprise: ¡°Sir, how did you know Viscount Gizo woulde?¡±

    Levebelle passed another ss of wine to him and smiled, ¡°Although the Crown Prince has some skills, he¡¯s still a child in the end, only looking at the present and neglecting the consequences brought by his actions.¡±

    ¡°Consequences?¡±

    Levebelle sipped his wine and exined, ¡°Besides the merchants¡¯ funding, the biggest revenue for the police force is the profits from the sale of police positions. When I spread the word that the Crown Prince had promotedmoners to police officers, those who nned to buy the positions must have spected that there would be no need to buy positions in Paris¡¯ police force in the future, who would want to spend money at this time?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the biggest source of ie for those in the police force.¡± The proud mayor swirled his ss, ¡°I¡¯ll just withhold some of the funding from City Hall for Gizo, they are bound to be driven mad. What do you think they¡¯ll do?¡±

    Frouwa¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°They will do everything they can to stop the Crown Prince!¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    The sun set in the west.

    Police Director Gizo¡¯s carriage finally arrived at the Saint Antoine District police station.

    In Joseph¡¯s office, Gizo respectfully saluted and put on a forced smile, ttering, ¡°Your Highness, you are truly formidable, with such a reorganization, the police force has beenpletely rejuvenated!¡±

    After blowing a bit of smoke, his expression turned to concern, ¡°However, those people from the civilian patrol you¡¯ve enlisted into the police force, they hardly know how to use swords, let alone have experience with crossbows and firearms. They¡¯ll need at least three to four months of training, or they won¡¯t even be able to deal with street thugs.

    ¡°During these months of their training, the patrols they were originally responsible for have gone unattended. You previously had me call in over 120 police officers from other districts, but the pressure on public security there is also great, and they will soon have to return¡­¡±

    Joseph had him sit down and smiled, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take that long; I have a simplified training method that can bepleted in about ten days. Borrowing police from other districts for a little over ten days shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±

    ¡°This, of course, can be done.¡± Gizo put on a serious expression, ¡°But training is of utmost importance and must not be taken lightly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the reminder,¡± Joseph said. ¡°Rest assured, I will handle it with care.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Gizo nodded stiffly, still unwilling to give up, ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s another thing. Your sudden requisition of over two hundred police officers, the Police Headquarters simply doesn¡¯t have enough equipment to supply them¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the equipment; I will take care of it.¡±

    Gizo hadn¡¯t expected that the ¡°difficult problem¡± he had meticulously prepared would be dismissed so lightly by the Crown Prince.

    He then stubbornly broached several ¡°issues¡± with police reform, to no avail, and in the end, he had to take his leave, sullen and confused. It seemed the Crown Prince was intent on throwing the Police Headquarters into turmoil.

    It¡¯s likely that there wouldn¡¯t be much of the municipal hall¡¯s budget allocation left for him in the future¡­

    In fact, he was overthinking it; Joseph hadn¡¯t set his sights on the meager funding of the Police Department at all, and the police¡¯s financial support relying on the private sector¡¯s chambers ofmerce was, to begin with, quite abnormal. With technology and advanced concepts from the future, there were plenty of ways for him to make money. He nned to plug the 20 billion debt hole of France, and sustaining a police system was merely a trifling matter to him.

    In the carriage, Gizo¡¯s eyes gradually turned ice cold; it was crucial to kick the Crown Prince out of the police system as soon as possible and restore everything to the way it was!

    Not long after Gizo had left, two exquisite carriages arrived at the Saint Antoine District police station.

    Louis XVI¡¯s attendant alighted from the carriage, put on gold-rimmed sses, frowned as he checked the dpidated police station, confirmed it was the right ce, then briskly entered with his servants.

    Upon seeing Joseph, he firstpleted the entire court etiquette procedure, and then respectfully handed over a letter, ¡°Your Highness, this is a letter from His Majesty the King.¡±

    Afterward, he motioned for the servants behind him to open the delicate wooden box, ¡°Her Majesty the Queen heard you didn¡¯t bring even an Imperial Chef, and worried you wouldn¡¯t eat well, so she had these made for you.¡±

    Joseph looked into the box, which was filled with delicately made cakes, strawberry tarts, cream puffs, and various kinds of candies.

    He smiled ruefully and touched his forehead, feeling overwhelmed at just a nce, but he knew that this was Queen Mary¡¯s sincere affection.

    He then broke the seal on the envelope and unfolded the letter, seeing the beautiful, flowing Italian handwriting of Louis:

    [My dear Joseph:

    I hope this letter brings you all my warmest thoughts and affection! Here, as a father, I express to you my deep concern and longing.

    Did you know that I finally finished the ¡°Smander Fountain¡±? I swear before the Lord, it is absolutely the finest piece of art¡­ (he rambles about his lock). When it was finished, you were the first person I wanted to share it with, and that¡¯s when I discovered you had gone to work at the municipal hall. I am sorry, I really was in the workshop for too long and didn¡¯t know. How is life in Paris for you? And your mother as well, how could she let you undertake such a burden at just thirteen? That is something Brian and the others should be taking care of¡­

    Oh, by the way, I heard you¡¯vepleted your college courses! How did you do that? It¡¯s unbelievable! I¡¯m proud of you! Son, you are the pride of the entire Royal Family! I am convinced you will one day return France to the glory of the Sun King¡¯s era¡­ (he goes on praising his son for an entire page).

    Joseph, I heard you are now reforming the Police Department, and you¡¯re doing well, that¡¯s great to see! Just go ahead and do what you want to do, if there¡¯s any issue I¡¯ve got your back, I will always support you¡­ If you feel tired, rush back to the Pce of Versailles, your mother is always worried about you not eating well¡­

    Lastly, I want to tell you that no matter where you are, you are forever my dearest son. A thousand kisses!]

    Although the letter was filled with French sentimentality, Joseph still felt the profound love of a father within it.

    He took a deep breath; in his previous life, his parents, in poor health, passed away one after the other during his university years. He had long been deprived of the warmth of family, and at this moment, he felt his heart was full of warmth. He hoped that in this life, he could live with his family in peace and happiness for a long time.

 Chapter 9: Results (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 9: Results (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

    Before he knew it, it was already the tenth day since Joseph had taken over the police force.

    The open ground in front of the Saint Antoine District police station was dusty, and over two hundred new police officers d in neat blue uniforms, with wide-brimmed hats in blue and white, were sweating profusely as they wielded oddly-shaped weapons in practice.

    These uniforms had been procured from military units stationed in the suburbs of Paris, costing Joseph several thousand ¡°livres.¡± At present, police across France and even in Europe dressed at their discretion, with no standard uniforms. In terms of attire alone, the police of the Saint Antoine District were decades ahead of their peers.

    When it came to the weapons and equipment for the police officers, Joseph did not choose muskets, as they were no different from fire sticks without half a year of rigorous training.

    He did not even provide the force with arge number of swords, but instead had carpenters make over two hundred two-meter-long Y-shaped wooden forks. They also had shields shared between every two people; these items might look simple, but they were extremely practical. The security at airports and stations inter times used this set, whichbined with specific formations, worked excellently for riot control.

    These officers,ing from the lowest stratum of Parisian society, cherished their police identity enormously and trained for 10 hours every day without a single oneining of fatigue.

    Joseph watched the training ground with satisfaction. ording to n, from this noon on, this brand-new police force would start assuming responsibility for the security of the Saint Antoine District.

    Of course, criminal cases were still to be handled by the original 60 veteran police officers of the force. As for those who paid for their positions, Joseph had basically assigned them to the logistics team, meaning they were in charge of chores like cleaning and transport, naturally earning the lowest pay.

    Now there were 50 detectives, 236 patrol officers, and 125 individuals for misceneous tasks in the Saint Antoine District police station; it was quite a formidable force within the whole of Paris.

    One should know that these over 280 main force officers were each brimming with energy and high morale,pletely unlike the hoodlum air of other district police officers.

    Moreover, these officers were truly capable of maintaining public order, a stark contrast to the old police force primarily engaged in extortion.

    Especially in terms of responsibility, they were eight times as reliable as the former policemen.

    It could be said that this was truly the police force in the modern sense!

    Under the brilliant sun, and after having lunch, nearly three hundred officers left the police station in formation, shouting resounding slogans at Joseph¡¯smand, officially taking over the duty of maintaining order in the Saint Antoine District.

    In fact, they had already been patrolling in the district, knew exactly where trouble was likely to appear, and were rich in experience. Now with formal status and advanced management models, their ability to control crime had increased exponentially.

    The citizens had long been informed, but aside from giving the police¡¯s impressive uniforms a few more nces, they didn¡¯t pay it much mind¡ªwhat expectations could one have of the police in France?

    On the east side of the Saint Antoine District, Oray Street.

    Vulgar curses and roars echoed through a back alley.

    Four or five burly men in ck vests and felt hats cornered a middle-aged man against the wall, brandishing clubs and iron axes, ¡°You dare to owe the Viper Gang money? Are you looking to die?¡±

    The middle-aged man shrank in terror, ¡°Gentlemen, I¡­ I¡¯ll pay next week! For the love of God¡­¡±

    ¡°You have already missed paying the protection fee three times this year,¡± a red-haired man sneered and signaled to his subordinates, ¡°ording to the rules, we need to teach you a lesson.¡±

    ¡°No! Please, no!¡±

    Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, one of the burly men in felt hats swung down a club fiercely onto his arm, instantly followed by the sound of breaking bones, apanied by an inhuman scream of agony.

    The red-haired man ground his foot into the twisted, pain-wracked figure on the ground, ¡°Remember, next week. If you dare to dy again, it will be the other hand!¡±

    He was speaking when suddenly four people in blue military uniforms and wide-brimmed hats appeared at the entrance of the alley, looking down at the groaning wounded on the ground.

    The redhead recognized two of them and said casually, ¡°Baptiste and Quirian? I heard you became police officers. Hmm, those uniforms fit you well.¡±

    These two were former members of the civilian patrol, and they were quite familiar with the Viper Gang.

    The redhead swung the knife in his hand: ¡°I¡¯m here collecting my dues, everyone get out of the way.¡±

    The police officer named Quirian suddenly took out a whistle and blew it hard, then pointed at the group and shouted, ¡°You¡¯remitting an assault in broad daylight, I¡¯m going to arrest you!¡±

    He used to be a tanner who, in order to provide security for his family, had voluntarily joined the patrol and would patrol the vicinity from 6 PM to 11 PM. When encountering thugs like the Viper Gang, he would usually avoid them if possible.

    But now he was a bona fide police officer, with a high sry of 35 livres a month. His wife and two children had white bread to eat every day, and every few days they could even have some meat, which was something he had only dreamed of before.

    Now, there was only one thing he wanted to do: to do his utmost to maintain the security of his district and ensure a happy life for his family, and at the same time to repay the Crown Prince. Moreover, arresting more criminals would lead to better performance ratings, and the higher the performance, the higher the bonus!

    He and the other three police officers shouted in unison, ¡°In the name of the Crown Prince! Charge!¡±

    The redhead snorted disdainfully and waved his hand at his underlings, ¡°Teach these idiots a lesson!¡±

    He was very confident; not to mention the patrol, even the police officers, in his view, were all bluster and no substance, timid and afraid of trouble, ready to flee like women at the sight of blood.

    However, this time he was wrong.

    Three of the police officers took off the two-meter-long Y-shaped wooden forks from behind them and stepped forward neatly. They used the forks to block two of the attacking Viper Gang underlings at the waist.

    The head of the wooden fork was as wide as an arm, and one could hit the target even with closed eyes. It was the security device of the future¡ªthe riot waist fork.

    Another police officer with a spear took advantage of the opportunity and stabbed a gang member in the foot.

    A cry of pain went up as the man rolled on the ground clutching his foot. Nearby, another Viper Gang underling bared his teeth and red, wildly swinging a short sword, but was blocked by the wooden fork and couldn¡¯t reach the police.

    The redhead was furious and took the lead in charging forward. Although there were four people on his side, they were blocked by the riot waist forks and couldn¡¯t get close to the policemen even after a long time; instead, two more of his men were sneak attacked by long spears, hitting them in the lower legs.

    The redhead felt extremely frustrated. The fighting skills he had honed through over a decade of blood and battle were of no use against the police officers¡¯ strange formation.

    This was the ¡°Security Combat Method¡± taught to the police by Joseph,monly used in stations and airports in the future. The technique prioritized holding the enemy at bay rather than killing, and it was conducive to self-defense.

    More importantly, thisbat method was simple and easy to learn; anyone could master it after just a week of practice.

    The redhead was gritting his teeth so hard they could shatter, unable to fathom why the police officers were so tough today. Soon, he decided to give up¡ªhe himself had almost been stabbed¡ªand decisively waved his hand and shouted, ¡°Retreat!¡±

    However, at a security booth half a street away, on-duty police officers had heard the whistle and immediately dispatched four people to provide backup.

    When they arrived at the narrow alley, they ran head-on into the Viper Gang who were nning to escape. The leading police officer shouted ¡°In the name of the Crown Prince,¡± and three riot waist forks were instantly positioned in front of them.

 Chapter 10 - 10 Great Chaos

    Chapter 10: Great Chaos

    The members of the Viper Gang barely put up a fight before being pinned down to the ground, sandwiched from front and rear by truncheons, and they whimpered in terror.

    Quirian, while thanking the colleagues who hade to provide backup, bound the criminals one by one with rope.

    That very day, the same scene unfolded in various parts of the Saint Antoine District.

    The police, as if injected with an adrenaline boost, would charge at the sight of any criminal activity, shouting, ¡°In the name of the Crown Prince,¡± and use riot forks and spears to harshly discipline the miscreants.

    For a time, the thieves, robbers, and gang members in the Saint Antoine District were inplete disarray, their audacious arrogance nowhere to be found.

    The residents of the Saint Antoine District, witnessing the police cracking down on crime everywhere, were both shocked and delighted; they had never seen the police arrest so many troublemaking gang members and criminals with such earnestness.

    In this era, the people¡¯s expectations for public security were extremely low; getting robbed or burrized would just be chalked up to bad luck, and as long as their lives were not at risk, they were quite content. However, the actions of the new police force had greatly exceeded their expectations.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the people to spontaneously bring the police water and food, to cheer from the streets for the officers who caught criminals, and the encouraged police worked even harder in response.

    Soon, citizens learned a new trick: shouting ¡°In the name of the Crown Prince¡± when facing a crime could scare off the viins with a not-so-small chance of sess.

    ¡­

    Royal Pce.

    The Duke of Orleans, looking at the ¡°Paris News¡± on the table, had a grim expression. The newspaper¡¯s front-page headline read ¡°Chaos in Antony District, Crown Prince Oversees Police Reforms.¡±

    Compared to the ambiguous wordings of the ¡°Paris News,¡± which he controlled, the surrounding tabloids were much more direct¡ª ¡°Crown Prince Restructures Police, Improvements Seen in Saint Antoine District,¡± ¡°Saint Antoine District Residents Praise the New Police Force,¡± ¡°Crown Prince¡¯s Astute Intelligence, Solves Dentist Murder Case in Three Minutes¡±¡­

    The Duke of Orleans felt irritated, originally wanting to use the chaos in the Saint Antoine District to thoroughly humiliate the Crown Prince through the newspapers, but his n had unintentionally boosted the Crown Prince¡¯s reputation instead.

    This Joseph had transformed the police force in just over ten days, a feat that simply didn¡¯t seem possible for a thirteen-year-old boy!

    Thinking this, he frowned suddenly: could the Austrian wench be using her son to start purging the Paris officialdom, beginning with the Police Headquarters?

    The more he thought about it, the more he believed it was the only possibility, as the Crown Prince alone could hardly achieve all of this.

    Then he must disrupt the Queen¡¯s ns even more, absolutely not allowing the Royal Family to stir any waves!

    After pondering for a while, the Duke of Orleans hastily wrote a letter, called over his butler, and instructed, ¡°Deliver this letter to Levebelle. Tell him to seed at all costs. I might consider helping him be Governor of Normandy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    ¡­

    In a small vi on the east bank of the Seine River, Director of Police Services Gizo eyed the slightly ajar door and called out to his mistress who was eavesdropping outside, ¡°Anna, close the door and make sure no servant gets near.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The woman reluctantly shut the door and walked away, murmuring under her breath, ¡°Hmph, ordering me around as if I were a servant¡­ this is my own home¡­¡±

    Only then did Gizo turn his attention back to the short, curly-haired man in front of him, took a strong pull from his pipe, and said, ¡°Similion, this time the Crown Prince isn¡¯t just ying around for a few days before returning to the Pce of Versailles. He¡¯s here to stay at the Police Headquarters.¡±

    The short man, who was the former Police Commissioner of the Saint Antoine District, now ¡°on sick leave,¡± immediately replied anxiously, ¡°But the municipalmissioner said I could be reinstated in at most two months¡­¡±

    ¡°Who knew it would turn out like this?¡± Gizo exhaled a plume of smoke. ¡°It¡¯s not just you; the Crown Prince is a huge problem for the whole Police Headquarters.¡±

    He stared at Similion and said, ¡°There¡¯s something now that, if you do it well, not only can you be reinstated, but you may also be promoted.¡±

    The short man¡¯s eyes shed with joy, ¡°Just give your orders, sir!¡±

    ¡°You know the Saint Antoine District best, who are the most powerful gangs there?¡±

    ¡°The Host Gang and ck Sheep Gang,¡± Similion said, ¡°They control over eighty percent of the territory in this district, each with hundreds of subordinates.¡±

    Gizo nodded, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to him, his eyes shing with a crazed glint, ¡°Go find them, and whether it be dismemberment, rape, kidnapping, or arson, it¡¯s all good, just causeplete chaos in the Saint Antoine District. I want a total loss of control, thorough chaos!¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Similion¡¯s pupils contracted with shock at those words, before he nodded and said, ¡°Alright,plete chaos.¡±

    He nced at the paper in his hand and suddenly sprang up from his chair, eximing, ¡°Thirty thousand livres!¡±

    The paper was indeed a bank draft for thirty thousand livres. At this time, twenty thousand livres could buy a vi in Paris, so thirty thousand livres was definitely a huge sum that could drive any gang mad.

    ¡°That sum is nothing,¡± Gizo gestured for him to sit down, ¡°tell the gangs that for every incident that causes panic, they¡¯ll get a thousand livres. After a month, whoever has done the most notable job will get an additional twenty thousand livres.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Similion¡¯s hands trembled slightly with nervousness.

    ¡°Off you go then,¡± Gizo gave him another long look, ¡°and remember, if anything goes wrong, the powerful figure behind me will clean up for you, but all of this was your own idea, it has nothing to do with me, got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve got it, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Gizo stood by the window, watching Similion hurry away, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

    He had not originally nned to go this big, but when Levebelle told him yesterday to just go for it and that he would take care of any trouble, Gizo no longer had any reservations.

    ¡°Crown Prince, you could have enjoyed your luxuries at the Pce of Versailles, yet you insist on muddying the waters here,¡± he muttered through clenched teeth.

    ¡­

    Three dayster.

    The police station of the Saint Antoine District.

    Joseph was under the shade of a tree, perusing letters ofint from the citizens¡ªthough they were mostly praise for the police¡ªwhen the security inspector, Magone, suddenly rushed over, bowed, and gasped,

    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s been another incident! Two people were killed in a shoe store on White Iris Street, and the store was set on fire!¡±

    Joseph immediately frowned; since the afternoon the day before yesterday, multiple violent incidents had urred in the Saint Antoine District, with two deaths the day before yesterday, three deaths and two serious injuries yesterday.

    He had thought they were isted incidents, but now there was another.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation like now?¡±

    ¡°Alden has taken people over,¡± Magone said, ¡°The fire has been extinguished, but the criminal hasn¡¯t been caught yet.¡±

    Joseph immediately returned to the office to start mobilizing personnel and dealing with the case.

    As twilight approached, Alden brought back updates on the White Iris Street incident and was reporting to Joseph when suddenly another police officer brought more bad news¡ªthe ck Sheep Gang had gone mad for some reason and were shing people all over Misa Street. Seven or eight passersby had been wounded and urgent police reinforcement was needed.

 Chapter 11: The Crown Princeâ€™s Guard

    Chapter 11: The Crown Prince¡¯s Guard

    ¡°This situation isn¡¯t right,¡± Joseph frowned and pondered, ¡°Have the gangs in the Saint Antoine District gone mad these past few days?¡±

    He immediately instructed Alden, ¡°From now on, all personnel are to extend their policing hours, let everyone work harder, and double their performance bonuses. Night patrols must be especially strengthened, as more incidents are likely to ur.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Alden saluted with his hand on his chest, ready to turn and leave, when the officer in charge of police personnel ran in, sweating profusely:

    ¡°Your Highness, there has suddenly been arge,rge number of police officers taking leave¡­ it¡¯s estimated to be nearly a hundred.¡±

    ¡°Nearly a hundred?!¡± Alden was stunned. The main police force of the Saint Antoine District, plus various support staff, amounted to just over 400 people¡ªthis meant a quarter of them were asking for leave.

    ¡°Yes, some say they are sick, others have family emergencies.¡±

    Joseph took the leave request list and nced over it; they were all former police force members, with the logistics team making up the bulk, and there were also about a dozen detectives.

    And what¡¯s more, leading the request for leave was none other than the deputy chief of the police station, Bono!

    Joseph¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. On one hand, serious crimes were urring frequently, and he had just called for full mobilization to maintain order, and on the other, there was a mass leave? Could this be mere coincidence? There must be a problem here!

    ¡°Your Highness, we need manpower now, they¡­¡± Alden said anxiously.

    Joseph turned, handed the leave list to his attendant, and said coldly, ¡°Eman, you personally take a doctor to verify each one. Anyone whose leave does not align with the given reasons is to be immediately dismissed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

    Joseph gave a coldugh, ¡°Trying to dig a hole for me? This will indeed save a considerable amount of expenses. Do they think I¡¯m out of options with just a mere hundred or so people?¡±

    He first ordered Alden, Magone, and other public safety supervisors to lead teams to maintain order, and then gestured to the Captain of the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard who was standing steadfast five paces away:

    ¡°Viscount Kesode, how many of my guards are here?¡±

    ¡°105, Your Highness,¡± replied thetter without hesitation.

    Ostensibly, Joseph was only apanied by two or three guards, but in fact, within a 300-meter radius, there was always arge number of Crown Prince¡¯s Guards on alert.

    ¡°Detach 90 men to join Magone and the others in patrolling the streets to maintain order.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Kesode stood up straight, ¡°This is against protocol¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Protocol is made by man; don¡¯t be so rigid,¡± Joseph smiled, ¡°Besides, you are my guards, listening to me is not wrong.¡±

    Kesode¡¯s face was a mask of military firmness and upromising spirit, ¡°Your Highness, our duty is to protect your safety! I believe that King Louis XVI would definitely not agree with your proposal either.¡±

    ¡°King Louis XVI?¡± Joseph suddenly smiled craftily and turned to pull out a letter from Louis XVI from a few days ago from a drawer, handing thest page to the stubborn captain, ¡°I actually do have the King¡¯s endorsement.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Kesode was taken aback.

    Joseph pointed to the letter and read, ¡°¡®You just do what you need to do¡­. If there¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ve got your back.¡¯ This is handwritten by His Majesty; you must follow his orders.¡±

    Kesode was stunned, ¡°But¡­¡±

    Joseph then threatened, ¡°If you do not listen to me, then I will lead the patrol myself. You¡¯ve heard about the situation outside just now.¡±

    ¡°You absolutely mustn¡¯t go on patrol!¡± Viscount Kesode hurriedly intervened, and after a standoff, he finally said with a pained expression, ¡°Your Highness, we mustn¡¯t let Major Faison know about this. Also, you mustn¡¯t leave the police station.¡±

    Major Faison was the Captain of the Court Guard at the Pce of Versailles and Viscount Kesode¡¯s direct superior.

    ¡°Deal!¡± Joseph nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve still got 15 men here, so safety isn¡¯t an issue.¡±

    Viscount Kesode bowed once more and left Joseph¡¯s office, hastening outside to the open space in front of the police station. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a whistle, and blew it forcefully twice.

    Within moments, over a hundred members of the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard, swords at their sides and guns on their backs, gathered from all around like a rushing tide and formed up swiftly into five rows.

    Viscount Kesode signaled a few officers to step forward and quietly gave them several instructions.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the officers shouted in response, then each led their men out of the police station at a run, including a group of ten cavalrymen.

    ¡­

    In a dpidated house in the Huaike District, filled with the acidic smells of foot odor and vomit, several leaders of the ck Sheep Gang were holding their drinks andughing loudly, ¡°After all, the girls from White Laurel are the toughest, the Saint Antoine District doesn¡¯t have stuff this good.¡±

    The big boss took arge gulp of liquor and disdainfully nced at the man, ¡°Look at your inexperienced face. If we¡¯re talking about harlots, the ones from the Louvre District are top-notch! Thirty livres for one night, those breasts, tsk tsk¡­¡±

    A man missing half of his ear said roughly, ¡°These past few days we¡¯ve made 2,000 livres. Isn¡¯t that enough to y with the high-ss girls from the Louvre District whenever we want?¡±

    Someone immediately teased him, ¡°Vallian, you lost all your money for the high-ss girls at the gambling den, 150 livres, right? You must have pissed on your hands, haha.¡±

    ¡°Half Ear¡± grabbed a copy of the Paris News beside him, belched, and retorted, ¡°See? The paper even covered the shoe store arson I did. Similion, that crooked cop, will bring me 1,000 livres tomorrow! Afraid I won¡¯t have enough money for the brothel?¡±

    ¡°Look at your ambitions,¡± the big boss pointed with the liquor bottle at the men in front of him, ¡°Only thinking about harlots? Put more effort into it! Win that 20,000 livres, and I¡¯ll take you to y with real aristocratic women, haha!¡±

    The gang leaders¡¯ eyes shone with lewdness as they howled in unison, ¡°We¡¯ll follow the boss¡¯s orders!¡±

    ¡°Host Gang are nothing, the 20,000 livres will definitely be ours!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the men to do it tomorrow!¡±

    Ever since Similion promised them 1,000 livres for every major crime three days ago, the ck Sheep Gang had been under strict ordersbined with hefty rewards to create chaos at any cost. Even though the police had nabbed quite a few of their underlings these past few days, they¡¯d also raked in a hefty sum.

    The gang leaders envisioned being rich until theter part of the night, when they finally fell into a deep sleep.

    The next day, as soon as the sun rose, they were jolted awake by a series of heavy pounding on the door, ¡°Boss, boss! Something¡¯s bad, one of the brothers is dead!¡±

    The big boss climbed out of bed, massaging his throbbing forehead from the hangover, and said displeased:

    ¡°What¡¯s all this noise about, isn¡¯t it just someone dead? Who did it? Host Gang or the police?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s neither.¡± The voice outside trembled a little, ¡°It¡¯s the Royal Guard, and three men are dead¡­¡±

    ¡°The Royal Guard?¡± The big boss frowned and kicked his disheveled underlings, ¡°Get up, now! Let¡¯s find out what¡¯s going on!¡±

    Shortly, two of the gang leaders grumbled as they left, trailing a few men behind the person who brought the news.

    They hadn¡¯t gone far when they saw a troop of soldiers dressed in fine uniforms, wearing tricorne hats adorned with feathers, disying the Royal Family¡¯s crests, armed excellently, and striding towards them with imposing carriage,ing from the opposite side of the street.

    ¡°What are these people doing in the Saint Antoine District?¡± ¡°Half Ear¡± asked nervously.

    ¡°They seem to be maintaining order,¡± the messenger replied with a sullen face. ¡°They are numerous, and almost every street is filled with them.¡±

 Chapter 12 - 12 Clues (Vote for Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 12: Clues (Vote for Monthly Tickets)

    Several members of the ck Sheep Gang were talking when they heard amotion nearby, which seemed to be a street robbery.

    The men of the Royal Guard immediately rushed over, shouting loudly, ¡°Get down immediately, or we are authorized to shoot you!¡±

    Two thugs from the Host Gangpletely ignored them, shing down the victim and running towards an alley without looking back.

    These Royal guards werepletely different from the poorly equipped police, each armed with a musket and a breastte.

    They immediately lined up in a row, raised their guns to aim, and the leader shouted again, ¡°Last warning, get down immediately!¡±

    However, the robbers made an insulting gesture behind them,ughing maniacally as they ran even faster. In their experience, as long as one was bold and fast, neither the police nor anyone else could touch them.

    But this time, they were facing the most elite guards of France.

    ¡°Fire!¡± As the leader gave the order, five muskets fired simultaneously, and the two distant thugs were hit by bullets, toppling forward with several hand-sized holes in their backs, gushing blood.

    The precise marksmanship and the chilling resoluteness of the action made the members of the ck Sheep Gang shrink back.

    Exchanging nces, they quickly ran back to report to their boss without even checking on their dead henchman.

    The Crown Prince¡¯s Guard swept through the Saint Antoine District like an unstoppable behemoth, and by just past 10 a.m., six gang members had been shot by them. The two gangs, previously arrogant and stirring trouble everywhere, suddenly became listless¡­

    This was the order Joseph gave to the guard, to shoot and kill on sight if they could not apprehend criminals! Harsh medicine for a severe illness, and without blood to intimidate the gang members, who knew how many civilians would die? In any case, it was the era of royal power; no one should talk about the rights and liberties of criminals, there were no holy mothers here!

    The leader of the Host Gang hunched in hisir, peeking through the curtain slit as the tall and formidable Royal Guard walked past in the streets, their presence causing his eyelids to twitch uncontrobly.

    The door was knocked intermittently, bringing the news of gang members being captured or shot.

    In one day, he had lost 17 men; his heart was bleeding. ¡°I¡¯m just a thug, is it necessary to call in the army to suppress me?¡±

    The ck Sheep Gang reacted a bit quicker, calling their people back by noon, only losing about a dozen men.

    In the following two days, no violent incidents urred in the Saint Antoine District¡ªthe rewards from Similion were high, but the men of the Royal Guard were deadly serious. What use was money if one had no life to spend it?

    The news of the gang members lying low reached the police station, where everyone was thrilled, praising the decisiveness and methods of the Crown Prince, as well as the formidable Royal Guard.

    Joseph didn¡¯t pay attention to the ttery; he knew that the guard, by intimidating the gang members with thunderous methods, was only a temporary solution. It wouldn¡¯t take long for the gangs to find a loophole, especially since the guards were unfamiliar with the area andcked investigative skills.

    Moreover, most members of the guard were titled knights; if they were to keep patrolling the streets, their morale would soon fall due to ack of action.

    There are thieves every day, but one can¡¯t be vignt every day. If the mastermind behind this chaos wasn¡¯t found, a major incident was bound to ur sooner orter.

    Security Inspector Alden knocked and entered the room, saluting, ¡°Your Highness, all those captured have been interrogated, they are all small fish, but many of them mentioned that for every job done, someone gives their boss a thousand livres, and they also get a good share.¡±

    Joseph frowned inwardly; these guys were indeedmitting crimes for money. A thousand livres per time? The mastermind was really generous!

    He instructed Alden to interrogate them further, when suddenly a military officer from the guard strode in, saluting respectfully,

    ¡°Your Highness, my men have just captured a man named Vallian, his identity seems to be no ordinary¡­¡±

    ¡°Vallian?¡± Alden immediately excited, said, ¡°He¡¯s the ck Sheep Gang¡¯s second inmand! How did you capture him?!¡±

    The officer said, ¡°He got into a brawl at the gambling house. When I led my team there, he tried to escape, but my men shot three of his henchmen dead. If he hadn¡¯t given us his name, he would have likely been killed too.¡±

    Alden swallowed hard, feeling a bit of sympathy for the ck Sheep Gang thugs, then he turned to Joseph and said,

    ¡°Your Highness, Vallian may know something, I¡¯ll go interrogate him right away!¡±

    In less than an hour, Magone came rushing back, his clothes still spattered with blood he hadn¡¯t had time to wipe off, and handed a confession to Joseph:

    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve made a big find!¡±

    Joseph saw the confession of the ck Sheep Gang leader, which stated that a man named Raymond was paying them to create chaos, thousand livres at a time, and after a month, if they caused more trouble than the Host Gang, they would get an additional twenty thousand livres.

    He frowned slightly and asked, ¡°What does this Raymond do?¡±

    Alden shook his head, but the police clerk beside him eximed, ¡°He¡¯s Mr. Similion¡¯s cousin.¡±

    ¡°Similion?¡± Joseph felt the name was somewhat familiar.

    The clerk said, ¡°The former Police Commissioner for this district.¡±

    Joseph suddenly understood; no wonder nearly a hundred police officers had taken leave at the same time, the mastermind behind the scenes was their former supervisor, which exined everything.

    Alden, who had been promoted from the civilian patrol, was not quite clear on these convoluted matters, and looked inquiringly at Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, should we arrest Similion?¡±

    Joseph was about to nod when he suddenly thought of something, and asked the clerk, ¡°Could you tell me how much Similion used to earn?¡±

    ¡°It should be thirty livres a month, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Is he from a big family?¡±

    ¡°No, Your Highness, Mr. Similion¡¯s father was a minor civil servant, an ordinary household.¡±

    Joseph narrowed his eyes, ¡°On his sry, twenty thousand livres would take more than fifty years to save up. Where did he get such arge sum of money?¡±

    Alden was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Joseph said slowly, ¡°There must be someone else behind him giving orders.¡±

    Alden pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Your Highness, I remember Vallian mentioned that Raymond had shown them a bank deposit certificate for twenty thousand livres to prove his ability to pay, from Havre Bank.¡±

    ¡°This could be an important clue.¡± Joseph nodded, took out a map to check, and found out that Havre was a small bank with only two branches in Paris.

    ¡°Count Eman, you and Alden¡­¡± he thought for a moment, shook his head and said, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯d better go there myself.¡±

    In the Havre Bank branch closer to the city hall, the bank manager initially refused to let anyone look at the ounts, until Joseph revealed his identity and threatened to have the Secret Police investigate if he did not cooperate. The manager finally gave in.

    Similion¡¯s ount was straightforward; there were only a few transactions¡ªcashing a banker¡¯s draft for thirty thousand livres, then splitting the money into several deposits at the bank, one of which was exactly twenty thousand livres.

    Joseph inwardly sighed at how little awareness people of this era had regarding financial tracking and then obtained the information he most wanted to know¡ªthe payer of that draft was the Director of Paris Police, Viscount Gizo!

 Chapter 13 - 13 Trading

    Chapter 13: Trading

    Joseph left behind two guards to watch over the bank manager, to prevent any leaking of information, and led the others out of Havre Bank.

    Alden said urgently, ¡°Your Highness, let me take men to arrest Gizo.¡±

    Joseph raised his hand to stop him, ¡°Gizo only gave Similion thirty thousand livres, there¡¯s no evidence to prove his involvement.¡±

    ¡°Then arrest Similion, perhaps he will confess against Gizo.¡±

    Joseph had not expected the mastermind behind all this to be the Director of Paris Police and couldn¡¯t help but frown in contemtion; given Gizo¡¯s special status, as long as he steadfastly denied everything, merely Similion¡¯s confession would hardly suffice to convict him.

    Eman nced at the dimming sky and said to Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s getting dark; we should head back to our residence.¡±

    But Joseph had an epiphany upon hearing this, ¡°That Vallian was arrested close to twilight, so the news should only reach the City Hall by tomorrow morning, right?¡±

    Alden nodded, ¡°He¡¯s just a thug, surely no one will care about him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡±

    Joseph quickly boarded the carriage, leaned over the small table to write a letter, and handed it to the captain of the guard:

    ¡°Viscount Kesode, please send someone back to the Pce of Versailles, and give this to Queen Mary. Make it fast!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

    At four in the morning, Count Herman, the clerk of Queen Mary, yawning heavily, arrived at the Saint Antoine District police station together with Antoine, themissioner of the Secret Police.

    Without waiting for the customary greetings, Joseph warmly had hot cocoa served and pulled them to sit down.

    ¡°Your Highness called us here in such haste, is there something urgent?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, there is something I need to trouble the two of you with,¡± Joseph leaned in and began to outline his n.

    Herman¡¯s eyes widened in rm, ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work out¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, there will be no idents,¡± Antoine appeared confident, ¡°The Highness¡¯s method is excellent, I¡¯m thinking of incorporating it into the Secret Police training curriculum.¡±

    Joseph bowed to them in gratitude, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it in your capable hands.¡±

    ¡°It is our honor to serve Your Highness.¡±

    ¡­

    As dawn was breaking, Gizo, yawning, got into his carriage, tossed his walking stick to a servant, andzily waved his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The carriage slowly started off, bumping along the cobblestone road. Gizo¡¯s home was still some distance from the City Hall, and he was just about to rest against the seat and take a short nap when he suddenly heard the coachman cry out in rm and the carriage came to an abrupt halt.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gizo irritably pulled open the carriage window to see what had happened, but the door was violently yanked open.

    Three burly men, wearing tattered leather caps, d in ck armor, and reeking of foul odor, appeared outside the carriage.

    Gizo¡¯s bodyguard hurried to draw his sword, but the opposing rapier was already pressed against his neck.

    A thin-faced man with protruding joints gestured outside and said in a deep voice, ¡°Everyone out.¡±

    The servants and the bodyguard quickly got out, and Gizo was about to move but was held down, ¡°You stay put.¡±

    Then the three burly men jumped into the carriage, the one with the knife closed the door and said to the coachman:

    ¡°Keep going, as if nothing happened.¡±

    As the carriage resumed, the look of shock on Gizo¡¯s face immediately disappeared, he leaned back, and said in a cold voice:

    ¡°You must be Vallian, right? Who sent you here?¡±

    Yes, as the Director of Paris Police, he still had some impression of the leaders of the well-known gangs in Paris. The man in the middle, missing half of his left ear, he had seen justst year¡ªthe second-inmand of the ck Sheep Gang.

    Vallian¡¯s eyes nced toward the gaunt middle-aged man sitting on the left, and, lowering his head, he mumbled vaguely:

    ¡°Let¡­ Let one of my men talk to you.¡±

    The gaunt man stroked his stubbly face with a knife, ncing sideways at Gizo as he said:

    ¡°Lord Gizo, our boss wants to discuss a transaction with you.¡±

    ¡°You?¡± thetterughed contemptuously, ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re qualified to transact with me? Get out of my carriage at once!¡±

    As if he hadn¡¯t heard, the gaunt man continued speaking to himself:

    ¡°Regarding that matter of twenty thousand livres, if you don¡¯t listen, you will definitely regret it.¡±

    Gizo drew out his words, ¡°Twenty thousand livres? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Why bother to conceal it?¡± The gaunt man smiled, ¡°Similion went to the tech institute with our boss, and after getting drunk, he talked a lot about, for example, the task you gave him.¡±

    ¡°That waste!¡± Gizo muttered, turning to look outside the window, ¡°Whatever it is, go talk to Similion about it.¡±

    ¡°No, he can¡¯t decide on this matter. Our boss wants you to pay those twenty thousand livres directly to us.¡±

    Gizo seemed to be amused, ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Surely, you¡¯ve heard that arge number of the Royal Guard has arrived in the Saint Antoine District recently, and now no one dares to cause trouble there.¡±

    Gizo¡¯s expression shifted slightly, ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°The task requested by Similion will probably be hard to aplish, whether by us or by the Host Gang.¡± The gaunt man extended two fingers, ¡°But our boss still wants to make those twenty thousand livres.¡±

    Gizoughed, ¡°Want money without doing the job?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about not doing it,¡± said the gaunt man, ¡°but to directly pull off a big score, one worth twenty thousand, and theny low.¡±

    Gizo suddenly took an interest; he had heard about the Royal Guard¡¯s sweep of the Saint Antoine District¡¯s gangs and was worried about it. At these words, his interest piqued, ¡°What do you n to do?¡±

    ¡°What do we n?¡± The gaunt man shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s what you want us to do.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Gizo couldn¡¯t maintain his aloofness any longer and sneered:

    ¡°If there¡¯s something that can utterly disgrace the police of the Saint Antoine District, make all the newspapers put it on the front page, and have all Parisians talk about it for a year, I¡¯d consider giving you the twenty thousand livres directly.¡±

    The gaunt man pondered, then said, ¡°How about we find an opportunity to sneak into the police station of the Saint Antoine District, kill ten cops, and then set the station on fire? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± Gizo stroked his chin, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. If the police station were burned down, wouldn¡¯t the Crown Prince lose face? The citymissioner would certainly be very pleased, ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    The gaunt man nodded, articting each word clearly, ¡°Let me repeat the agreement, you pay twenty thousand livres to hire us to kill ten cops and set the police station on fire, correct?¡±

    Gizo found this way of speaking a bit strange, but the content was certainly correct. Assuming the ruffian was just inept at speaking, he nodded subconsciously, ¡°Right, just like that.¡±

    ¡°No one forced you to make this decision, did they?¡±

    ¡°What? Of course not.¡±

    The gaunt man looked up at him, smiling, ¡°I¡¯m curious, Mr. Gizo, why would you spend so much money to do things that have no profit at all?¡±

    Gizo¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Fool, that¡¯s none of your business! Now, get out of my carriage immediately, and go back to the Saint Antoine District to do what you need to do!¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s time to get down to business.¡± The gaunt man smiled as he put away his dueling knife, removed the worn leather hat, tore off the beard, and then drew a pair of iron handcuffs from behind, shaking them at him, ¡°Gizo, you are under arrest for conspiring to murder police officers, destroy a police station, and threaten the safety of the Crown Prince, in the name of the Royal Police.¡±

    Being referred to as the Royal Police was a more polite term for the Secret Police, equivalent to the modern-day FBI, with significant power, including the direct power of arrest.

 Chapter 14 - 14 The Roundup

    Chapter 14: The Roundup

    Gizo¡¯s face stiffened as he looked at Vallian, ¡°Control your man! What is he babbling about?¡±

    The carriage suddenly stopped, and thetter revealed a smile uglier than crying. An awkward twist of his body allowed Gizo to see a dagger pressed against his lower back.

    Gizo¡¯s pupils shrank, and he sprung up, reaching for the carriage door handle. But the gaunt man was quicker. The moment Gizo¡¯s rear left the seat, the man¡¯s right hand had already sped his neck, pinning him against the backrest.

    Gizo struggled fiercely and hysterically began to shout:

    ¡°Let go of me! I am the Director of Paris Police! You don¡¯t have proof, you can¡¯t arrest me!¡±

    The man who had been silent, sitting to Vallian¡¯s right, suddenly spoke:

    ¡°I am Ambroise de Hermann, representing Her Majesty the Queen, and I have witnessed everything just now. I can prove your guilt.¡±

    The carriage door was opened from the outside, and Alden along with a police officer pointed their guns at Gizo, furiously dering, ¡°I was driving just now. We heard everything, and we can testify!¡±

    Gizo suddenly went limp¡­

    On the precinct grounds of the Saint Antoine District, Joseph watched as arge number of police officers ran past, nodding to them. The officers responded with loud slogans.

    Alden, still buzzing with excitement, continuously rambled to the Crown Prince about what happened that morning, unable to stop:

    ¡°Viscount Antony¡¯s men were waiting at the corner and took Gizo away directly. I think they must have taken him to the secret police¡­ ahem, the interrogation room of the Royal Police. I followed another team to search Gizo¡¯s house, and when I noticed something bulging at the head of the bed, I felt something was off. I smashed it open and, sure enough, I found a hiddenpartment¡­¡±

    Joseph had already heard the story once and now smiled, ¡°Then you found that notebook; you¡¯ve made a significant contribution this time.¡±

    In Gizo¡¯s notebook was recorded information about the main gangs in the Saint Antoine District and many dangerous criminals. Thest few pages detailed how Gizo provided protection for these people and the ill-gotten money he received in return.

    Joseph immediately mobilized all his police forces and, with the support of his own Royal Guard, followed the leads, heading straight for the criminals¡¯irs.

    The Saint Antoine District experienced a particrly tumultuous day. Gang members and criminals, caught off-guard, were chased through the streets, but were soon tackled to the ground by riot gear or shot when they resisted.

    The arrest operationsted two days. When the citizens heard the news, they consciously stayed at home to cooperate with the police operation. Even some bold individuals took up clubs and helped the police block the criminals at the street corners.

    Cells at the Saint Antoine District police station quickly filled up, and the subsequent criminals were sent to the Bastille.

    Such a significantmotion attracted nearly all of Paris¡¯s reporters to investigate.

    On White Iris Street, a middle-aged man with disheveled hair, deep wrinkles, and thoughtful expression frowned as he looked across the street where a group of Royal Guards, leading seven or eight handcuffed, disheartened, and bloodied individuals, was passing by.

    The young man by his side said nervously, ¡°Mr. Mara, you really didn¡¯t need toe here in person. It seems rather dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Mara gestured dismissively, ¡°Without being on the scene, one can never know the real truth!¡±

    He quickly stepped into a grocery store, made a small purchase, and pointing to the distant Royal Guards, asked the shopkeeper, ¡°Do you know what they¡¯re doing? Arresting political prisoners?¡±

    The shopkeeper gave him a disdainful look and said irritably, ¡°Political prisoners? Those tied up are members of the Viper Gang; they¡¯ve done nothing good!¡±

    While saying this, he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a scar, ¡°Look, I was beaten by the Viper Gangst year. Before the Crown Prince brought the new police force, I had to pay them five livres every month! God bless the Crown Prince, now these despicable people have finally been caught! I¡¯ll have money to buy butter for my children!¡±

    Mr. Mara habitually took out his notebook and began recording, ¡°Could you tell me about that new police unit?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the shopkeeper put down what he was doing and sized him up, ¡°You¡¯re a journalist, aren¡¯t you? Haha, can you put my words of thanks to the Crown Prince in the paper?¡±

    ¡°Ah? I can¡­¡±

    After a while, Mr. Mara left the grocery store filled with praises for the Crown Prince, skeptically stopped a passerby on the street, and once more asked what the police and guards were up to.

    Then, he received almost the same answer as from the shopkeeper.

    After interviewing seven or eight people and visiting the police station on White Iris Street, and even directly questioning the arrested criminals, he finally began to believe that the Royal Family had actually done something beneficial for themon people!

    This was too abnormal!

    In his mind, the Royal Family and those nobles had always only exploited and bullied themon people, but to eradicate harm for the people and not even charge them for it was definitely a first.

    But as someone who respected facts, after acquiring a considerable amount of firsthand interview materials, he immediately returned to his hotel and wrote down the headline for tomorrow¡¯s news report ¡ª ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s Police Reform Achieves Remarkable Sess, Eradicating the Criminal Foundations of the Saint Antoine District¡±.

    ¡­

    Several grey-ck carriages traveled along the north bank of the Seine River towards the Pce of Versailles.

    In the middle carriage, Joseph coughed fitfully, feeling like he was riding on a pile driver, almost shaken to pieces.

    He rubbed his aching forehead and thought to himself, I need to quicklye up with spring suspension, and preferably tires too. There will be many more days of carriage rides ahead, and I don¡¯t want to be jostled into any mishaps by this contraption.

    Yesterday, he had received a letter ofmendation from the Cab praising his feat of clearing out the criminals in the Saint Antoine District, asking him to return to Versailles Pce to report on his duties, with the King and Queen¡¯s signatures at the end.

    Josephughed and shook his head inwardly. Reporting on duties just over twenty days since taking office, this must be a record, he thought. Probably the King and Queen were missing their son and found an excuse for me toe back.

    Yet, this coincided perfectly with his own ns.

    Joseph had no intention of staying at Police Headquarters indefinitely. His primary objective was always to rescue France¡¯s finances, to prevent national bankruptcy and the risk of being decapitated by an angry mob.

    This was the perfect opportunity to leverage his sess in fighting crime to ask the Queen for the position of assistant to the Finance Minister, to see what excuses those in the Cab coulde up with to oppose him.

    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for Gizo and the tens of thousands of livres he threw into creating chaos, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull off the bold ¡°sweep-ck¡± operation that electrified all of Paris.

    Joseph¡¯s gaze swept over the few sheets of paper in his hand.

    Those were the transcripts of Gizo¡¯s testimony and interrogation records sent from the Secret Police.

    From them, he learned that his overhaul of the police force had affected the Police Headquarters¡¯ profit from selling police jobs, which in turn provoked such a frenzied retaliation from Gizo.

    Under the impetus of those twenty thousand livres, gang members in the Saint Antoine District killed over a dozen citizens and wounded even more within a few days, nearly causing the situation to spiral out of control.

    Joseph took a deep breath involuntarily. Had it not been for Similion¡¯sck of anti-financial crime awareness, he would surely have been overwhelmed with trouble, and his police reform might even have been aborted midway.

 Chapter 15 - 15 Political Capital

    Chapter 15: Political Capital

    Joseph felt a sense of retrospective fear. Now, whether it was the bureaucratic power, nobility, Church, capitalists, or foreign forces, in the process of his restructuring of France, the slightest inattention could touch their interests, leading to a frenzied bacsh.

    In other words, incidents like Gizo¡¯s ndestine actions would proliferate in the future, making it virtually impossible to guard against them all.

    How could he avoid being caught off guard?

    He looked out of the window, tapping his fingers against the armrest of his chair as he fell into thought.

    To avoid being plotted against, it was best to be able to detect potential threats in advance and learn about the conspiracies targeting him.

    It would be even better to have professional personnel to help nip these threats in the bud for him.

    To achieve this, however, he would need argework of informants to gather intelligence for him.

    And on top of that, an information analysis and summary center that coulde up with response ns, then send people to deal with the problems based on his instructions.

    At this thought, several names immediately surfaced in Joseph¡¯s mind¡ªCIA, KGB, MI6.

    If he had a professional intelligence agency like that in his hands, he wouldn¡¯t be as blind or deaf when facing the covert plots of various forces, and could ensure that the progress of his restructuring of France would not be hindered.

    In fact, France did have an existing espionage organization, the Secret Police.

    But Joseph knew that they werepletely unreliable¡ªthey only knew how to do things like steaming open letters, eavesdropping on conversations, and surveilling aimlessly.

    In fact, they were so inept at even these tasks that they were often caught, which made the reputation of the Secret Police utterly detestable.

    Therefore, it was most reliable to set up his own intelligence team.

    He could use the advanced concepts ofter generations to guide and train them, ensuring higher loyalty as well.

    However, just the existence of the Secret Police alone had already incited the wrath of all of France. If he were to establish another one, he¡¯d likely be an immediate target of public anger.

    Joseph frowned, wondering how he could aplish this discreetly.

    And where would he find the personnel?

    After all, he was isted andcking in political capital. It was difficult¡­

    Prolonged thinking gave him a headache, apanied by a bout of coughing.

    He shook his head with a wry smile, his frail body always suffering from chronic pneumonia. Recently, the poor living conditions in the Saint Antoine District had caused his condition to deteriorate. It seemed that getting in shape also needed to be prioritized.

    The carriage suddenly started to slow, and Joseph looked towards Eman, ¡°Have we arrived?¡±

    ¡°We should have not yet, Your Highness.¡± The attendant leaned out of the window, calling out loudly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    A guard from the carriage in front immediately hurried over, cing his hand on his chest, and reported, ¡°Your Highness, the Minister of the Interior, Count Mono, happens to be passing by and wishes to greet you personally.¡±

    Passing by? Joseph looked at Eman with an inquisitive gaze.

    Thetter leaned in and said, ¡°Your Highness, it might be rted to Gizo.¡±

    After hearing about the rtionship between the two, Joseph couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued. He was just worrying about hisck of power within the Cab, and this could be the political capitaling to him.

    He nodded to the guard, ¡°Please have Count Monoe to my carriage.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    After a moment, a fifty-year-old man with slender brown eyes and a head full ofrge wavy hair, with powder on his face, came to the carriage, handed his cane to a servant, and then bowed deeply, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to encounter the Crown Prince here, such a fortunate moment.¡±

    Joseph politely returned the bow and invited him into the carriage, pushing the pastries on the small table toward him, ¡°These are from Her Majesty the Queen, please do try.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness,¡± Mono epted a piece with exaggerated ttery, as if suddenly remembering something, gestured for a servant to bring a wooden case, and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve recently acquired a beautiful knife that suits Your Highness¡¯s valiant aura perfectly. I¡¯d like to gift it to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then I must thank Count Mono.¡±

    Once Joseph had taken the wooden case, Mono, pretending to make small talk, said, ¡°Your Highness, there has indeed been a lot happening in Paris recently.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, there has.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s truly regrettable, the actions of some officials.¡± Mono, a high-ranking official in the Cab, showed considerable humility and sighed, ¡°Gizo was actually a very upright person before, who would have known he would¡­ ¡±

    Joseph opened the wooden case and interrupted with a smile, ¡°If you have something to say, feel free to speak inly.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Mono¡¯s face was full of sincerity, ¡°I rmended Gizo simply because he was capable. As you know, I had no idea about the things he did; otherwise, I would have done everything in my power to stop him.

    ¡°Thankfully, Your Highness is wise and saw through his malicious tricks, preventing this disaster.¡±

    Gizo had been his student and the very one he promoted to the position of Director of Police Services. This big incident made it difficult for him to clear his name.

    Although Mono was a high-ranking official, as Gizo was now with the Secret Police, Mono was still unaware of the specifics and didn¡¯t dare to ask the Queen directly. So, he waited on the road to the Pce of Versailles, hoping to probe the young Crown Prince.

    ¡°Your Highness, may I inquire what Gizo is charged with?¡±

    Joseph seemed quite interested in the gemstone-studded Chasseur Curved Sword, caressing it repeatedly, and casually said, ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s instigating a riot.¡±

    Mono¡¯s body stiffened; rioting was a grave crime that could overthrow the government. If proven true, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be implicated!

    He chuckled nervously, ¡°He, he couldn¡¯t be so audacious¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Joseph put down the curved sword and passed the confession on the table to him, ¡°The Royal Police delivered this in the morning; Gizo directed arge number of thugs to attack the Saint Antoine District police station. Oh, I happened to be at the station at that time.¡±

    After scanning the document briefly, Mono felt cold sweat pouring down. Although he felt Gizocked the motive to incite a riot, based on this evidence,beling it as a riot seemed usible.

    He became so flustered that he didn¡¯t know where to put his hands, cursed Gizo fiercely, and looked to Joseph with a pained expression, ¡°Your Highness, is there any chance of turning this situation around?¡±

    Joseph blinked and said, ¡°Some say Gizo incited a riot, but I¡¯m not sure. After all, I knew the situation at the time best.¡±

    ¡°Right, right!¡± Mono nodded vigorously, ¡°Please be sure to exin the situation to Her Majesty the Queen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we can talk about that in a few days,¡± Joseph picked up the curved sword again and waved it a few times, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy preparingtely, trying to prove to my mother that I can handle the role of assistant to the Finance Minister.¡±

    Mono was startled by the swift change in topic but quickly remembered the Crown Prince¡¯s proposal at the Cab meeting to be the assistant to the Finance Minister and hastened to say loudly, ¡°Nobody is more suited for this position than Your Highness! The Cab meeting is the day after tomorrow, and I will propose that you take on the role of assistant to the Finance Minister!

    ¡°Oh, and I can also persuade Bishop Brienne to support you!¡±

    Bishop Brienne is the current Finance Minister and also the Chief Minister, the most powerful minister beneath the king.

 Chapter 16: The Girlsâ€™ New Fashion

    Chapter 16: The Girls¡¯ New Fashion

    Talking to a wise person is always rxing, Joseph smiled and nodded, ¡°Gizo should be charged with hiring assassins and sheltering criminals, I will exin clearly to Her Majesty the Queen.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness is truly a spokesperson for justice,¡± Mono immediately said, touching his chest in a salute, ¡°Please believe, I am forever loyal to the King and Her Majesty the Queen, and also forever loyal to you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your loyalty, oh, and for your scimitar, I quite like it.¡±

    Mono felt a great weight lift from his heart, exchanged pleasantries for a while longer, then hurriedly excused himself and left.

    Suddenly Joseph remembered, the Minister of the Interior was in charge of managing municipal affairs nationwide and supervising the police, so it was Mono who would decide the next Director of Paris Police.

    He would mainly focus his energies on finance in the future, so the police reforms would need a reliable person to help push them forward.

    Additionally, he could use the shell of the Police Department to cover for the intelligence agency he was nning.

    So he raised his hand to stop Mono, asking, ¡°By the way, I wanted to ask you, who will take over as the Director of Paris Police?¡±

    Mono immediately thought of the Crown Prince¡¯s police reforms and said without hesitation, ¡°Of course, we will also need to hear Your Highness¡¯s opinion.¡±

    Joseph nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Very well, I will try to give you some suggestions. Also, I am convinced that Gizo¡¯s actions are in no way rted to you. Please, take your time leaving.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your trust, Your Highness,¡± Mono said, bowing deeply, then took three steps backward before turning and leaving.

    After walking out more than ten meters, he finally let out a long breath, no longer daring to treat the Crown Prince as a youth easy to sway. Just then, in the carriage, the Crown Prince had always maintained control of the conversation, appearing calm and more than equal to the task, evoking in him the feeling he had in the presence of Louis XV.

    He instructed the coachman to return to the Pce of Versailles, murmuring to himself, ¡°Indeed a child blessed by the divine, it seems I will have to keep some distance from the Duke of Orleans in the future.¡±

    Joseph also resumed his journey, having traveled for another hour or so when suddenly the melodic sounds of trumpets, apanied by the brisk rhythm of military drums, were heard in the distance.

    Quietly, Eman reminded, ¡°Your Highness, we have arrived.¡±

    The carriage soon stopped, and two unfamiliar nobles approached; one opened the door of the carriage and stood aside, waiting for the Crown Prince to alight, while the other arranged a wooden stepdder in front of the door.

    ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince, wee back.¡±

    Joseph alighted from the carriage, nodding to the two, then looked off into the distance and saw that a regiment of guards, arrayed in immacte uniforms, was aligned on either side, their swords raised to the sky.

    And in the Marble Courtyard in front of the main entrance to the Pce of Versailles, indeed, hundreds of nobles had gathered on the steps, eagerly looking his way.

    Upon the appearance of the Crown Prince, cheers erupted from the crowd, drowning out the music of the band.

    Joseph was somewhat surprised, ¡°What is all this for?¡±

    The two nobles hurriedly replied, ¡°Your Highness, the King and Her Majesty the Queen are personally here to greet you.¡±

    Joseph pressed his forehead, this reception was as if he hade back from a triumphant campaign against a foreign enemy¡­

    It¡¯s no wonder, after Louis XVI ascended the throne, immersed himself in lock y, and had done nothing to show his face to the public. Queen Mary was a woman of ordinary ability, barely able to cope with state affairs, and rumors of her excessive spending further tarnished the Royal Family¡¯s reputation.

    This time the Crown Prince had astounded everyone, having thrown the Director of Paris Police into jail and eradicated nearly all the criminals in the Saint Antoine District, he had be the focus of conversation throughout Paris.

    With their son having aplished so much, how could Louis XVI and Queen Mary not publicly celebrate in a grand manner?

    Thus, an unprecedentedlyrge wee ceremony was held. In fact, many nobles who had no right to stand in the Marble Courtyard were eagerly waiting inside the Pce of Versailles.

    Joseph walked through the guard of honor and looked up to see a dignified and beautiful woman standing on the highest step, dressed in a purple silk gown with a wide skirt, a white mink shawl over her shoulders, and two long feathers stuck in her towering hairdo.

    It was none other than Queen Mary.

    At her side, half of his body hidden behind her, was the plump man in a blue swan velvet coat intricately embroidered with fine silver threads, wearing a ck tricorn hat, and ck calf leather high-heels, looking somewhat nervous¡ªnone other than the current King of France, the renowned locksmith, and sufferer of social anxieties¡ªLouis XVI.

    Joseph hurriedly quickened his pace towards them.

    As he walked, nobles on both sides of him bowed their heads in respect, in front of the main entrance of the Pce of Versailles,rge colorful waves seemed to gently roll towards the steps above.

    Just as Queen Mary was about to smile warmly and open her arms to wee her son, a noble youngdy wearing an off-shoulder dress to Joseph¡¯s right appeared to freeze, and her pale body swayed forward and copsed.

    Joseph reflexively reached out to support her, asking with concern, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    The girl closed her eyes and curled her cold body into his embrace.

    The surrounding young noblewomen instantly red with jealousy, grinding their teeth secretly: Alisa, that wench! She dared to use such despicable tactics to get close to the Crown Prince!

    The old Crown Prince was unremarkable, even somewhat useless; although his status was illustrious, his reputation among the nobledies was quite low.

    Now, the Crown Prince¡¯s achievements such as ¡°knowledge that shocked Lagrange,¡± ¡°cleaning up the criminals of the Saint Antoine District in two days,¡± ¡°solving a murder case in three minutes,¡± and the like had already be legendary among the youngdies of Versailles.

    Talking about the Crown Prince, collecting news about him had be fashionable among the young girls of Versailles. Almost two and a half of every three sentences they spoke were about the Crown Prince.

    The ¡°Son of Heaven¡¯s Blessing¡± had be the dream lover of all the girls, and even if they knew their status and social position were far too different to marry him, just being his lover would suffice.

    A tall youngdy to the left thought to herself: Hmph! I can do it too!

    She immediately dropped her fan beside her feet and uttered softly, ¡°My dress is so tight I can¡¯t breathe,¡± and leaned towards the Crown Prince as she slumped.

    Joseph quickly supported her with his left hand, and a vinegary smell filled the air. Soon, coquettish exmations like ¡°It¡¯s so cold,¡± and ¡°I suddenly feel so dizzy¡± resonated around, with more than a dozen soft and warm bodies copsing towards him.

    As Joseph was at a loss, the captain of the guard, Kesode, stepped forward, picked up the two youngdies in his arms, one in each hand, and then yelled at the guards behind him, ¡°Quickly help thedies up!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The ¡°fainting¡± nobledies squinted to see the burly guards rushing towards them, and miraculously stood up straight, regaining their poise and elegance against gravity¡¯s pull.

 Chapter 17: Aspirin Youth Edition

    Chapter 17: Aspirin Youth Edition

    ¡°Oh, my dear heart!¡± Queen Mary embraced Joseph after he paid his respects, holding him tightly in her arms, ¡°I have been thinking of you day and night.

    ¡°Are you hurt?

    ¡°Look how thin you¡¯ve be!

    ¡°You must bring a chef with you when you go out¡­¡±

    Louis XVI also came over, but as he gazed at the dense crowd around them, he didn¡¯t utter a single word, instead giving his son an encouraging look.

    ¡°Come inside, it¡¯s cold out here.¡± The Queen pulled Joseph into the Pce of Versailles, looking back at the colorful throng ofdies and then whispered in her son¡¯s ear, ¡°Joseph, you are of age to be betrothed. Which princess do you fancy? Spain? Or perhaps Savoy¡­¡±

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help but feel both amused and helpless. Betrothal? My young body has just entered puberty, please don¡¯t trouble me with this.

    He quickly turned to Louis, changing the topic: ¡°Father, your ¡®Smander Fountain¡¯¡­¡±

    Louis XVI nced around at the people and gave an irrelevant response: ¡°Joseph, choose a girl you like; I¡¯ll support you even if she is not a princess!¡±

    Queen Mary nced at him helplessly and took her son¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Darling, I have also prepared a grand ball for you¡­¡±

    She suddenly stopped: ¡°Why is your hand so hot?¡± She then touched his forehead, ¡°Oh God, you have a fever!¡±

    She turned and called out to maid Debreninac: ¡°Quick, find Doctor Lamark!¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, Doctor Lamark went to Paris this morning.¡±

    ¡°Then get Doctor Larseny, quickly!¡± Queen Mary, kissing her son¡¯s burning forehead, was so anxious she was almost in tears, ¡°From now on, you must take a doctor with you when you go out.¡±

    Joseph felt a warmth in his heart and hurried tofort her: ¡°I just have a slight fever, it¡¯s nothing serious¡­¡± he said, though a coughing fit seized him.

    ¡°Still im it¡¯s nothing? You are severely ill! Go and rest, let the doctor take a proper look at you.¡±

    The girls around, upon hearing that the Crown Prince was sick, immediately crowded around anxiously, nearly lifting him to the bedchamber along with the Queen.

    Once Josephy down on the velvet-covered bed, the Queen cast a reproachful nce at Louis XVI, with a look that seemed to say, if you had half the capability of the Sun King, our son wouldn¡¯t have to toil so hard for the country.

    Soon, a short middle-aged doctor entered the room, panting, and after being hastened by the Queen, he took Joseph¡¯s temperature and conducted an examination. He then bowed to Louis XVI and the Queen and said, ¡°Your Majesties, the Crown Prince¡¯s pneumonia has worsened, and he has a fever of 37.9 degrees. I believe we must begin bloodletting immediately.¡±

    ¡°Very well, please proceed quickly.¡±

    Joseph¡¯s face darkened at the words, Bloodletting what? With my frail body, do you want me dead even faster?

    Of course, he didn¡¯t me the doctor¡ªit was a time when medical practices were almost akin to barbers ying alchemy, and bloodletting was amon treatment. Little did they know that, a few yearster, the Great Commander Washington of the United States would die from bloodletting.

    He immediately feigned difort, wishing for peace, and sent out all the visiting nobles, along with the King and Queen.

    As soon as the bedroom door closed, he quickly got out of bed and said to Doctor Larseny: ¡°Do not perform bloodletting! No matter how severe my illness, I absolutely do not want bloodletting.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, that¡¯s not possible!¡±

    Joseph tried to persuade him repeatedly, yet seeing the doctor remained upromising, he had no choice but to draw the Persian Curved Sword that Mono had given him, and said in a grave tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat myself, no bloodletting, understood?¡±

    The de reflected the cold light, causing Larseny to shrink back, immediately reminded of the Crown Prince¡¯s fearsome reputation¡ªchasing half of Paris himself, capturing the Director of Police Services. Leading ny guards and hundreds of gang members in a fight, and utterly annihting the criminals!

    Yes, after being passed down several hands, the message had indeed changed to this.

    Larseny swallowed and nodded hastily, ¡°I shall follow Your Highness¡¯s orders.¡±

    He added cautiously, ¡°But, Your Highness, you are still feverish¡­¡±

    Joseph felt a wave of dizziness and fatigue upon hearing this, thinking that it would be great to have penicillin, a powerful weapon against pneumonia. But such a drug was not easily made.

    What was there that could bring down a fever in a short time?

    Suddenly, he remembered a documentary he had watched about aspirin which detailed the extraction method of salicin¡ªthe youthful version of aspirin.

    Fortunately, he had a good memory and remembered the main process. Salicin had only a slight anti-inmmatory effect, but it was excellent for reducing fever; most importantly, it was simple to produce and could be made in half a day.

    He immediately turned to Larseny, asking, ¡°Do you know how to extract medicine?¡±

    The other immediately showed a confident expression, ¡°Yes, Your Highness, I even taught that in university.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s excellent.¡± Joseph quickly took out paper and pencil, wrote down the preparation process for salicin, and then exined in detail, ¡°Crush the willow bark to a powder, dry it, add a small amount of quicklime, soak it in alcohol in an alkaline environment for an hour and a half, boil, filter, evaporate to concentrate¡­ adjust the extract to alkaline, soak again, and repeat¡­ until crystals form.

    ¡°It¡¯s roughly like that. How long do you think it will take to make this?¡±

    Larseny¡¯s eyes widened with astonishment, the level of expertise shown by the Crown Prince in his words was definitely no less than his own! Truly a God-blessed child!

    After discussing the preparation process in detail with Joseph to ensure nothing was overlooked, he pondered and said, ¡°The Royal Alchemy Laboratory has all the necessary materials. If all goes well, it could be ready before four o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    ¡°Your Highness, pardon my boldness, but I¡¯ve never heard of this medicine before¡ªare you sure it¡¯s safe¡­¡±

    ¡°Positive!¡± Joseph nodded, ¡°Just go and make it. Also, don¡¯t tell my parents that I didn¡¯t let blood.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ very well, Your Highness.¡±

    After all this hustle and with the fever, Joseph soon fell into a deep sleep.

    After some time, he vaguely felt a gentle hand touching his forehead. Struggling to open his eyes, he saw eyes as clear aske water, pale green, and a nose with an elegant curve.

    Joseph shifted back a little and could finally see that it was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. However, she had applied a tan substance to her lips and was wearing a heavy white wig, dressed in a dark green male hunting outfit with ck leggings, like a mischievous little girl sneaking into her father¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°Your Highness, I am sorry for waking you,¡± the girl curtsied and then turned, saying, ¡°Dr. Lamark, the fever is very high.¡±

    A middle-aged man with curled hair, wearing a simple light grey coat, his face gaunt with prominent nose and pale green eyes, approached and gestured, ¡°Perna, please take the prince¡¯s temperature.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Doctor.¡±

    Dr. Lamark bowed to Joseph, then rolled up the sleeves of both his arms to check and frowned, ¡°Your Highness, Larseny told me that he had let your blood, but clearly he didn¡¯t tell the truth.¡±

    Joseph sat up, feeling dizzy, while Perna supported him with one hand, whispering, ¡°Your Highness, please open your mouth and be sure not to bite.¡±

    Joseph opened his mouth drowsily, and arge ss thermometer was inserted into it.

    After more than ten minutes, Perna removed the thermometer and looked worriedly at Lamark: ¡°Doctor, 38.6 degrees.¡±

 Chapter 18 - 18 Lamarkâ€™s Shock

    Chapter 18: Lamark¡¯s Shock

    Mr. Lamark immediately took a small knife and a copper basin out of his leather case and said to Perna, ¡°Prepare to bleed the Crown Prince.¡±

    Joseph firmly objected, ¡°Stop! I strictly forbid you from bleeding him¡­¡±

    Mr. Lamark, seeing his feeble expression, seriously said, ¡°Your Highness, I must do this. If the feversts too long, it could lead to serious consequences!¡±

    Joseph struggled to grab a bendable knife, but Mr. Lamark added, ¡°If you refuse treatment, I will have to report this to Her Majesty the Queen.¡±

    Joseph felt a headacheing on as he pondered how to convince the hardliner, when he saw Mr. Laseny enter, holding a ss bottle.

    ¡°Your Highness, here is the item you requested.¡± Mr. Laseny seemed somewhat guilty as he handed over the bottle, stammering, ¡°It might be, slightly impure¡­¡±

    Joseph nced at the grey, viscous substance in the bottle. Upon opening the lid, he immediately smelled the scent of alcohol and thought bitterly, was this just ¡°slightly¡± impure? Still, he consoled the doctor, ¡°It¡¯s your first attempt; this is already very good. Thank you very much.¡±

    Joseph was about to take the Salicin when a thought struck him. He looked at Mr. Lamark and asked, ¡°Mr. Lamark, if I ept your bloodletting treatment, how long before the fever breaks?¡±

    Mr. Lamark pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°Perhaps the body temperature could return to normal by tonight, or maybe by tomorrow morning.¡±

    Joseph lifted the ss bottle as a sign, ¡°With the medicine I¡¯ve prepared, the fever will break within an hour.¡±

    Mr. Lamark felt his professional dignity being challenged and immediately shook his head, ¡°Your Highness, your pneumonia has not been controlled, and in my knowledge of medicine, there is nothing that can break a fever so quickly.¡±

    He was a fellow of the French Academy of Sciences, a renowned European biologist and medical scientist, the first to propose theories of ¡°biological evolution¡± and ¡°natural selection,¡± and also among France¡¯s top physicians; he had full confidence to make this im.

    Joseph smiled wearily, ¡°Then let¡¯s make a bet. If my fever breaks within an hour, you must never bleed me again.¡±

    Mr. Lamark was momentarily taken aback, then confidently nodded, ¡°Very well, Your Highness. If your medicine isn¡¯t so effective, you must not refuse any treatment from a physician henceforth.¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡±

    Joseph poured out a spoonful of Salicin, threw it back, and swallowed. The taste was very bitter, with a heavy alcohol bite that made him retch.

    Mr. Lamark meticulously took out his pocket watch and indicated to Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, it is now 4:21 pm.¡±

    Joseph nodded. He wanted to sleep a bit more, but with three people, including a girl, standing by his bed, he felt awkward. So he got up instead and began discussing the purification of Salicin with Mr. Laseny.

    Listening on the side, Mr. Lamark heard that the medicine was made from the bark of willow trees. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. The British had researched the medicinal properties of willow bark more than ten years ago; while it did have antipyretic effects, it required continuous use for several days to be effective.

    Moreover, the substance was not stomach-friendly. Many people gave up due to stomach pains before it could reduce their fever.

    Nevertheless, he was extremely impressed with the Crown Prince¡¯s experimental theoretical knowledge, which far surpassed that of his own students. If the Crown Prince devoted himself to pharmaceuticals or experimental science, he would certainly achieve great things.

    In reality, Joseph was only modestly skilled in this area, having only been lightly influenced by a chemistry major roommate back in his university dormitory, but that made him seem quite professional in the eighteenth century.

    ¡°So, by precipitating, the cooling can be done faster¡­¡±

    Joseph was in the midst of talking when he suddenly stopped, rubbed his forehead, and smilingly said to Mr. Lamark, ¡°Mr. Lamark, I believe my fever has already subsided.¡±

    Mr. Lamark was listening intently to him about the experiment, nearly forgetting the matter at hand. He rushed to look at his pocket watch, 4:58 p.m., just 37 minutes after the Crown Prince had taken the medicine.

    He then looked at Joseph and noticed a gleam in his eyes. He quickly bowed slightly as a sign and reached out to touch his forehead. It was indeed no longer hot!

    ¡°Perna, the thermometer.¡±

    Mr. Lamark took the thermometer, ced it in the Crown Prince¡¯s mouth, waited for a while, then personally took it out to look. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

    36.8 degrees Celsius!

    His temperature had returned to normal!

    ¡°How, how is this possible?!¡± he murmured to himself, then suddenly grabbed Joseph¡¯s shoulders excitedly, ¡°Your Highness, was what you just drank really an extract of willow bark?¡±

    Joseph smiled and nodded.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the purified effect to be this good!¡± Stars seemed to twinkle in Mr. Lamark¡¯s eyes, ¡°Your Highness, if the effects of the medicine are stable, this is definitely an epoch-making drug! May I try to produce this medicine?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Let Mr. Laseny exin the details to you.¡±

    ¡°I can hardly express my gratitude to you!¡± said Mr. Lamark, bowing deeply to Joseph, frantically pulling out his notebook to find Mr. Laseny, then turning back to ask, ¡°Your Highness, did you invent this medicine?¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Joseph was taken aback, then casually replied, ¡°Ah, surely it must have been Divine inspiration that led me to a sh of insight.¡±

    Oh, my Lord! Mr. Lamark was shocked inwardly, could the Crown Prince truly be a God-favored son? To think of such a potion simply from a sh of insight!

    But grounded in scientific rigor, he believed extensive experiments were still necessary to truly confirm the effects of the medicine. With that thought, he was immediately filled with fighting spirit, pulling Mr. Laseny toward the alchemyboratory and leaving behind the message, ¡°Perna, keep a close eye on His Highness¡¯s condition and let me know immediately if anything arises.¡±

    ¡°Yes, doctor.¡±

    ¡­

    Two dayster.

    After being treated with salicin, Joseph¡¯s condition had stabilized considerably. Although he still had some coughing, there were no further instances of fever.

    As he stepped into the golden doors of the east council hall in the Pce of Versailles, it wasn¡¯t yet nine o¡¯clock, a few minutes before the Cab meeting was to start.

    All the Cab Ministers had already arrived, and when they saw the Crown Prince enter the room, they stood up to greet him.

    The Minister of the Interior, Mono, even came to Joseph with a big smile, whispering, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. The decree dealing with Gizo was issued yesterday, making no mention of inciting riots.¡±

    Joseph smiled, pulling him down to sit, as he had mentioned to the Queen over lunch yesterday to ce all the me solely on Gizo. Later, he had the Clerk draft a formal report, and thus the case was sealed.

    While Joseph suspected that there might be more to Gizo¡¯s case, he didn¡¯t think it concerned Mono. Once his own intelligence agency was established, this would be the first matter to investigate.

    Suddenly, Mono stood up, spread his arms, and said loudly to the crowd, ¡°The Crown Prince¡¯s leadership over police reform has achieved impressive results. As we all know, the criminals in the Saint Antoine District have been nearlypletely eradicated! His Highness lives up to the name of a God-favored son! Let us all congratte His Highness!¡±

 Chapter 19 - 19 Assistant to the Finance Minister

    Chapter 19: Assistant to the Finance Minister

    ¡°`

    The Cab Ministers heard the news and, regardless of their actual thoughts, all rose to offer their congrattions to the Crown Prince, with endless ttery pouring forth.

    Joseph was politely returning the gestures when the golden doors to the hall were pushed open, and the voice of the Ceremonial Officer announced, ¡°Their Majesties the King and Queen have arrived.¡±

    The ministers inside the chamber were somewhat surprised by the King¡¯s rare attendance at a Cab meeting. They quickly turned toward the entering Louis XVI and Queen Mary, respectfully cing their hands over their hearts and bowing.

    Louis, who was quite familiar with the Cab Ministers, disyed less of the symptoms of his social anxiety, and said with a smile, ¡°You are all always so diligent. Oh, can anyone tell me what you were discussing?¡±

    Mono immediately responded with a beam, ¡°Your Majesty, we were just expressing our admiration for the brilliant achievements the Crown Prince has made in the reforms of the Police Headquarters!¡±

    Louis took a seat at the head of the conference table with the Queen, their faces alight with barely hidden joy¡ªespecially Queen Mary, who again tirelessly recounted Joseph¡¯s recent exploits.

    Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Mono gave Joseph a meaningful look and, with a light cough, stood and said, ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, during his tenure at Police Headquarters, the Crown Prince has amply demonstrated his exceptional abilities. I remember, Your Majesty, you once mentioned that if the Crown Prince performed well at the City Hall, you would have him serve as an assistant to the Finance Minister.¡±

    Queen Mary nodded with a smile.

    Somiare, the Justice Minister, frowned slightly and side-nced at the Duke of Orleans, noticing his unresponsiveness. Pretending to speak to himself, he murmured, ¡°All Her Majesty said was to allow the Crown Prince to be involved with financial affairs¡­ ¡±

    His voice was just loud enough for a few nearby people to hear clearly.

    Queen Mary¡¯s smile faded as her gaze swept across the others, finally resting on Brian, the Finance Minister. ¡°Archbishop Brian, what is your opinion on this matter?¡±

    Mono gave Joseph a reassuring look, indicating that he¡¯d alreadymunicated with Brian.

    The round-faced elder sitting next in line stood up and offered a bow to the Queen without hesitation, ¡°Your Majesty, I believe the Crown Prince is fully capable of serving as an assistant to the Finance Minister.¡±

    He was the Archbishop of Toulouse, serving as the Chief Minister of the Cab as well as the Finance Minister. With his approval, no one else would voice any objections.

    A smile once again appeared on Queen Mary¡¯s face, and she was about to announce the appointment when Brian added, ¡°Your Highness, the financial issues at hand are of great importance, and since the Crown Princecks experience in this area, I ask to have the final decision on financial policies, and that the Crown Prince cannot deal with financial matters without going through me. I hope Your Majesty will agree to this.¡±

    Joseph could only wryly smile to himself, thinking how much the old man must fear him bankrupting the nation¡¯s treasury. Now, who besides me is capable of saving your coffers?

    As he pondered how to persuade the old man, he saw the Duke of Orleans suddenly stand and say, ¡°Archbishop Brian, there¡¯s a great deal to deal with in national finances, and in the past, many minor things were handled by assistants to the Finance Minister. If you need to overlook all these things, it will inevitably greatly distract your energy. I believe that you should concentrate on pushing forward the new taxw at this moment, rather than being distracted by trifles.¡±

    The meeting room suddenly grew quiet, with everyone quite surprised¡ªduring thest Cab meeting, the Duke of Orleans had been at odds with the Crown Prince, nearlying into open conflict, so why was he now speaking on his behalf?

    Queen Mary cautiously looked at Brian and asked, ¡°Currently, what affairs are being handled by the assistant to the Finance Minister?¡±

    ¡°Mainly dealing with loans and repayment of the national debt, as well as the organization of some taxw uses.¡±

    The Queen¡¯s brow rxed; these were rather simple tasks. The bank had a long-standing cooperation for loans, and organizingws would have the assistance of Clerks andwyers.

    Joseph would surely handle these tasks with ease, which would be a perfect opportunity to familiarize himself with financial matters.

    ¡°`

    Without any further hesitation, she politely asked Louis XVI a few questions and then loudly announced, ¡°The Crown Prince shall be fully in charge of the affairs previously managed by the assistant to the Finance Minister, and any other matters must be approved by Archbishop Brienne.¡±

    ¡°The formal appointment is hereby made, the Crown Prince will serve as the assistant to the Finance Minister. Please have Count of Barongden prepare the appointment documents.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Joseph bowed to ept the order, exchanged a few pleasantries, and nced curiously at the Duke of Orleans, wondering what the man was up to.

    Although the Duke of Orleans maintained aposed expression, he was smugly sneering inside.

    He knew he couldn¡¯t prevent Joseph from bing the assistant to the Finance Minister given his recent poprity, so he had started to scheme a few days earlier to set a trap for Joseph.

    The government had six million livres of national debting due next month, and he had already reached an agreement with banking capital to suspend all loans to the government.

    He had even thought of the headline¡ªThe Crown Prince¡¯s mishandling leads to government debt default, triggering a financial crisis.

    Queen Mary encouraged her son with a few words and then turned to Brienne, ¡°Please start with today¡¯s agenda.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    The round-faced old man pulled out the prepared documents, put on his gold-rimmed sses, and said, ¡°Given this year¡¯s fiscal revenue and expenditure, I believe budget spending must be cut again for the next half-year.¡±

    He looked towards Queen Mary, who nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, I have reviewed your report and fully support this proposal. On behalf of the Royal Family, I state that the Royal Family will reduce its expenditure by one million livres each year to alleviate financial pressure.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your majesty¡¯s kindness,¡± Brienne looked towards the long-faced,rge-nosed middle-aged man to his right, ¡°I suggest that the Navy reduce the construction of one battleship and two second-rate ships, which will save the treasury 1.35 million livres.¡±

    The Navy Minister Marquis of Castries immediately sprang from his chair, protested loudly, ¡°How can this be?! The British fleet has already far surpassed ours! We need to add four more battleships to the original n just to barely maintain our trade lines, and you¡¯re not only refusing to increase appropriations but also cutting one? Oh, and two second-rate ships too!¡±

    Queen Mary signaled for him to remain calm and looked towards the other ministers, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    The vast majority expressed agreement with the cuts, given the fixed budget. To avoid cuts in their own domains, they preferred to choose the Navy for reductions.

    The Marquis of Castries was sweating with anxiety, realizing he couldn¡¯t count on the others, his gaze inevitably fell on the Crown Prince.

    He had heard that not long ago, the Crown Prince had led guards into battle against the gangs of the Saint Antoine District; he should be a youthful and staunch supporter of military expansion!

    He addressed Joseph without dy, ¡°Your Highness, do you also agree with Archbishop Brienne¡¯s reduction n? That would leave us even more powerless against the British!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Joseph said emphatically, ¡°Reducing the number of battleships is inappropriate!¡±

    ¡°Exactly¡­¡±

    The Marquis of Castries had barely spoken two words when Joseph¡¯s next statement left him stunned, ¡°I believe all current battleship construction ns for the Navy should be put on hold!¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20 Budget (Seeking Investment)

    Chapter 20: Budget (Seeking Investment)

    Castri¡¯s face turned green as he red and eximed, ¡°Your Highness, how can you say that? The fleet is France¡¯s sharpest spear, we absolutely cannot¡­¡±

    Calmly, Joseph looked at him, ¡°Marquis of Castries, may I ask how many ships the British can build while we build one battleship?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Castri seemed tock confidence, ¡°about one and a half¡­¡±

    Seeing the Crown Prince smile without responding, he became somewhat annoyed and said, ¡°Two. The Brits do indeedunch new ships at a very fast rate, even more than two!¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°That is to say, no matter how hard we try to build ships, we will never beat the British Navy.¡±

    He had uttered a truth that everyone present knew but dared not openly acknowledge, and suddenly there wasplete silence.

    Joseph continued, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why should we waste vast resources on shipbuilding? For escorting merchant ships, the current fleet is sufficient.¡±

    He certainly knew the importance of the fleet and would definitely not oppose expanding the navy. What he opposed was continuing to waste money onrge and useless old-fashioned sailing warships.

    Ennd held a huge advantage in shipbuilding, with numerous shipyards, skilled craftsmen, ample funds, and, being an ind nation, the ability to allocate army resources to the navy, something France could not afford.

    If it was a mere contest of shipbuilding numbers, France was destined to fail. The Battle of Trafalgar more than a decadeter proved this, as even with France¡¯s utmost efforts to produce warships,bined with Spanish and Dutch fleets, they were still thoroughly defeated by the British Navy on the high seas.

    After that defeat, France¡¯s maritime trade routes werepletely blockaded by Britain, leading Napoleon into a decline, while Britain eventually became the empire ¡°on which the sun never sets.¡±

    Thus, there was only one way out¡ªabandon the popr multi-decked sailing warships and leverage the advanced technology in his mind to move directly to irond ships, equipped with steam engines and stronger artillery, tounch a dimension-reducing strike on British warships.

    However, he couldn¡¯t disclose these ns at the Cab meeting, especially since someone like Orleans could very likely leak the information.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Knowing full well that the Crown Prince was sophistically arguing, Castri did not immediately know how to refute him and was only worried that Queen Mary would really listen to him and sh all the new ships.

    Brian gave Joseph an approving look; the young man knew how to haggle! And he had just taken office, yet he already was contributing to the financial cutback schemes, which might indeed prove him to be a valuable assistant.

    He cleared his throat and pretended to be serious, ¡°Your Highness, although our finances are a bit tight, we absolutely cannot give up on naval development. Cutting even one ship of the line is already the limit.¡±

    Mono joined in advising, ¡°Our overseas colonies also need warships for oversight, otherwise the rioters there will cause trouble every few days.¡±

    In the end, Queen Mary made the final decision, ¡°Joseph, reducing expenses should not be too radical. Marquis of Castries, for now, let¡¯s follow Archbishop Brienne¡¯s n and cut back one ship of the line and two second-rate ships. However, for the construction of the other new ships, I hope you can also carefully review them and eliminate wasteful spending.¡±

    Castri¡¯s new ships were nearly obliterated; he weakly nodded, having narrowly escaped disaster, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    He silentlymented: the Crown Prince was still too young to understand the significance of the navy to the nation, focusing solely on cutting expenses. He mustmunicate more with him in the future to change his perspective.

    With the troublesome Navy now taken care of, Brian felt much relieved and moved on to read the subsequent cost-cutting n, ¡°I believe everyone has heard about the situation in the Nethends. The Patriot Party resisted for less than a month before being crushingly defeated by the Prussians. In light of this, I think we can halt our support to the Dutch Patriot Party, which will save the treasury 250,000 livres a month.¡±

    Joseph frowned slightly, remembering the information about the Dutch Patriot Party movement.

    It was a rebellion initiated by the new Dutch capitalists and citizens aimed at overthrowing William V. With the support of France, they had sessfully expelled the Stadtholder William V from the Nethends and established the States General.

    Later, under the scheming of William V¡¯s wife, Prussian Princess Wilhelmina, the Prussians intervened with troops, the Patriot Party copsed, William V was restored, and the French people¡¯s initial investment was entirely lost.

    One by one, the Cab Ministers expressed support for abandoning the Dutch Rebel Army; after all, twenty thousand regr Prussian troops had already marched into the Nethends, and the Patriot Party¡¯s forces were no match; it was best to cut losses as soon as possible.

    Queen Mary looked around the room, ¡°Any other opinions?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­¡± Joseph stood up.

    Minister of War Saint Priest had wanted to struggle a bit more since France had invested a lot in the Nethends, but seeing the Crown Prince speak out, he immediately felt disheartened¡ªjudging from his recent move to scrap all new ships from the navy, he must be part of the anti-war faction, and with the Queen¡¯s favoritism towards him, assistance to the Dutch was surely doomed.

    Joseph said loudly, ¡°Your Majesty, I think we must not only continue supporting the Patriot Party but also need to increase our aid and even disy an attitude willing to confront Prussia with troops. We absolutely cannot allow the Patriot Party to copse!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± The Queen was quite surprised, ¡°Tell me your reasons.¡±

    ¡°Firstly, the Nethends is the mouth of the Rhine River to the sea. If we control it, we can effectively restrain Prussia.

    ¡°Secondly, the Nethends has a well-developedmerce. Incorporating it into our sphere of influence, we could recoup the aid through trade alone.

    ¡°Finally, we will inevitably have a war with Prussia in the future, and the Nethends could tie down arge number of Prussian troops on the western front.¡±

    ¡°If we allow Prussia to control the Nethends, all of this will be an asset for Prussia!¡±

    In fact, Joseph left out two points.

    First, the Nethends has a significant reserve of coal and iron, and now with the starting gun of the industrial revolution fired, whoever holds more coal and iron resources in the future will have a greater advantage.

    Second, the Patriot Party is adept at inciting trouble; they would flood into France after being driven out of the Nethends by Prussia. Historically, they frequently caused disturbances in France during the Great Revolution.

    No sooner had he finished speaking that the expressions of all the Cab Ministers changed slightly.

    The Crown Prince was indeed very reasonable, but while he was adamantly against constructing warships, here he was supporting aid to the Dutch, especially with his mention that ¡°a war with Prussia is inevitable¡±¡ªcould it be¡­

    They all lowered their heads, forcing themselves not to consider the worst possibility.

    Brian was the first to speak up, ¡°Your Highness, our financial situation no longer permits us to give more money to the Dutch.¡±

    Joseph said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we just save a sum intended for building warships? Let¡¯s allocate some of that to them.¡±

    Navy Minister Castries nearly cried, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    The Minister of War, however, was overwhelmed with joy, ¡°Thank you so much, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Brian again felt relieved that the financial decision-making power remained in his hands.

    Queen Mary helped him out, ¡°Joseph, your reasons are well-founded, however, even if we provide more aid to the Patriot Party, I fear they might still be unable to withstand the Prussian army.¡±

 Chapter 21 - 21 The Unfathomable Crown Prince

    Chapter 21: The Unfathomable Crown Prince

    ¡°The key to this battle lies with Wilhelmina,¡± Joseph had already considered this issue, ¡°As long as the Patriot Party dys a little longer, we make good use of Wilhelmina and deploy some troops along the France-Prussia border, Prussia should withdraw its forces.¡±

    ¡°As for the specific n, I will submit it to Marquis Saint Priest in an official document.¡±

    Queen Mary nodded, ¡°Good, I will decide whether to continue the support based on the Minister of War¡¯s opinion.¡±

    Just at this moment, Louis XVI, who had beenrgely inconspicuous, suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for treasury funds, I will personally contribute 600,000 livres to support the Patriot Party.¡±

    Having said this, he gave Joseph an affirming smile.

    Brian immediately breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Louis XVI, ¡°Thank you for your Majesty¡¯s generosity.¡±

    ¡°With this money from your Majesty, the treasury can temporarily suspend the allocation of funds to the Patriot Party. We will decide whether to continue the support based on the situation in the Nethends two monthster.¡±

    He turned to Queen Mary, ¡°Your Majesty, would this be eptable to you?¡±

    The Queen nodded, ¡°Good. Let¡¯s continue to the next matter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Brian looked somewhat apprehensively at the Crown Prince, worried he might cause another stir, but fortunately, Joseph didn¡¯t say much more about the subsequent reduction ns, and most of them passed smoothly.

    Afterward, the Cab meeting discussed some misceneous matters and was nearing its end.

    Queen Mary, signing thest two documents without looking up, asked Brian, ¡°Archbishop Brienne, I¡¯ve heard that there are someplications with the tax legition.¡±

    She was referring to the new tax reform bill that the government had been actively pushing since the beginning of the year, the main points of which included: imposingnd taxes on the nobility just as on themon people; freedom of grain transport and trade; abolition of corv¨¦e; increasing the stamp duty, and so on.

    Of course, the aim was to increase state revenues and bridge the gap in the treasury. If implemented, it would actually benefit the general popce.

    However, the tax reform had met with unanimous opposition from the aristocracy and had not been able to pass for half a year. For this reason, the previous Finance Minister had been dismissed in disgrace.

    Brian nodded his head gravely, ¡°Your Majesty, the new bill is being stalled by the High Court. The information I¡¯ve received indicates that they are likely to reject the bill.¡±

    ording to Frenchw, the tax reform bill needed to be registered in the High Court and then signed by the King to officially take effect.

    However, French courts were firmly controlled by the aristocracy, and this bill, which touched upon their interests, was stalled in the registration process, thus preventing its implementation.

    Queen Mary¡¯s voice carried a tinge of weariness, ¡°You know our financial situation; the tax legition must be implemented as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost!¡±

    Joseph shook his head silently; he knew that ording to original historical trajectory, Brienne had never managed to get the bill passed. Eventually, Louis XVI, in a state of desperation, followed the advice of some hardliner and stripped the High Court of many powers, exiled the stubborn judges, reced them with a fully empowered court controlled by the Royal Family, and forced the bill through.

    However, the aristocracy immediately took advantage of this to incite public opinion, painting Louis XVI as a tyrant who disregarded thew, which sparked a tax resistance movement throughout all of France, leading to financial chaos in the country.

    Louis XVI, without any public support, could not contest these usations and ultimately had to recall the exiled judges and restore the powers of the High Court. Subsequently, the High Court terminated the recently implemented tax reform bill.

    The worst impact of this was that the aristocracy confirmed that the King could not defeat them, and they became even more arrogant and domineering. Left with no other option, Louis XVImenced the Estates-General, hoping that themoners would support him against the nobility.

    As for the oue, that was the aristocracy using the Estates-General to foment revolution, not anticipating it would coincide with the Great Famine of France in 1788, which was then followed by an esction of the crisis and the eruption of the French Revolution¡­

    Joseph thought to himself as he looked at Brienne, isn¡¯t trying to get the aristocracy to ept a tax bill that requires them to pay more like asking a tiger for its skin?

    To undertake tax reform, the nobility must first be sternly reminded of the power of the monarchy, ensuring theirpliance in paying taxes.

    Furthermore, control over public opinion must be firmly in our hands. The nobility are adept at distorting the truth and stirring up public sentiment to disrupt the nation for their own gain. Only by allowing the people of France to hear the government¡¯s voice and understand the truth can they avoid being exploited by the nobles.

    He took a deep breath. Having taken his seat as the assistant to the Finance Minister, he had made the first step. However, to alter the course of history, he would inevitably face many obstacles. Stubborn nobles, the Church, capitalists¡ªall who dared to challenge him would receive no mercy from him!

    ¡°That will be all, the meeting is adjourned,¡±

    The voice of Queen Mary interrupted Joseph¡¯s contemtion. He rose with the other ministers, paid his respects to the King and Queen, and prepared to leave.

    ¡°Joseph, do not leave just yet,¡± Queen Mary called out to him.

    Joseph had no choice but to return and sit down.

    After the other ministers had left the council chamber, the Queen then smiled at him and said, ¡°Joseph, you¡¯ve done very well with the police reform. The Saint Antoine District has obviously be the safest area in Paris.¡±

    She paused, and sighed, ¡°However, this police reform muste to an end.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    The Queen spoke earnestly, ¡°After your reforms, the police sries have be too high, and the city bears the burden. You used your own money to pay the police forces before, but the city hall simply cannot afford this. The security of themon citizens must still rely on civilian patrols.¡±

    But Joseph did not hesitate to say, ¡°Security is of utmost importance. I believe, not only should it not be terminated, but it should also be promoted throughout all of Paris and indeed all of France!

    ¡°As for the matter of money, you need not worry. With my involvement¡­ ahem, participation in financial management, the treasury will soon be replenished.¡±

    Queen Mary looked at her son with interest and asked, ¡°Where do you n to get the money from?¡±

    Joseph was momentarily at a loss, thinking to himself that steam engines, st furnace steelmaking, rubber, mining, cement, and even armaments, any one of these could earn tens of millions of livres.

    But I can¡¯t tell you that¡­

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he chose a few areas that the Queen would find eptable: ¡°For instance, finance, real estate, luxury goods, in short, I am confident about it.¡±

    Queen Mary frowned, feeling somewhat uncertain, and after some thought, she said, ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll give you six months. If you can resolve the issue of police sries, then you may continue with the police reforms; otherwise, everything must revert to its original state.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I don¡¯t think it will take six months.¡±

    On the side, Louis XVI checked the time and said to the mother and son, ¡°It¡¯s almost lunchtime. No work should dy lunch.¡±

    He took them both to the royal dining room, and as they walked through the corridor, Joseph remembered something and asked Queen Mary, ¡°Mother, do you have anyone in mind for the Director of Paris Police?¡±

    ¡°Director of Police Services? You¡¯ll have to ask Count Mono about that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, he will ept my rmendation.¡±

    The Queen was taken aback but quickly understood the implication, ¡°Are you using Gizo¡¯s matter to pressure him?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Joseph said candidly, ¡°I¡¯m just helping him to feel at ease.¡±

 Chapter 22 - 22 Planning the Police Academy (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 22: nning the Police Academy (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

    Queen Mary observed her son with curiosity and smiled, ¡°No wonder he proposed you today to be the assistant to the Finance Minister, how exactly did you ¡®persuade¡¯ him?¡±

    Seeing that Joseph remained silent with a smile, she didn¡¯t press further, pondered for a moment, and named two individuals: ¡°Besancon, who has served as a trade coordinator in several provinces and led the Mounted Police to eliminate smugglers, is quite capable in coordination and management.

    ¡°Frient, formerly apanymander in the nder Regiment who has been my guard, is now responsible for the recruitment of new infantry soldiers, and is adept at training and drafting regtions.¡±

    She added, ¡°I can assure their loyalty, as for who to use, it¡¯s up to you.¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°Alright, I will make contact with them and decide thereafter.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t familiar with either of them, but being new to the political scene and without his own team, he had no choice but to seek the Queen¡¯s help.

    He suddenly thought, with control over the police system, he could indeed invest in establishing a police academy, recruiting students from themon popce. On one hand, it would train professional police officers, reducing the influence of the nobility over the police force. On the other, it could offer subjects like management,merce, journalism,w, etc., from which to select outstanding talents and cultivate his own ¡°legitimate line.¡±

    An image suddenly appeared in his mind¡ªsometime in the near future, a group of high government officials saluting him, warmly calling him ¡°Principal¡±¡­

    Well, politically speaking, the Whampoa model is quite sessful.

    The sound of a door opening with a ¡°creak¡± came from ahead, and Joseph looked up to see they had arrived at the dining room¡¯s entrance, the vast dining room already packed with nobles who came to observe.

    Yes, since Louis XV, all activities of the French Royal Family, including eating, sleeping, entertainment, and even childbirth, were open for anyone to watch.

    Joseph felt overwhelmed as the Queen pulled him to sit at the spacious and luxurious dining table. The Ceremonial Officer struck the ground forcefully with his cane, then a melodious trumpet st followed¡ªthis was the fixed ritual for serving dishes: music had to be yed for each dish, passed through several hands, followed by a whole lot of mboyant motions, before one could eat it.

    Suddenly recalling something, Joseph leaned in and whispered to the Queen: ¡°Right, if the Navy Ministeres to you about cutting the shipbuilding program, just send him to me, I¡¯ll persuade him.¡±

    Queen Mary looked at her son in surprise; truth be told, she was just troubled by this exact issue. Castri was stubborn and passionate, and having his budget cut might lead him to pester her for an entire month.

    She nodded with pleasure; her son was able to relieve her of her worries¡ªthanks be to God!

    Meanwhile, on the staircase at the western side of the Pce of Versailles, the Justice Minister whispered to the Duke of Orleans, ¡°Judging by the Crown Prince¡¯s actions, does he intend to side with Ennd?¡±

    Thetter narrowed his eyes: ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the Austrian mother¡¯s idea. If the reduction of the fleet incites an adjustment in British policy towards France, it would be quite disadvantageous to us¡­¡±

    On the square two leagues away, Mono and the Civil Registrar Nico Herve walked side by side in the sunlight.

    ¡°At the very least, the Crown Prince appears to be firmly anti-Prussia,¡± said the Minister of the Interior.

    ¡°Anti-Prussia and anti-British, that¡¯s the hardliners. Neither anti-Prussia nor anti-British means the peace faction.¡± Nico heaved a sigh, ¡°What I¡¯m most afraid of is being anti-Prussian but pro-British¡­ Let me be frank¡ªif France gets a ruler like Peter III, it would be a disaster.¡±

    He was referring to the previous Tsar of Russia, who had an adoration for Frederick II, the King of Prussia, from an early age, and even when Russia had the upper hand in the war against Prussia, he forcibly ordered the Russian Army to retreat and signed a treaty with Frederick II that was extremely disadvantageous to Russia.

    After today¡¯s Cab meeting, everyone was worried that the Crown Prince was a British enthusiast.

    Mono shook his head slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve interacted with His Highness, and he is an extremely intelligent person. Advocating the reduction of the navy might simply be because warships are too expensive, rather than trying to please the British.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s the case.¡±

    The general situation of the Cab meeting quickly reached the office of the British ambassador to France.

    Upon hearing that the French Crown Prince advocated halting the construction of all warships and taking a tough stance against Prussia, Ambassador Harriet pondered for a full three minutes before summoning a trusted aide and giving careful instructions.

    After his subordinate left, Harriet seriously wrote a report on the matter and sent it back to Ennd.

    ¡­

    Lunch, where each bite had to follow strict rules, atst came to an end. Louis XVI, brimming with enthusiasm, took Joseph to visit his workshop to see histest masterpiece and gave him a brass safe he had made himself before letting him leave.

    By the time Joseph returned to his chamber, Doctor Lamark was already there, consulting with Perna about the recent health condition of the Crown Prince. Although Joseph had his own personal physician, Perna still insisted on checking on the Crown Prince¡¯s illness every day.

    When Joseph came back, Lamark hurried forward to greet him, ¡°It is inspiring to hear that Your Highness¡¯s condition is under control. I believe this must be thanks to the miraculous effects of Salicin.¡±

    Joseph returned the greeting with a smile, ¡°And Doctor Perna¡¯s care, too.¡±

    Perna spoke softly from the side, ¡°I have not yet obtained a medical license.¡±

    ¡°Perna¡¯s skills are better than those of most physicians,¡± Lamark praised his assistant, then took out a small ss vial, eagerly looking at Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, Mr. Laseny and I have produced several batches of Salicin, and its purity is getting higher and higher.¡±

    Joseph took the ss vial and admired the beige powder inside, ¡°You are indeed Europe¡¯s finest biologist and pharmacologist, the purity is already quite high.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I haven¡¯t done much, the purification process was all instructed by you,¡± Lamark humbly replied and continued with excitement, ¡°I¡¯ve been distributing Salicin for free in the New Bridge area, and its effectiveness is very good. I¡¯ve found that it¡¯s not only pneumonia; this medicine is effective against fevers from many illnesses. It has saved seven or eight people¡¯s lives in just a few days!¡±

    He paused, slightly uncertain, ¡°Your Highness, Mr. Laseny and I discussed raising some money to produce Salicin on arge scale. This medicine could save countless people¡¯s lives! I wonder what you think? Of course, half of the profits from the medicine would belong to you.¡±

    He added in a mutter, ¡°But, as you know, most people tormented by disease can¡¯t afford to pay much¡­¡±

    ¡°Raise money for pharmaceutical production?¡± Joseph shook his head, ¡°In that case, the production and sale of the medicines would be influenced by investors.¡±

    Lamark looked puzzled, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I will fund it, build a pharmaceutical factory, and produce Salicin,¡± Joseph recalled the homeless person he had seen copsing in a corner in the Saint Antoine District, ¡°Keep the profit margin within 3%, and even consider exchanging Willow Bark for the medicine.¡±

    Both Lamark and Perna looked at him with admiration in their eyes, ¡°Your Highness, you are trulypassionate, may God bless you!¡±

 Chapter 23: Dream Battleship (Please Favorite)

    Chapter 23: Dream Battleship (Please Favorite)

    Lamark hesitated for a moment before saying to Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, I feel it¡¯s my duty to remind you that this pharmaceutical workshop will likely require an investment of fifty or sixty thousand livres, and if you aim to make only a 3% profit, I¡¯m afraid it will take you a very long time to recoup the costs.¡±

    Joseph smiled and shook his head, ¡°This 3% is intended as a contingency fund, I have no ns to make money off this medicine.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t trying to y the saint, tossing his money away. Instead, he had a maturemercial n.

    As a medicine, salicin could save many lives, and selling it at a low price could still be considered doing good.

    But this substance was not just for reducing fever; it was also an effective cosmetic product! Even in the 21st century, e and skin softening products would still contain salicylic acid, which is an oxidized form of salicin.

    There¡¯s a saying in the future¨Cwho¡¯s money is the easiest to earn?

    Of course, it¡¯s women and children!

    Provided the packaging and marketing are done well, salicin skincare products could easily sell for more than ten livres a bottle, and those noblewomen would buy them like crazy.

    Lamark said, ¡°You are truly great, I thank you on behalf of the countless ordinary Parisians!¡±

    Joseph waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Eager to spread this miracle drug throughout Paris, Lamark immediately suggested, ¡°Your Highness, I know of a very suitable location to build the workshop, take a look¡­¡±

    Joseph pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°The purification of salicin doesn¡¯t require veryplicated equipment. Building a workshop from scratch is too inefficient. It¡¯s better to directly acquire an existing pharmaceutical or chemical reagent productionpany.¡±

    Suddenly, the attendant Eman said, ¡°Your Highness, may I interject?¡±

    ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°I remember that among the Royal Family¡¯s properties, there is a perfumery that has been losing money for a long time and is about to be sold, which might meet your requirements.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been a great help!¡± Joseph nodded, ¡°Do you remember how much they are asking for it?¡±

    ¡°I believe it¡¯s twenty-six thousand¡­¡±

    Joseph didn¡¯t wait for him to finish and suddenly pped his forehead, saying, ¡°Since it¡¯s a Royal Family property, why pay for it? I will just ask Queen Mary for it.¡±

    Queen Mary, upon hearing that her son wanted to produce affordable medicine to help themon people, immediately nodded and had herwyer handle the formalities. In less than half an hour, the perfumery was transferred to the Crown Prince¡¯s name.

    Joseph intended to see the ce himself but was interrupted when a servant came to announce that the Marquis of Castries was seeking an audience.

    Regrettably, Joseph had no choice but to leave the matter of the drug factory to Lamark and went to the drawing room to meet the Navy Minister.

    In the spacious drawing room, Castri respectfully bowed, then went straight to the point, ¡°Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen has sent me to discuss with you the construction of new warships, I believe we should not cut back¡­¡±

    Joseph smiled and interrupted him, ¡°Marquis Lastri, I want to ask you first, why do you want to build such arge number of warships?¡±

    ¡°Of course, to deal with the British!¡± the Navy Minister¡¯s tone was as hard as steel, ¡°To defeat their proud fleet, to take back our colonies that were stolen, and to deeply humiliate them, just like they once humiliated my grandfather!¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°So, do you think, even if the treasury fully supports your shipbuilding, that you have a chance to defeat the British?¡±

    Castri had prepared for this, ¡°If we join forces with Spain and use reasonable tactics, there is a chance!¡±

    ¡°The chance is very small.¡± Joseph responded bluntly, ¡°Besides, in terms of naval tactics, the British are stronger than us.¡±

    Castri¡¯s expression dimmed slightly, but he still persisted, ¡°How do we know without trying?¡±

    Joseph gestured for him to have some tea, his expression very calm, ¡°If we had warships equipped with a speed exceeding 20 knots, carrying twenty-five 42-pound cannons, thirty 24-pound cannons, and wrapped in iron hulls.

    ¡°With the addition of the existing warships, do you think it would be possible to defeat the British fleet?¡±

    ¡°That is an unrealistic fantasy,¡± Lastri said with a smile, ¡°If we had such warships, I could make the British wet their pants.¡±

 Chapter 24 - 24 Steam Engine and Carronade

    Chapter 24: Steam Engine and Carronade

    Joseph looked into the eyes of the Navy Minister, seriously, ¡°I assure you, fast within a year, slow within two or three years, the construction of this ¡®fantasy¡¯ warship can begin.¡±

    Castri was greatly surprised, ¡°You, you mean that? How is that possible¡­¡±

    Joseph took a sip of tea, reiterating, ¡°It¡¯s true, I am fully confident.¡±

    ¡°So, don¡¯t continue to waste money on manufacturing the existing warships, at most in two or three years, they will all be junk!

    ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait too long. I will make a trip to Brest Port soon, and then you will understand everything,¡± he said.

    He was so certain because the steam engine had already been invented by then, the craftsmen and their skills were mature, and the only thing missing was the low power due to poor design. But this was not a problem at all for Joseph, not to mention Watt¡¯s minor improvements, he had seen even more perfected steam engines.

    Castri felt dizzy, his mind jumping back and forth between doubt, excitement, and wild imagination, to the point where he didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.

    Joseph then advised, ¡°You go first to coordinate with the Shipbuilding Bureau to start preparing craftsmen and raw materials; the trial production of the new ships will be aplex process.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Castri found himself starting to believe the Crown Prince, after all, that dreamlike warship was too tempting, ¡°I will go to the Shipbuilding Bureau right away.¡±

    He suddenly looked intently at Joseph, his voice trembling somewhat, ¡°Your Highness, please be sure to keep your promise!¡±

    ¡°Rest assured,¡± Joseph spoke and then remembered something else, ¡°Oh, and when you go back, you can gather craftsmen to make a type ofrge-caliber, short-barreled cannon.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    ¡°Just extend the existing mortar cannon,¡± said Joseph, ¡°It should fire projectiles over 60 pounds, but the barrel and the charge are less than half of that of a cannon, so it¡¯s light and will not be too difficult to process.¡±

    Castri, in surprise, asked, ¡°Your Highness, that cannon must be very powerful, but the range is definitely very short. What is the use of that?¡±

    Joseph smiled slightly at him, ¡°Wait until I get to Brest Shipyard, and then I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    In fact, this was the ¡°Carronade¡± thatter caused the French Navy a good deal of trouble in the Battle of Trafalgar.

    The current French Navy always had a misconception, that was, they blindly emphasized range.

    ording to the ideal scenario, if my range is long, then I can hit you, and you cannot hit me, wouldn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m sure to win?

    However, this was where the theory of the French Navy was detached from reality. In the age of sailing warships, ship maneuverability was not very good, and it was difficult to keep both sides within your maximum range at all times.

    And then there was the problem that solid shot was insufficiently powerful; at long range, it was hard to seriously damage enemy ships.

    In actual naval battles, most of the ships were going at it face-to-face, as if they wanted to press their cannon muzzles into the enemy captain¡¯s quarters and fire away.

    At that time, range was meaningless; whoever had therger caliber cannons was the boss!

    The British understood this point and directly abandoned range to develop heavy cannons withrge calibers and short barrels¡ªthe Carronade.

    But in this life, it was France¡¯s turn to be the first to equip its navy with this potent weapon!

    After repeatedmunications with the Navy Minister and making sure he had no objections to his ns, Joseph personally escorted him out of the drawing-room.

    No sooner had Joseph caught his breath than Eman approached briskly, bowing, ¡°Your Highness, Marquis Saint Priest requests an audience.¡±

    Joseph hadn¡¯t expected the Minister of War to be so impatient, but that was just as well, as he wouldn¡¯t have to write that document himself.

 Chapter 25 - 25 The First Pot of Gold

    Chapter 25: The First Pot of Gold

    ¡°`

    Unlike when he met with the Navy Minister, Joseph received Marquis Saint Priest in his own study and sent all the servants away, with the guards standing back ten meters from the door.

    After Joseph had exined his n in detail, the Minister of War eximed in surprise, ¡°How did you know she was in Nijmegen?!¡±

    Joseph thought to himself that of course, he had seen it in a documentary, but could only maintain an air of mystery as he said, ¡°Ah, that is a secret, but the information is absolutely reliable.¡±

    Marquis Saint Priest furrowed his brow, finally nodding with difficulty after a long moment, ¡°This, although feasible, also carries great risk. You know, even the best spy can make mistakes. If we are careless, it could trigger a war.¡±

    Joseph smiled and said, ¡°Rest assured, even if the matter leaks, as long as Wilhelmina is safe, Prussia will announce it to the public as we say. Because their economic situation is also very poor, they definitely do not wish to go to war with France.¡±

    The Minister of War pondered for a long while, then stood up and said, ¡°This matter is too significant, I still need to report to Queen Mary before making a final decision.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Joseph said as he escorted him to the door, suddenly adding, ¡°Marquis Saint Priest, shouldn¡¯t you thank me properly for this matter?¡±

    The Minister of War was taken aback, the Crown Prince had helped negotiate the budget from the Nethends and had devised the action n, and he had been busy implementing it, so he had forgotten to thank the Crown Prince.

    He nodded continuously, somewhat ashamed, ¡°I really should thank Your Highness.¡±

    Joseph smiled and said, ¡°Then give me a gift.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness need only ask.¡±

    ¡°Well, give me twenty of your top spies.¡±

    Saint Priest almost cried, thinking to himself that the Crown Prince was so young, yet so ruthless, more so than a bandit. Twenty spies, and the top ones at that! Did His Highness think his spies were picked up from the roadside?

    He said with a pained expression, ¡°Your Highness, the army doesn¡¯t have twenty top spies in total.¡±

    ¡°Eighteen.¡±

    ¡°At most two.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen.¡±

    ¡°Three, that¡¯s really all there is!¡±

    ¡°Twelve, no less!¡±

    The two haggled back and forth, one starting high and the other bargaining down, until finally Joseph managed to get three top spies and eight ordinary spies from the Minister of War. Although it was not arge number, it was the cornerstone for building the ¡°French Intelligence Agency.¡±

    Today was destined to be a busy day, as soon as Saint Priest left, the two individuals rmended by Queen Mary came to visit, one after the other.

    Joseph had an in-depth conversation with the two and gained a general understanding of their character and abilities. Combining this with their own wishes, he ultimately decided to appoint Besancon as Director of Paris Police Services, as it was a role requiring management skills.

    Frient was equally talented, and Joseph naturally would not waste such an asset, so he appointed him as the Dean of Academics for the Paris Police Academy, which was being organized ¡ª naturally, the position of Principal would be personally filled by Joseph.

    Frient had a wealth of experience in training new recruits, which would be very helpful in training policemen.

    ¡°So, the most important task for you upon taking office will be to extend the police reforms throughout Paris,¡± Joseph said to Besancon. ¡°I¡¯ve already had someonepile all the regtions and restructuring ns into a booklet, you just follow them in implementation.

    ¡°Oh, and the security pressure has been rtively low in the Saint Antoine Districttely, so you can pull some personnel from there to assess the other districts. If that¡¯s not enough, I can allocate guards to help you.¡±

    ¡°`

    Kesode twitched at the mention, feeling that since the Crown Prince began the reform of the police services, the guard was increasingly being treated like errand runners¡­

    Nethanson took serious notes, musing, ¡°Your Highness, I have some understanding of the police reforms. If we are to reorganize the entire Paris police force, just the sries would probably cost about 50,000 livres a month. Adding in uniforms, equipment, and other costs, the City Hall will definitely not be able to afford it.¡±

    The budget for police services from the Paris City Hall was only 8,000 livres a month.

    Joseph said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about money. I will allocate 50,000 livres for youter, and it will be delivered monthly from now on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

    Joseph then looked to Frient, ¡°Your workload will be quite heavy; the first priority is selecting a location for the police academy. It can be somewhat remote, the cheaper thend the better.

    ¡°Another issue is teaching staff. The only avable personnel right now are the experienced officers from the Saint Antoine District, but they are far from sufficient.¡±

    Frient immediately responded, ¡°Your Highness, I know quite a few retired veterans and even officers who could be capable of conducting drilling andbat training.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± Joseph nodded with pleasure, as military training standards were far higher than those of the police, ¡°Contact them as soon as possible; their pay will follow the standard of municipal officials, plus an additional 30%.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, we need to hire trainers from finance, trade, journalism, andw fields; these courses will be offered at the police academy.¡±

    Frient asked in confusion, ¡°Why should a school for training police officers teach these subjects?¡±

    Nethanson, whose mind was more agile, immediately said, ¡°I think His Highness means that only by understanding the criminal methods of the criminals can they be caught. I remember when I first started chasing smugglers, I didn¡¯t even know how to calcte tariffs, or which goods were easy to conceal and transport, and for months, I caught no one. It was only after I seriously studied smuggling methods that I finally caught the first group of smugglers after more than half a year.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Joseph nodded in approval, ¡°Police need to be more professional than the criminals in order to effectively deter andbat crime.¡±

    Frient, who had never heard such advanced concepts before, was greatly shocked and kept nodding his head, quickly taking notes in his notebook.

    Joseph instructed them on many more details, allocated 20,000 livres as startup funds to Frient, and saw the two men off.

    Upon returning to his private chambers, his exclusive ountant immediately presented him with two expenditure slips for Joseph¡¯s signature.

    Joseph sighed as he looked at the total expenditure of 70,000 livres, realizing that his personal assets amounted to a little over 200,000 livres. Previously, he had paid the police a sry of 20,000 livres and had given Lamark 10,000 livres to purchase essential items for a pharmaceutical factory, leaving him with just over 100,000 livres in hand.

    Indeed, money was being spent like water. He must focus on increasing his ie; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he¡¯d have nothing left.

    He immediately recalled the n to produce cosmetics using salicin, to think that what began as a simple fever relief concoction had now be the project that could earn money the fastest.

    After dismissing the ountant, he turned to Eman, ¡°Please help me order some items.¡±

    The attendant immediately took out paper and pen to record the order, ¡°As youmand.¡±

    ¡°50 kilograms of glycerine, 1 kilogram of rose essential oil, 500 seven-ounce ss bottles, an equal number of small wooden boxes, sized just right to fit the bottles. On the box, emboss¡­¡±

    Struggling toe up with a name, Joseph paused for a few seconds before he suddenly remembered a birthday gift a roommate from a previous life bought for his girlfriend called ¡°SK2 Miracle Water,¡± thinking the name was catchy, he continued, ¡°Emboss ¡®Angel Water¡¯.¡±

    ¡°All of these items must be of the highest quality, don¡¯t worry too much about the price.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, I¡¯ll see to it immediately.¡±

 Chapter 26 - 26 Terrible Debt

    Chapter 26: Terrible Debt

    The next day.

    On his first day as assistant to the Finance Minister, Joseph arrived early at the south wing of the Pce of Versailles, where the Finance Minister¡¯s office was located on the first floor.

    As he hurried along, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the time he used to rush to clock in every morning in his previous life.

    However, he also used this as an excuse to skip the ceremoniously borate breakfast, opting instead for some simple bread, grilled fish steak, and vegetable soup, saving quite a bit of time.

    Once Eman had helped him open the door to the Finance Minister¡¯s office, he immediately saw Brian mming the table angrily with a stern expression, loudly rebuking in a deep voice,

    ¡°These selfish wretches, they speak of equality and justice, but their eyes only see gold coins! Don¡¯t they realize that this will strangle the finances of the entire nation?¡±

    Joseph stepped forward to upright the brass pen holder that had been knocked over on the table and asked,

    ¡°Archbishop Brian, who are you angry with?¡±

    The clerk at the side hurriedly said in a low voice,

    ¡°Your Highness, the High Court officially refused to register the taxw yesterday afternoon.¡±

    Brian sighed deeply and said in resentment, ¡°Those greedy nobles, just for a littlend tax, are willing to ruin France. Don¡¯t they know that when that dayes, they will go to hell just the same!¡±

    As a rather upright priest, this was the most vicious curse he could muster.

    He turned to Joseph, apologetically saying,

    ¡°Your Highness, I apologize for these impolite words you had to hear.¡±

    Joseph waved his hand to dismiss the concern,

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Archbishop. I can understand your feelings.¡±

    He then picked up the thick stack of bill texts that had been returned by the High Court, seeing the stamp ¡°not registered¡± on the top,

    ¡°Archbishop Brian, what do you n to do next?¡±

    Brian closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, dejectedly saying,

    ¡°We can only make morepromises, then seek the support of the Church and try to persuade those selfish and greedy individuals.¡±

    Joseph silently shook his head; those high clergy also had the identity of nobles, and to expect them to follow doctrines to save the people was simply dreaming.

    Seeing he was silent, Brian sighed again,

    ¡°I know it may not help. May God bless France.¡±

    Joseph frowned slightly, knowing he must intervene in the matter of the taxws.

    This incident seemed to be just about the nobles not willing to pay more taxes, but in reality, it was a test of the noble ss against royal authority.

    Historically, Louis XVI had been hard and soft on the matter of thews, but was defeated by the nobles relying on the courts and public opinion tactics. Since then, the nobles confirmed Louis¡¯s weakness and bullied him even more unabashedly, struggling for power from the Royal Family, and the nation became increasingly chaotic.

    Therefore, Joseph had to nip this in the bud.

    To implement the bill in the least time possible, suppress the arrogance of the noble ss, and let them know that royal authority will always be the father of the nobility!

    The matter seemed difficult, but it was not.

    What the nobles relied on was nothing more than the registration rights of the High Court and manipting public opinion to incite the people against the Royal Family.

    For the former, the corruption of France¡¯s courts was notorious, not a single person in the court system was clean, and there were many handles to exploit once their shady activities were known.

    As for thetter, using 21st-century inte public opinion bombardments and various new media tricks against these nobles¡¯ so-called public opinion tactics was basically like an adult fighting a primary school student.

    After pondering for a moment, Joseph looked at Brian, as ifforting a helpless old man,

    ¡°Archbishop, things may not be as bad as you think; perhaps in another two or three months, the bill might pass.¡±

    ¡°I hope it is as Your Highness says,¡± Brian nodded, walking towards his own office in the west with heavy steps, ¡°I will see what else can bepromised within the tax provisions¡­¡±

    Joseph also returned to the office on the east side and asked his assistant to bring the internal financial documents, and began to scrutinize them closely.

    The more he understood the financial situation of France, the more rmed he became, and he felt sorry for the Finance Ministers who hade before, not knowing how they had managed to prevent the nation¡¯s finances from copsing.

    France had a total debt of 2 billion livres, most of which were government bonds. Sixty percent were held by French nationals, and forty percent by foreigners.

    The interest on these government bonds ranged from 8% to 12%, which meant that just on interest alone, they had to pay 200 million livres a year!

    The nation¡¯s annual fiscal revenue was only 500 million; 40% of that had to go towards interest payments, and repaying the principal was out of the question.

    Historically, it was not until after the Great Revolution that the National Convention confiscated all the properties of the Church, and together with the war benefits that Napoleon had won through battles in the north and south, they barely managed to fill this massive deficit.

    Besides government bonds, there was an even more terrifying debt ¨C the short-term bank debt.

    This was the short-term loan borrowed in the name of the state from banks when finances were tight, usually to be repaid after selling government bonds, but interest rates as high as 15%-25%!

    This short-term debt was less than 120 million livres, but the interest paid to the banks every month exceeded 1.8 million.

    And though it was called short-term debt, with France¡¯s current financial condition, it¡¯s basically a cycle of borrowing new debts as soon as the old ones were repaid, hardly different from long-term debt.

    As Joseph was worrying about the debt issue, his assistant knocked and entered, saluting him and saying, ¡°Your Highness, Labod Bank says that due to temporary business changes, the loan negotiation needs to be postponed, and the specific date is not yet determined.¡±

    Joseph nodded without much concern, ¡°Thank you, I know.¡±

    He then remembered that one of his main responsibilities as assistant to the Finance Minister was to negotiate short-term loan matters with banks, basically borrowing new debts to repay old ones.

    He picked up the list of important matters that the assistant had already prepared, and sure enough, there was a loan negotiation with Labod Bank scheduled for 2 pm.

    And this money was mainly for repaying a 6 million livres one-year government bond due in a month.

    ording to the original n, this money would be borrowed from two banks, repaid after two months using the revenue from government bonds. The previous interest rates were 18% and 19%.

    ¡°Running a bank in this era sure is a lucrative business,¡± he couldn¡¯t help remarking. In the 21st century, these interest rates would be considered usury.

 Chapter 27: Sharp Sword (Requesting Monthly Ticket)

    Chapter 27: Sharp Sword (Requesting Monthly Ticket)

    Joseph chuckled to himself,

    ¡°I must start a bank myself if I get the chance.¡±

    After he finished reviewing the financial documents, he pushed the file basket aside, rubbed his sore shoulders, and picked up the documents of the new taxw to read.

    The bill had many uses, with over thirty pages in total.

    The more Joseph read, the more he furrowed his brows. The person who drafted thesews was indeed very clever, mixing a mess of unrted things all together. Even someone with a 21st-century higher education like himself felt dizzy and overwhelmed, expecting ordinary people to understand what was written in it was simply a dream!

    And it seemed that, fearing the bill would be obstructed by the nobility, the drafters intentionally included some provisions favoring the noble ss at the expense ofmon people.

    What they hadn¡¯t anticipated was that it was these nearly insignificant tax items that became the leverage that the nobility used to attack the taxw. Themon people couldn¡¯t grasp the intricacies of the uses and, believing popr opinion that imed thew would harm their interests, opposed it as well.

    In reality, the core content of the bill was to abolish the nobility¡¯snd tax privileges and have them share some of the national fiscal burden.

    Additionally, it included stiptions that allowed the free transportation and trade of grain, as well as the removal of tariffs between different regions within the country to promote economic development.

    This bill fully reflected the weakness and conciliatory nature of Louis XVI¡¯s government¡­

    It was like sugar mixed with shit¡ªas if trying to please both nobles andmoners, they ended up disliked by both.

    Thinking of this, Joseph picked up his pen and crossed out every tax item that was detrimental to ordinary people and small business owners, one by one.

    To pull some in and push others away was the way of politics.

    After the cuts, this bill was no longer a tool for the noble ss to manipte the government but rather a sword to attack them with!

    Joseph checked it over carefully once more and was about to hand it to his assistant for re-copying and organizing when he realized it was already twilight.

    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow.¡± He stretchedzily, threw the draft of the bill into a drawer, and resisted doing unto others what he wouldn¡¯t want done to himself¡ªunless it was an emergency, he wouldn¡¯t force his subordinates to work overtime.

    As soon as he stepped out of his office, he saw Emaning toward him with a maid, ¡°Your Highness, Queen Mary is hosting a gambling game in the Mars Hall, and she invites you to join.¡±

    A smile flickered in Joseph¡¯s mind. It seemed so strange for a mother to pull her son into gambling.

    However, he knew that this was a very normal form of entertainment at the Pce of Versailles, and even the Sun King, Louis XIV, had specially requested in his ¡°Advice to the Crown Prince¡± that the court hold more of these activities to strengthen the bonds between monarch and subject.

    Joseph nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go at once.¡±

    He went back to his living quarters first to change into a set of light but luxurious clothes appropriate for entertainment and then followed the queen¡¯s maid to the Mars Hall.

    Joseph could hear waves of noise apanied by cheerful piano music emanating from the hall from afar. The guards at the door bowed to Joseph, then opened the two-person high doors.

    Queen Mary, who was ying barat beneath the huge portrait of Louis XIV, spotted her son immediately and waved with a beaming smile,

    ¡°Darling, you finally arrived!¡±

    Joseph hurried over and bowed, and the queen, clearly in a good mood, said, ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been busy all day at Brian¡¯s. Go y and rx a bit. Oh, do you know? I just won eleven rounds in a row! I hope you have the same good luck as me!¡±

    The surrounding nobles, upon hearing of the Crown Prince¡¯s arrival, paused and paid their respects to him, especially the young girls dressed in luxurious silk gowns, all with peach-blossom eyes and giggling continuously.

    As Joseph watched the nobles who fawned and ttered around Queen Mary and the queen herself who was flushed andughing heartily from winning, he suddenly remembered amentation by the writer Zweig from ater era¡ª¡±She was too young at the time, not knowing that all the gifts fate had given her had already been secretly marked with a price.¡±[Note 1]

    While Joseph reflected silently, Mono, his face caked with white powder, came running over with a big smile and eagerly gestured behind him,

    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve arrived just in time! We¡¯ve been fretting over being one yer short,e join us for cards,¡±

    Upon hearing this, a young noble at the card table was taken aback and quickly vanished, effectively realizing the ¡°shortage of yers.¡±

    Joseph, unable to decline the warm invitation, sat down next to the Minister of the Interior beneath the painting of the God of War, and servants immediately brought over wine and beverages.

    ¡°Two tens,¡± Count Papus, sitting at the head of the table, yed his cards.

    The game was simr to ¡°Fight the Landlord,¡± but the smallest card was an Ace, and K, representing the King, was the highest.

    Joseph took a ss of juice, looked at the cards in his hand, and shook his head, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    He nced at the pile of gold ¨¦cus and silver livres on the table, and couldn¡¯t help thinking about France¡¯s 2 billion debt. Looking across at the Cab Minister, who was carelessly tossing gold coins and ying heartily, Joseph shook his head with a wry smile, thinking perhaps a major reform was indeed necessary¡­

    Preupied with thoughts of the national debt and his poor card skills, he quickly lost three games in a row, losing 12 gold ¨¦cus in total.

    Not far off, more than a dozen noble youngdies watched the table intently, seeing the Crown Prince somewhat distracted, they assumed it was due to his losses at cards. They clenched their little fists, grinding their silver teeth with a crunching sound.

    Several girls sprang into action immediately.

    Some swept around to face their fathers or uncles, enveloping them with looks of murderous intent and eyes full of grievance.

    Others went to their brothers¡¯ sides, seemingly inquiring how his hand was but covertly pinching a chunk of flesh on their arm and twisting it 180 degrees.

    In fact, ording to the traditions of the French Court, intentionally losing at gambling was not allowed, but the three men ying with Joseph at that moment unhesitatingly decided to forgo this convention.

    Mono broke a straight from six to ten, ying just an eight. Count Papus, looking at the seven yed by the Crown Prince, gripped a single ten and a Queen firmly in his hand, and resolutely called, ¡°Pass¡±¡­

    Joseph¡¯s ¡°luck¡± suddenly improved, no matter how he yed, he won, even one hand where the highest card was only a Jack, and most were single cards, he still came out victorious.

    His winning streak buoyed his spirits, and he forgot all about the time until he felt a bit weary and nced at the clock, realizing it was already half past eleven in the evening.

    He quickly rose to bid farewell to his cardpanions, asking Eman to collect the winnings, and, dragging his weary body, headed towards the sleeping quarters.

    Upon leaving the hall, Eman caught up, whispering excitedly:

    ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve won a total of one hundred and fifty-six ¨¦cus.¡±

    One ¨¦cu was equivalent to six livres; hence, in one night, Joseph had won nearly one thousand livres!

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Joseph said with a sense of aplishment, ¡°I earned so much without doing anything half the night!¡±

    But he immediately remembered that terrifying 2 billion debt and mentally calcted that, at his current winning rate, it would only take about 550 years to pay it off.

    Joseph sighed. To pay off such a massive debt, relying solely on personal money-making projects was nowhere near enough; he would have to use himself as a fulcrum to leverage the Industrial Revolution across all of France¡ªthat was the way out of the financial dilemma.

    Therefore, the Steam Engine and textile technology needed to be developed as soon as possible, along with apanying financial and patent policies.

    As Joseph thought about the Industrial Revolution, he had inadvertently wandered somewhere; suddenly, he heard a ¡°growl¡± from his stomach and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a wry smile. Preupied with winning money all evening, he had forgotten to eat supper.

    Looking up, he realized the corridor in front of him led to the kitchen, which was still lit up inside, indicating that an Imperial Chef was on duty.

    Since it was quite a distance from the Crown Prince¡¯s sleeping quarters, waiting to have the food delivered there would take who knows how long.

    He might as well have a chef whip up something on the spot to tide him over. Thinking this, he walked towards the kitchen.

    [Note 1: From the biographical novel ¡°The Queen of the Guillotine¡± by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig (November 28, 1881 ¨C February 22, 1942).]

 Chapter 28: A Night Encounter with Sadako (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 28: A Night Encounter with Sadako (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    Eman, upon seeing this, hurriedly stepped forward, pushing open therge doors of the kitchen, and bowed his head for the Crown Prince to enter.

    Guard Captain Kesode hadn¡¯t expected His Highness to suddenly turn towards the kitchen. He stumbled in his steps, turned his head to signal the two guards with a wave of his hand, and hastened to follow.

    Joseph stepped through the door and saw a very spacious kitchen. In the center were six or seven huge cutting boards pieced together, giving off the smell of fish and spices. The surroundings were stacked with various ingredients and cooking utensils. Only half of the lights were on, but there were no chefs on duty to be seen.

    He remembered that even when there was no ball or celebration in the pce, there should still be at least three to five imperial chefs on duty at night. But what was happening today?

    Joseph walked further inside, circled around a brown storage cab over two meters tall and four meters wide, and faintly heard rustling noisesing from the corner.

    However, his view was obstructed by a rack full of pots and metal spoons, making it impossible to see what was happening there.

    Joseph was curious. What were the chefs doing hiding in the corner? ying cards in their spare time at night?

    He turned around the wood rack, puzzled, and as he raised his eyes, he saw under the light in the corner a figure with its back to him, draped in a wrinkled white robe, with a head of disheveled ck hair, not very tall.

    It was only then that Joseph noticed arge nted wooden board in front of the person, covered in knife marks and surrounded by plenty of bloodstains. Under the flickering candlelight, it appeared exceedingly sinister.

    The figure in the white robe seemed to be very focused, and only then, hearing the noise behind, did it turn around abruptly.

    Joseph¡¯s pupils shrank instantly as he saw the figure¡¯s front covered in blood, with a ck and red knife in hand, its face hidden behind disheveled hair, barely making out a pair of round eyes emitting a greenish glow, and its hair hanging down to the waist was sticky with viscous bits, like the innards of something¡­

    A buzz sounded in Joseph¡¯s head and he felt a rush of adrenaline fill his body instantaneously, with only one thought in his mind: Fuck! Sadako?

    He immediately jumped back with force, banging his back against the rack hung with soup spoons, making a chaotic noise.

    He could not care about the pain. Just as he was about to turn around, he saw Eman sh to his side, holding a short sword in his left hand and pulling the Crown Prince behind him with his right.

    ¡°Protect His Highness!¡± Eman shouted loudly.

    Kesode muttered that this was not good and charged forward in several quick strides, drawing his sword and standing shoulder to shoulder with the guards.

    ¡°Guard!¡±

    Following the shout, he turned to Joseph and said, ¡°Your Highness, please exit first!¡±

    More than a dozen of the Crown Prince¡¯s personal guards rushed in, suppressing their fear of the unknown entity, whether a ghost or a witch, and stood ready to die as they cocked their weapons, aiming their guns at Sadako in the corner.

    Just then, Sadako finally moved.

    She threw the knife in her hand up in the air, plunged her fingers into her long hair, crouched in ce, hugging her head, and let out a piercing scream, ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    Joseph was taken aback and poked his head out from behind Eman, suddenly feeling that this Sadako looked somewhat familiar.

    ¡°Hey, stop screaming.¡± He tried tomunicate with Sadako, ¡°What are you¡­ a person?¡±

    Having heard his voice, Sadako clearly paused for a moment, raised her head, and peered through the gap in her hair, her voice trembling slightly, ¡°Crown, Crown Prince?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You know me?¡±

    Sadako nodded fervently, ¡°It¡¯s me! Your Highness, I am Perna! Don¡¯t, don¡¯t shoot!¡±

    Kesode cautiously moved forward, parted the woman¡¯s hair, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief, sheathing his sword, and turning to say:

    ¡°Your Highness, it is indeed Miss Perna.¡±

    Joseph, his head full of ck lines, sized up Perna and the bloodstained wooden board behind her, asking in confusion,

    ¡°You? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Perna instinctively nced at her hands and realized the small knife was ¡°gone.¡± Her eyes flitted uncertainly as she exined, ¡°Well¡­ I was helping Mr. Valister to cut the meat.¡±

    As she spoke, she frantically wiped the bloodstains off her hands onto her brown apron before picking up a hairband from the ground, tying up her long hair behind her head and quickly curtsying, ¡°Your Highness, Crown Prince.¡±

    Joseph looked at the bloodstains on her face and brought out a handkerchief, gesturing, ¡°Wipe your face with this.¡±

    Eman hurriedly took the handkerchief, stepped forward, and gave it to Perna.

    She carefully epted it and as she meticulously wiped her face, a visage as white as ivory slowly came into view.

    On that delicate face, a pair of pale green eyes were like two clear emerald beads, hershes thick and ck, and especially the sweet dimples by her charming red lips, she looked nothing like that frightening ¡°Sadako¡± from before.

    Joseph was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you dressed up like this before. Quite pretty.¡±

    He looked at the wooden board behind Perna, on which a small animal was neatly secured with nails.

    It was a rabbit, with a neat incision in its abdomen, its internal organs cleanly dissected.

    He couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Are you practicing dissection?¡±

    Perna was startled and waved her hands, saying hastily, ¡°No, I¡¯m not, I didn¡¯t, don¡¯t talk nonsense¡­¡±

    Joseph stepped forward and looked at the rabbit, nodding, ¡°Such professional technique, you must have practiced a long time, right?¡±

    He then turned to Perna, ¡°By the way, why are you practicing dissection in the kitchen?¡±

    Listening to the certainty in his tone, Perna¡¯s heart tightened. The Crown Prince actually knew about anatomy; it seemed she wouldn¡¯t be able to deny it this time.

    She clenched her left hand with her right, hesitated for a while, and finally, as if having made up some resolve, she stood up straight and dered loudly,

    ¡°Your Highness, yes, I am practicing dissection!¡±

    She took a deep breath as if finally voicing something she had held back for a long time,

    ¡°I believe that the current customs are very detrimental to the advancement of medicine!

    ¡°For instance, the fact that women aren¡¯t allowed to study medicine is a severe constraint on the medical field, and even more so, an injustice towards women!

    ¡°I greatly admire my father and ever since I was little, I have apanied him in treating patients, which has filled me with aspiration for the medical profession, to save lives and help the injured.

    ¡°I know my father loves me very much, he even agreed to let me dress as a man to assist him in treating patients, for which I am very grateful.

    ¡°But even so, he resolutely forbids me from stepping onto the operating table or practicing dissection, as it would make me unmarriageable, for nobody wants to marry a female doctor! That is the reality!

    ¡°Nheless, I still hope to be a doctor who can stand on her own and save patients. I can¡¯t get ess to human bodies, so I can only practice dissection on animals to familiarize myself with biological structures.

    ¡°I¡¯ve reached an agreement with Mr. Valister; every night I cane here to practice dissection, and incidentally cut meat for the chefs to use the next day, while he helps me keep it a secret.¡±

    By this point, her eyes were full of tears, clearly having suffered indignities over the years because of this.

    She sniffled, her tone bing calm, ¡°Your Highness, please go ahead and report me. I frightened you earlier, and this is the punishment I deserve.¡±

 Chapter 29: Instant Fangirl (Seeking Investment)

    Chapter 29: Instant Fangirl (Seeking Investment)

    Joseph looked at the pitiful girl in front of him, shook his head slightly, and felt greatly moved.

    He had read in Maum¡¯s books the words of Monk Lewis from this era¡ª¡±I detest, pity, and despise all female litterateurs. They should have a needle in their hand, not a pen. It is only the needle with which they can work freely.¡± (Note 1)

    Up until the 18th century, the status of women remained very low. Even in France, the birthce of the Enlightenment movement, women were not allowed to engage in writing, medicine,w, or even to have bank ounts; society firmly bound them within the family.

    As a person from the 21st century, Joseph naturally disagreed with such notions, but the dozen or so people beside him all looked at Perna with strange expressions, seemingly thinking that it was extremely inappropriate for a woman to speak of learning surgery.

    Even Kesode showed the kind of helpless smile one has upon seeing a naughty child creating trouble, because Perna reminded him of his own rebellious sister who insisted on studyingw.

    Yet his smile only made Perna feel even more upset.

    She was fed up with the mocking and yful smiles of the men!

    Just a moment ago, she had fantasized that the Crown Prince in front of her, praised by Professor Lagrange and with extensive knowledge of medicine, might hold enlightened views. But the attitude shown by his captain of the guard easily shattered her fragile hope.

    The Crown Prince probably had the same thoughts as them, Perna thought, looking up, trying hard to keep her tears from falling, but then she saw the Crown Prince walking towards her, his voice full of encouragement:

    ¡°Dissection is the foundation of medicine. I am very supportive of your pursuing this practice. Keep it up!¡±

    Perna froze, her clear green eyes filled with disbelief: ¡°Your Highness?¡±

    Joseph picked up the dissection knife from the ground and said with a heartyugh:

    ¡°Someone like you, who is full of ideals and brave in practice, will surely be a great doctor in the future.¡±

    ¡°But I¡­¡± Perna hadn¡¯t expected the Crown Prince to actually support her, and she became tongue-tied, ¡°I am a woman. Your Highness, do you think women can be doctors too?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Joseph said, handing the scalpel back to her, nodding, ¡°Being a doctor is just a profession, and women are fully capable of it. If one day I were seriously ill, oh, I mean in case, the one saving my life could very well be Doctor Perna.

    ¡°If I have the opportunity, I would even push for legition to allow women to engage in medical work.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Your Highness! For the love of God, please tell me, do you really think this way? Are you not mocking me?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Joseph nodded sincerely.

    Perna¡¯s heart suddenly began to beat violently. The Crown Prince himself supported her ideals¡ªwhat else did she have to worry about? Could her dream actuallye true?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anyone speak like this before.¡±

    She gazed at the Crown Prince in a daze, feeling as if she were in a dream. Everything around her lost its color, only the Crown Prince shone brightly, like the angels in Raphael¡¯s paintings, so beautiful and pure.

    Suddenly, she covered her face and began to sob softly, expressing through her tears the grievances of the past and her joy at this moment.

    ¡°Sob¡­ Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Look at you, why have you started crying all of a sudden?¡± Joseph patted the girl¡¯s shoulder, about to console her with a few more words when his stomach inappropriately rumbled.

    Perna paused, and then a chuckle escaped her lips, she asked softly:

    ¡°Your Highness, did youe to the kitchen to have ate-night snack?¡±

    Joseph looked around somewhat embarrassedly and said:

    ¡°I am a bit hungry, but the cooks have all disappeared; it seems I came here for nothing.¡±

    ¡°The cooks¡­ may have gone to move the vegetables needed for tomorrow, I guess.¡±

    Joseph knew that the cooks were most likely cking off and sleeping, but he didn¡¯t expose her, as he too had snuck in some sleep when workingte shifts in the past.

    ¡°Your Highness, if you don¡¯t want to wait¡­¡± Perna seemed to muster a great deal of courage, her face flushed as she spoke softly, ¡°perhaps I could make something for you to eat?¡±

    She looked at the Crown Prince nervously, afraid that he wouldugh at her.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Joseph nodded cheerfully, ¡°then I¡¯ll thank you for it.¡±

    Fortunately, the fires in the royal kitchen never went out, and the ingredients were already prepared. Perna took off the apron she wore for dissection practice, thoroughly washed her hands, and then started bustling around the stove.

    In less than 20 minutes, a dish of richly aromatic red wine-baked goose liver was ced on the small table used by the chefs for tea breaks, apanied by a te of beetroot tomato soup.

    Kesode tasted a bit of each dish very conscientiously, and only after confirming there were no issues did he step back to the side.

    Joseph had been starving for a while, and, smelling the fragrant aroma, his appetite suddenly surged.

    He picked up the cutlery, ready to start eating, when he saw Perna standing awkwardly to one side. He hurriedly waved her over,

    ¡°Come and eat with me.¡±

    The girl waved her hands repeatedly, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, but I¡¯ll pass. Please go ahead and taste it, does it suit your pte?¡±

    Joseph looked at the goose liver on the te, which was enough for three people, and without further ado pulled her to sit down. He fetched another te, divided the dish evenly, and said with a smile,

    ¡°It makes no sense for you to work hard all morning and then just watch me eat. Besides, I can¡¯t let France¡¯s first female doctor starve, can I?¡±

    Perna¡¯s face turned instantly red, and she lowered her head, quietly picking up the knife and fork.

    Joseph put a piece of golden-browned goose liver and a slice of ck truffle into his mouth. The unique rich, oily taste filled his mouth, but with the truffle¡¯s modtion, it wasn¡¯t at all greasy.

    His teeth broke through the crispy skin, and the tender meat of the goose liver almost melted into his mouth without resistance, making Joseph squint with enjoyment.

    After swallowing arge piece of goose liver, he pointed out with praise,

    ¡°This is simply fantastic. If you weren¡¯t a doctor, you would definitely make a great chef!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Perna¡¯s eyes filled with joy, ¡°I learned it in my spare time from Mr. Valister.¡±

    Joseph cut another piece of goose liver, lifted it, and gestured,

    ¡°To thank you for the meal, I¡¯ve decided to give you a gift.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m already very happy that you like it. How could I ept something more from you?¡±

    Josephughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy; the attire you wore while practicing dissection earlier was long and cumbersome. I¡¯ll have a tailor make a special medical uniform for you. Oh, and in the future it might be introduced nationwide; consider it a trial run on my behalf.¡±

    Perna¡¯s face blushed to the tips of her ears. She looked down and said softly, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡­

    The next morning, as usual, Perna attended to the Crown Prince after he got up and carried her medical box to perform a routine check-up for him.

    But what was different from before was that today, she didn¡¯t apply the dark powder on her face, her lips kept their natural color, and herplexion appeared refined and smooth, radiating a healthy and exquisite beauty.

    When she came before Joseph, she set down her medical box, curtsied, and took out the medical records, asking,

    ¡°Your Highness, does your throat still hurt?¡±

    ¡°Much better, just a little.¡±

    ¡°Are you coughing?¡±

    ¡°asionally, but it¡¯s quite rare now.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any phlegm?¡±

    ¡°A little.¡±

    The girl carefully noted down each answer and suddenly, when she raised her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the handsome lines of Joseph¡¯s face. Her heart skipped a beat, and the thought crossed her mind: The Crown Prince is so handsome, how did I not notice before¡­

    Her face turned crimson in an instant.

 Chapter 30 - 30 Pharmaceutical Factory Commences Production

    Chapter 30: Pharmaceutical Factory Commences Production

    Perna hastilypleted the routine check, hoisted her suitcase, and ran out of the house like a scared deer without looking back, yet once she was out the door, she turned around swiftly to steal a nce at the Crown Prince.

    Joseph watched her retreating figure, blinked in surprise, and said, ¡°What¡¯s with her¡­ Did she get a stomach ache?¡±

    Pce of Versailles, South Wing.

    In the office of the Finance Minister, Brian took the tax reform bill, which was significantly thinner, from Joseph¡¯s hands, and asked with a puzzled tone:

    ¡°Your Highness, it seems you have removed many taxes?¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an attempt of mine.¡±

    Brian quickly flipped through the bill, his frown deepening as he went, and when he reached the halfway point, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Joseph and say, ¡°Your Highness, all the uses you¡¯ve removed benefit the nobility?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Archbishop.¡±

    Brian put the bill back on the table and shook his head:

    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±

    Joseph countered:

    ¡°Do you think that by constantly conceding, the bill will pass?¡±

    Brian shook his head.

    ¡°Exactly, so we might as well take a different approach. You can submit this version of the bill to the High Court to start with.¡±

    Brian let out a sigh:

    ¡°Your Highness, but doing this will only infuriate the nobility and achieve nothing else.¡±

    Joseph smiled and said:

    ¡°Have you ever watched a bullfight?¡±

    ¡°A bullfight? Yes, Your Highness, I have.¡±

    ¡°The matador always desperately uses the red cloth to anger the bull because the infuriated bull will lose its senses, thus making mistakes, giving the matador the chance to strike,¡± Joseph said, ¡°Let those nobles get angry; there¡¯s no harm in it.

    ¡°Please trust me, even if it¡¯s rejected this time, this bill will eventually pass!¡±

    Brian still appeared skeptical and asked, ¡°Can you tell me how you n to do it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother reasoning with those people; target their weak points, divide and conquer, and at the same time, control the public opinion so they have no choice but to submit.¡±

    Brian looked at the Crown Prince with a surprised gaze, catching the confident and somewhat sly look in his eyes, and for some reason, suddenly felt that he might not be making a rash move.

    After a long moment, Brian nodded, then started to smile:

    ¡°Alright then, I will send this bill to the High Court, but please don¡¯t say that these changes were made by you, otherwise those greedy and selfish people will surely bear a grudge against you.

    ¡°And as for me, if I can¡¯t get the bill implemented by the end of the year, I should probably leave my position as Finance Minister. With the little time that I have left, I might as well take a risk.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your trust.¡±

    Joseph didn¡¯t expect to persuade Brian so quickly. He wasted no time and turned to his assistant:

    ¡°Please contact thergest newspapers in Paris and reserve prominent space in them.

    ¡°Once the High Court rejects the tax bill this time, immediately publish the first tax item in the papers, with a detailed interpretation, such as who will pay this tax, what impact it will have, etc.

    ¡°From now on, publish one tax item every day until the entire content of the bill is disclosed in the newspapers and everything is clearly interpreted.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Additionally, organize a group of journalists to report in detail on the proposedw, from the time of its introduction to its rejection by the High Court. Oh, don¡¯t report it all at once, write a little bit at a time to keep the momentum.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And another thing¡­¡±

    After being busy in the Finance Minister¡¯s office until noon, Joseph finallypleted the preliminary preparations for the tax reform bill and then had lunch with the queen. Eman reported that Dr. Lamark was requesting an audience.

    Joseph followed him back to his own reception room and saw Dr. Lamark pacing anxiously back and forth.

    ¡°Mr. Lamark, is there an issue with the pharmaceutical workshop?¡±

    Dr. Lamark hurriedly bowed respectfully, first nodding, ¡°There is a matter¡­¡± then he said nervously, ¡°Your Highness, I heard thatst night my daughter offended you. She is young and surely didn¡¯t mean it! Please forgive her.¡±

    Joseph smiled and gestured with his hand:

    ¡°Miss Perna has made no mistake; it was I who unintentionally intruded into her boratory¡¯. Oh, and she even offered me a midnight snack.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your generous understanding.¡± Dr. Lamark quickly bowed again and said with a shaking head, ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have agreed to let her study medicine. That child, she even went into the pce kitchen in the middle of the night to dissect animals¡­¡±

    ¡°Miss Perna is very talented. Actually, you could let her practice dissection in the Royal Family¡¯sboratory. Oh, if you don¡¯t want others to know, I can order the guards and servants to keep it a secret for her.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Dr. Lamark¡¯s eyes filled with gratitude, ¡°You are too enlightened. If the people at the Medical Association were half as open-minded as you, Perna would have already earned her medical license and saved many patients.¡±

    Joseph noticed the ss bottle in his hand and asked, ¡°Right, you mentioned there was something about the pharmaceutical workshop?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, yes.¡± Dr. Lamark hurriedly handed over the ss bottle, excitement returning to his face, ¡°That perfume workshop is just perfect! It has a veryprehensive set of equipment, it even has a water mill.

    ¡°I only added some high-precision thermometers and condensers, which are enough for the purification of salicin.

    ¡°Also, the workers are quite good, skilled, and many of them have experience with purification processes. Look, this was producedst night by the craftsmen, and neither Mr. Laseny nor I intervened.¡±

    Joseph looked at the beige powder, nodded with satisfaction, and then asked:

    ¡°How much do you estimate the output could be?¡±

    Dr. Lamark thought for a moment before replying:

    ¡°If we have enough raw material, about 2500 grams a day. Once the workers get skilled, it should be possible to double that.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s basically enough for all the patients in Paris, and we should even be able to supply some to the provinces.¡± Joseph said.

    With salicin used for its anti-inmmatory and fever-reducing properties, a daily oral dose of about 0.5 grams meant that for Paris¡¯s poption of over half a million, ten thousand doses a day would be sufficient.

    Dr. Lamark nodded and said, ¡°Your Highness, Mr. Laseny and I have estimated the costs, each pill containing 0.25 grams of salicin would cost about 3 to 4 deniers to make. We n to initially sell them for 5 deniers each and then adjust the priceter based on revenue, what do you think?¡±

    One livre is equal to 20 sous, and one sou is equivalent to 12 deniers, meaning one livre could buy 48 pills¡ªa very reasonable price indeed.

    ¡°You can decide on the price.¡± Joseph said.

    Joseph then remembered his own ¡°Angel Water¡± and said to Dr. Lamark, ¡°Ah, Mr. Lamark, I have some special requirements. Please purify 300 grams of high-purity salicin for me daily, with as few impurities as possible.¡±

    With only a little over one gram of salicin needed in 200 grams of skincare product, 300 grams a day was enough to produce over 200 bottles, which should be sufficient for initial market probings.

    Dr. Lamark readily agreed, ¡°No problem, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡­

    On the same evening that Joseph and Dr. Lamark were discussing the pharmaceutical factory matters, 400 kilometers away from Paris in Amsterdam, Nethends, the leader of the Patriot Party, Dandels, was weing guests from France.

 Chapter 31: Huge Profits (Seeking Investment)

    Chapter 31: Huge Profits (Seeking Investment)

    ¡°Mr. Colbert, the envoy,¡± Dandels nced at several senior members of the Patriot Party by his side and sighed, ¡°following the vote by the Provincial Congress, we have officially decided to cease hostilities and enter armistice negotiations with the Orange Order. The negotiation meeting will be held the day after tomorrow.¡±

    The ¡°Orange Order¡± he referred to was the Royalist Party supporting the original Dutch Stadtholder, William V, named after William¡¯s title as the Prince of Orange.

    Colbert furrowed his brow, stood up, and in a high-pitched tone, said:

    ¡°Mr. President, the intent of the French Cab is clear, nopromise without negotiations!

    ¡°You and your army need only repel the enemy frontally once and hold out for at least five days. The rest will be handled by great France, who will definitely crush the Prince of Orange¡¯s counterattack!¡±

    Dandels¡¯s face turned red, and he clenched his fists:

    ¡°Mr. Envoy, we do not wish to submit either! But you know, that wretch Wilhelmina, the traitor, she has brought the Prussian Army here, and she is spreading rumors everywhere, saying we have kidnapped her¡­¡±

    Colbert gave a light cough, looked away, and said as if offhandedly:

    ¡°In my personal opinion, the Princess of Orange did all she could for what she believes is her duty, and should not be considered a traitor.¡±

    Dandels paused, then remembered that the envoy before him represented King Louis XVI of France.

    He suddenly felt a hint of irony; the Dutch people¡¯s ally in their fight against a dictator was another dictator.

    Perhaps this was the sorrow and helplessness of a small nation.

    Dandels did not dwell on this digression and continued:

    ¡°Currently, over twenty thousand Prussian troops are threatening Amsterdam, demanding the release of Wilhelmina. God, she is not even in our custody!

    ¡°And our army has only 7,000 soldiers, nowhere near as well-equipped as the Prussians.¡±

    This was Wilhelmina¡¯s n to help her husband regain power¡ªmaking a high-profile appearance in The Hague in Hond to provoke the Rebel Army into arresting her. Of course, the Rebel Army, wary of her Prussian princess status, quickly released her. However, she imed to be still detained by the Patriot Party, begging Prussia to send troops to rescue her, while quietly escaping to the border city of Nijmegen to hide.

    Colbert nodded:

    ¡°I did not ask you to defeat the Prussian Army, only to make them realize they will face fierce resistance.

    ¡°Moreover, I have heard that 300 young Frenchmen, sympathetic to your plight, have volunteered to help you in battle. Theye with over 2,000 firearms, it seems there are also cannons.¡±

    ¡°2,000 guns, and cannons?¡± Dandels felt less defeated, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we need! Where did you get the cannons from? But, isn¡¯t 300 too few?¡±

    Colbert immediately denied:

    ¡°The cannons might have been stolen by someone from French warships. Mind you, France has aided you with 600,000 livres, but never sent troops.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t think 300 men are too few; the majority of them are artillerymen, and you should know an excellent artilleryman can potentially turn the tide of an entire battle. Remember, this might be your only chance to preserve your government!¡±

    Dandels and those beside him exchanged nces, then said to Colbert:

    ¡°Mr. Envoy, we need to discuss this further.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡±

    After just one hour, the Patriot Party, after a vote, decided to break off negotiations, defend the City of Amsterdam, and engage in a decisive battle with the Prussian Army.

    Two dayster, more than a dozen people dressed as merchants, artisans, and even beggars entered the eastern Dutch border city of Nijmegen through different channels and quickly made contact with two French spies.

    In a small cottage on the outskirts of Nijmegen, the group formed a circle around the lieutenant in charge of the mission, Lieutenant Favart, who pointed to the east side of the Nijmegen map on the table and said:

    ¡°Wilhelmina should be hiding in the Countess of Lippe¡¯s estate and seldom goes out.

    ¡°You should familiarize yourselves with the streets and environment of the town in the next few days. We¡¯ll make our move when she goes to church this Sunday.¡±

    ¡­

    Pce of Versailles.

    Joseph sat in a lounge chair, basking in the afternoon sun of winter, and let out a long yawn.

    The tax bill was still going through the High Court, and there was temporarily no news from the Nethends. The police affairs had just begun, and there was no information yet¡­

    Since his arrival in this world, he finally had some rare free time.

    However, Dr. Lamark seemed to be afraid that he would get too bored, so he delivered the refined salicin he had requestedst time.

    Joseph hurriedly instructed him that in the future, he would send someone to collect it and that there was no need for him to make the long trip from Paris.

    After seeing off Lamark, Joseph picked up thatrge bottle of powder that had almost been purified to white, opened the cap, and sniffed it¡ªthere was no hint of alcohol smell, very pure.

    He opened a chest in his study, inside which were glycerin, rose essential oil, and other auxiliary materials, as well as some measuring instruments that had been prepared earlier.

    He precisely measured out 1000 grams of glycerin, 60 grams of rose essential oil, and 22 grams of salicin, and mixed them together in arge ss sk.

    By now, the solution hadpletely turned a pale purple and was emitting the fragrance of the essential oil, showing no trace of salicin.

    Then, following a ratio of one part mixture to three parts water, he produced the first batch of ¡°Angel Water.¡±

    He frowned at therge bottle of thin liquid; as a cosmetic product, its appearance was rather in.

    After some thought, he decided to add a thickener and immediately grabbed a candlestick from the desk, pulling off a high-quality beeswax candle.

    The candle powder blended into the glycerin, and as Joseph kept stirring, the solution quickly became thick and opaque.

    ¡°Now it starts to feel like a skincare product,¡± he said with satisfaction, taking a small dab of ¡°Angel Water¡± with his finger and applying it evenly on the back of his hand. It felt smooth, moist, and floral, very pleasant.

    After waiting half an hour without any signs of allergic or irritating reactions, Joseph summoned his beautician and applied some to his face.

    Afterward, the beautician and his assistant were conscripted into service, and under Joseph¡¯s direction, they filled small, t, round 7-ounce ss bottles with the thick, pale purple gel. Then they ced the ss bottles into exquisite wooden boxes embossed with ¡°Angel Water.¡±

    Even with their very nimble hands, they were busy until 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon before they finally finished bottling about 50 bottles.

    Once Joseph confirmed the beautician¡¯s skin felt good, he instructed Eman to have someone deliver 40 bottles to the more famous luxury goods stores in Paris on consignment, with each bottle priced at 15 livres.

    He himself took the remaining 10 bottles to Queen Mary. Speaking of cosmetics, who could be more suitable as a spokesperson than her? And it was a free endorsement.

    Walking down the corridor, Joseph did a quick calction: the cost of one bottle of Angel Water was slightly more than one livre¡ªthe glycerin of this era was made from olive oil and expensive, ounting for ny percent of the cost. The main active ingredient, salicin, was the cheapest.

    With a selling price of 15 livres per bottle, after deducting transport and sales costs, there would be at least a profit of 12 livres and 10 sous!

    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh: Indeed, women¡¯s money is the easiest to make!

    Mr. Ma did not deceive me!

 Chapter 32 - 32 Big Shopping Spree (Seeking Investment)

    Chapter 32: Big Shopping Spree (Seeking Investment)

    Queen Mary curiously pulled out the cork from the ss bottle and cautiously smeared a bit of the pastel purple cream on her hand.

    ¡°Hmm, quite smooth, not bad,¡± she said with a pleasant smile looking at her son, ¡°Dear Joseph, you always bring me surprises. Where did you buy this?¡±

    Josephunched into sales mode:

    ¡°I devised it myself; I call it ¡®Angel Water.¡¯ It can soften the skin and is particrly effective at removing e.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Queen Mary immediately waved over a maid standing at the door:

    ¡°Morgana, you could try this out.¡±

    Only then did Joseph notice that the maid had several pimples on her forehead, not quite hidden by makeup. Many of these maidservants were only seventeen or eighteen years old, precisely the age prone to e.

    Seeing Morgana quickly approaching, Queen Mary took out a box from the nine wooden ones in front of her and handed it to her, upon which she bent her knee in surprised gratitude:

    ¡°Thank you so much, Your Majesty.¡±

    Joseph, smiling broadly, said to the Queen:

    ¡°All you need to do is to mention it in front of thedies, saying you are using it.¡±

    Queen Mary affectionately stroked his hair but feigned upset:

    ¡°You charge a fee for giving me a few bottles of skincare product?¡±

    Joseph immediately straightened up and put on a hurt expression:

    ¡°I spent so much effort and conducted many experiments to develop the ¡®Angel Water.¡¯ Today, as soon as I seeded, I thought of you and immediately brought it to you. And now, you won¡¯t even do this small favor for me¡­¡±

    The Queen was amused and picked up a biscuit from the table to feed him, consoling:

    ¡°Alright, alright, I will mention it to them, happy now?¡±

    As it turned out, Joseph need not have worried about promoting the ¡°Angel Water.¡±

    Thedies of the Pce of Versailles, who spent their days as if they couldn¡¯t wait to examine the Queen with a microscope, immediately followed suit like they had been shot with chicken blood the moment they discovered something new.

    That afternoon, whilst the Duchess of Broglie, who hade to chat and listen to music with the Queen, instantly noticed the exquisite wooden box on the dressing table, she turned to the nearby maid and asked:

    ¡°What¡¯s in that wooden box? Which shop sent it?¡±

    The maid hurriedly whispered:

    ¡°It is skincare product called ¡®Angel Water,¡¯ given by the Crown Prince. It is said to be personally developed by His Highness.¡±

    ¡°¡®Angel Water¡¯? That¡¯s a rather unique name.¡± The Duchess of Broglie didn¡¯t pay much attention to the im of ¡°personally developed by the Crown Prince,¡± specting it might just be a skincare workshop using the Crown Prince¡¯s name for promotion.

    When Queen Mary heard her, she immediately ordered a servant to bring a box of ¡°Angel Water¡± and generously gifted it to the Duchess:

    ¡°This product is quite good, especially at eliminating e.¡±

    The Duchess of Broglie was overjoyed but made a show of demurring:

    ¡°How can I take something of Yours?¡±

    ¡°I have plenty more, take it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll take it. Thank you so much, Your Majesty!¡±

    The severaldies chatting nearby instantly looked over, their eyes filled with envy, cursing themselves for not having discovered the Queen¡¯s new ¡°equipment¡± sooner.

    Queen Mary noticed the uneasy atmosphere and smilingly had her close maid Debreninac distribute a box to each person present, and thedies finally rejoiced.

    Soon, the news of the Queen using the trendy skincare product ¡°Angel Water¡± spread across the Pce of Versailles like ink dropped in water.

    By twilight, almost all the noblewomen were inquiring where they could buy ¡°Angel Water,¡± especially the young girls who were frenzied, naturally because they heard that ¡°Angel Water¡± was personally developed by the Crown Prince.

    If they didn¡¯t buy a bottle immediately, they wouldter be embarrassed to say the Crown Prince was their dream lover!

    Finally, someone tracked down the original source of ¡°Angel Water¡±¡ªit was a gift from the Crown Prince to Queen Mary.

    Subsequently, after someone paid a benefit fee of 50 livres, they obtained information from the Crown Prince¡¯s personal beautician that 40 bottles of ¡°Angel Water¡± had been consigned to a luxury store in Paris that afternoon.

    By then, it waspletely dark, and young nobledies could not step out; hence countless girls stayed up all night, eagerly waiting for dawn.

    Only the assistant to the Crown Prince¡¯s personal beautician, indignantly staring at the 50 silver coins, thought, why didn¡¯t anyonee to ask me?

    He couldn¡¯t help but recall the afternoon¡¯s errand, carrying a bag of ¡°Angel Water¡± and visiting luxury stores one by one in his carriage.

    Especially at that ¡°Silver Knight¡± perfume store located on the Champs-Elysees closest to the Old Pce, where he painstakingly negotiated with the manager for a long time, yet the manager insisted on a consignment fee of 100 livres a month, citing store policy.

    Even when he mentioned the Crown Prince¡¯s name, the manager remained unmoved.

    Although this was one of Paris¡¯ most famous shops, he dared not casuallymit to this cost on behalf of His Highness.

    In the end, he had no choice but to leave in frustration.

    Fortunately, the manager of the slightly smaller ¡°Source of Elegance¡± perfume and cosmetic store across the street was more amenable, so he left all five bottles of ¡°Angel Water¡± originally intended for the ¡°Silver Knight¡± there.

    By the time hepleted the consignment task and returned to the Pce of Versailles, it was already twilight, but surprisingly no one offered 50 livres to ask about the consignment of ¡°Angel Water¡±!

    The next morning, who knows how many carriages hurriedly left Versailles heading for Paris.

    In the magnificent high-end jewelry store next to the Louvre, ady¡¯s maid spotted a small wooden box embossed with ¡°Angel Water¡± in the showcase and immediately eximed with joy:

    ¡°Madam, there it is!¡±

    By coincidence, two seventeen or eighteen-year-old noble missies entered the store and, hearing this, rushed to the showcase without regard for etiquette, their voices shrill with urgency:

    ¡°Quick! That¡¯s it, I¡¯m buying it!¡±

    Thedy, taken aback, stepped forward without hesitation and grabbed the clerk, asserting resolutely:

    ¡°I want some too, 10 bottles!¡±

    The clerk apologized profusely:

    ¡°Madam, our store only has 5 bottles of this ¡®Angel Water¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take them all!¡± the young nobledy replied quickly.

    ¡°No, I was here first, give it to me! How much?¡±

    The clerk carefully extracted himself from between the two groups and said:

    ¡°Each bottle is 15 livres, for a total of 75 livres.¡±

    The nobledy immediately said:

    ¡°I¡¯ll offer 80 livres, now, give it to me.¡±

    Thedy looked down on the two girls with disdain, thinking, scared of bidding against you two youngdies over money? She calmly asserted:

    ¡°90 livres, I¡¯m taking them.¡±

    ¡°100 livres!¡±

    ¡°120 livres!¡±

    In the end, it was thedy, who had deeper pockets, who acquired the 5 bottles of ¡°Angel Water¡± for 150 livres. She walked out of the store with a victor¡¯s smile, looking triumphant past the two young girls.

    Meanwhile, batches of noble youngdies entered the Silver Knight perfume store on the Champs-Elysees one after another, asking if ¡°Angel Water¡± was avable for sale, as this was one of Paris¡¯ most famous luxury perfume stores and the likelihood of ¡°Angel Water¡± being sold there was very high.

    However, the manager of Silver Knight could only bear a pained expression as he saw them leave disappointed, cursively berating himself repeatedly for his decision the previous afternoon.

    Before long, a ferocious battle for possession had alreadymenced within the ¡°Source of Elegance¡± store¡­

 Chapter 33 - 33 Paris Angel Trading Company

    Chapter 33: Paris Angel Trading Company

    The pace of life in the 18th century was as slow as clouds drifting across the sky.

    Although Joseph was aware of the frenzy among thedies at the Pce of Versailles for Angel Water, it wasn¡¯t until the following evening that the beauticians¡¯ assistant brought back news from the shop.

    ¡°So, you sold a total of 1,460 livres?¡± Joseph asked the young man in astonishment, ¡°40 bottles?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Those misses and madams were all bidding up the price, it was impossible to buy it at the original cost. I heard that in the ¡®Source of Elegance¡¯ store, their attendants nearly came to blows.¡±

    Joseph let out a long sigh, a misstep, sold too cheap!

    It seemed,

    his heart was still not cold enough¡­

    his understanding of the weight of thedies¡¯ purses was still insufficient¡­

    his trust in the Queen¡¯s influence on fashion was stillcking¡­

    Having learnt from this painful lesson, if there¡¯s a mistake, it must be corrected, and Joseph immediately decided¡ªraise the prices!

    Of course, you couldn¡¯t just p a higher price on the original product, that would look too unsightly.

    Joseph realized his initialmercial n was too hasty, and had not fully developed themercial value of Angel Water.

    He immediately returned to his study, wrote feverishly for over ten pages, and revised it several times before finally being satisfied.

    The ¡°Commercial nning Proposal¡± in front of him now had the earlier version of Angel Water discontinued as a ¡°tasting edition,¡± reced by three different grades of the official version: Luxury, Deluxe, and Regr.

    Segment the market, harvest the wealth ofdies of varying spending abilities!

    The Regr edition would be the same in content and packaging as before, but the quantity reduced to 4 ounces, priced at 14 livres.

    The Deluxe edition, based on the Regr, would include some olive oil,e in a heart-shaped ss bottle nestled in a brass box, all for 4 ounces at a price of 26 livres.

    The Luxury edition would build on the Deluxe by adding a small amount ofnolin, incorporating scents likevender, jasmine, and immortelle¡ªessentially using different essential oils¡ªwith the bottle fashioned in the flower shape of the selected fragrance and packed in a pure silver box, 4 ounces going for 50 livres.

    Furthermore, there would be development of a line of Angel Water derivative products.

    His first choice was a face mask.

    He had seen the face masks of this era, which were generally thickly applied directly onto the face, and some used mask-like items that covered the face; the disposable fabric masks ofter eras that leave the eyes, nose, and mouth exposed had not yet appeared.

    And making these was incredibly simplemission shaped pieces of cloth resembling a face, soak them in Angel Water without any added thickener, and that was that.

    Considering the mania for beauty products disyed by thedies at the Versailles these past days, the market for face masks was surely not going to disappoint.

    Joseph also split the face masks into three grades.

    The Luxury edition used silk, the Deluxe edition wool, and the Regr edition cotton; disposable products to be discarded after one use. Priced respectively at 5 livres, 3 livres, and 2 livres per mask.

    In addition, the product line would include: hand cream, foot cream, toners¡­

    In essence, it was a matter of adjusting the ratio of glycerin to salicin, or mixing in morenolin. A change of packaging and name, and it was apletely different product¡ªthese were standard practices in the cosmetics industry ofter times.

    On top of enriching the product line, Joseph also redrafted the marketing n.

    Consignment sales clearly wouldn¡¯t do, only specialized direct-sale stores would bring the required professionalism.

    Implement a VIP membership system, which is divided into Gold Card members, Silver Card members, and regr members. The Gold and Silver cards will be made of real gold and silver, full of ceremonial sense, emphasizing luxury and extravagance.

    In the end, expand throughout Europe by allowing franchised store models!

    Joseph looked at therge stack of business ns and realized that he couldn¡¯t achieve this alone. It would require apany and arge number of employees to manage such arge operation.

    He immediately called his entourage and began assigning them tasks.

    The ountant took people to purchase glycerin and other raw materials, as well as to order bottles and packaging; they were also tasked with signing long-term contracts with suppliers to ensure a stable supply.

    The beautician, apanied by several maids, was responsible for filling the bottles of Angel Water. For the time being, they would release 200 bottles into the market per day, with ns to increase production once the exclusive stores were ready.

    Thewyer went to register apany in Joseph¡¯s name.

    At this point, Joseph, who always struggled with naming, paused for a while. After considering for a while, he felt it was important to highlight the connection with Angel Water, so thepany was finally named ¡°Paris Angel Trading Company¡±.

    As for thepany¡¯s location, as well as the recruitment and management of employees, he was not worried.

    All of the cosmetics¡¯ bottles and packaging were custom-ordered from stores in Paris. Raw materials like glycerin and essential oils were easily purchased from the market. The ¡°France Angel¡±pany was, in fact, only responsible for the final steps of bottling, packaging, and sales.

    These tasks did not require any special skills and workers could easily be recruited. As for management and sales, Paris, being one of the mostmercially developed cities in Europe, had an abundance of such talent.

    Moreover, the Crown Prince¡¯s personal entourage was mostly unupied, and they could be used temporarily if there was a sudden shortage of staff.

    The core technology of all the products¡ªsalicin¡ªwas firmly in Joseph¡¯s hands. Even Lamark didn¡¯t know that what he was processing for the Crown Prince was actually a raw material for cosmetics.

    So even if all the recruited employees turned against him, they would not be able to replicate even a drop of Angel Water.

    After arranging the work, Joseph found himself with free time. Seeing that it was still early, he had Eman prepare the carriage for a trip to Paris, nning to personally choose the location for the gship store.

    The carriage jostled for several hours and just after noon, they entered the Paris City area.

    Eman suddenly pointed out of the carriage window, ¡°Your Highness, your perfume workshop, oh, now it¡¯s a pharmaceutical workshop, is over there.¡±

    Joseph indeed saw a sizeable courtyard nearby, located beside a branch of the Seine River, with arge waterwheel slowly turning on the east side of the yard.

    He said to Eman, ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    The courtyard was veryrge, containing more than a dozen buildings and an open space that was more than twice the size of two basketball courts.

    The gatekeeper, recognizing the air and attire of Joseph and his party, did not dare to stop them and even eagerly led them inside the yard.

    Soon, Lamark, wearing an apron, came out to greet Joseph, bowing and saying, ¡°Your Highness, what brings you here?¡±

    Joseph smiled and returned the greeting, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of opening a store in Paris. I took the opportunity toe and see you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern,¡± Lamark said. ¡°Actually, I have a matter I would like to discuss with you as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What is it? Please tell me,¡± Joseph encouraged.

    Lamark gestured towards the workshop as he spoke, ¡°Previously, there were more than 40 workers here, but purifying salicin does not require that many people. Your Highness, should wey them off, or should we allocate some to continue making perfume?¡±

    Having many workers was a good thing! Joseph immediately instructed, ¡°We can neithery them off nor have them make perfume. Purchase some more equipment and continue to increase the production of salicin; that will keep them busy.¡±

    His goal was to turn ¡°Paris Angel¡± into a luxury empire that marketed throughout Europe andunched into the Americas; the demand for core raw materials was undoubtedly a huge number.

 Chapter 34 - 34 Secret Weapon

    Chapter 34: Secret Weapon

    Lamark nced uneasily at the physician beside him, Larseny, who stepped forward and said, ¡°Your Highness, I will take care of the matters afterward. Mr. Lamark, he¡¯s actually leaving here in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Leaving?¡±

    Larseny continued, ¡°Actually, Mr. Lamark has received a special grant from the French Medical Association and is preparing to go to South America for botanical research. As you know, there are many unimaginable nts there, and perhaps new medicinal agents can be discovered. Ah, in fact, he has already resigned from his position as a court physician.

    ¡°As for the technique of purifying salicin, he has already taught me in detail, which means he has no more business in the workshop here.¡±

    Lamark coughed slightly and bowed sincerely, ¡°Your Highness, I truly apologize.

    ¡°To be honest, one of the major reasons I got this funding is that the Medical Association read my paper on the effects of salicin. Oh, and you are still the first author of the paper. But the opportunity to go to South America is really rare, and I thought¡­¡±

    It was only then that Joseph remembered receiving a letter from the Medical Association a couple of days ago,plimenting him on his contributions to salicin, but he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it at the time. It turned out it was because of Lamark¡¯s paper.

    If it had been before, he would have congratted Lamark and personally seen him off to South America, but today, after seeing the professional processing and experimental equipment in the workshop, as well as the numerous skilled technicians, he had other ideas.

    That was to try to manufacture the legendary medication in the pharmaceutical world that he had been thinking about ever since he arrived in this world ¡ª penicillin.

    If penicillin were avable, firstly, his own pneumonia could bepletely cured, and secondly, this miracle drug would be very important militarily ¡ª in the wars of the 18th century, being wounded almost meant death due to infection, but penicillin could bring the wounded ¡°back to life.¡± One could imagine, in war, one side¡¯s wounded continuously returning to the battlefield, while the other side¡¯s numbers dwindled. How could thetter side keep fighting?

    The idea of making penicillin had been with him for a long time, but the manufacturing process and technology were extremelyplex; not only did it require a highly professionalboratory, experimental and cultivation equipment, but also a professional experimental team to operate it, to possibly seed in creating it.

    Previously, these conditions did not exist, but now there was a possibility, that being this pharmaceutical workshop right in front of him.

    With just a few additional experimental devices and Lamark, an eminent figure in biomedical science, along with the workers here, perhaps penicillin could be introduced more than a hundred years in advance!

    So, he certainly couldn¡¯t let Lamark leave at this moment.

    With this in mind, Joseph shook his head and said, ¡°No, you need not apologize; it¡¯s myck of consideration. Your stage shouldn¡¯t be limited to this small pharmaceutical factory. Those unknown areas of biomedical science are where you can truly shine.¡±

    Lamark was moved and said, ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Please trust that wherever I am needed here, I wille back at any time.¡±

    Joseph smiled slightly, as if making an offhand remark, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity. I originally wanted to ask for your help in trying to make a new medication. Now, it seems we can only wait for your return from South America.¡±

    Upon hearing ¡°new medication,¡± Lamark immediately became interested, ¡°Oh? May I ask what medication Your Highness is referring to?¡±

    Joseph was about to say penicillin directly, but then he thought that just the preliminary preparations for making this substance would take quite some time. It would be better to start with a ¡°small toy¡± to get Lamark warmed up, which would also help to train the experimental team in the process.

    So he temporarily put aside penicillin and said, ¡°I heard about a medication that can dy aging, treat miscarriages, and even make a man¡¯s, cough, performance much more formidable.¡±

    Lamark searched his mental database and found nothing that matched this description. He was about to shake his head in denial when he suddenly remembered the miraculous effects of salicin and quickly dropped his dismissive attitude, ¡°That¡¯s really incredible, are you certain such a thing exists?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake,¡± Joseph nodded, ¡°it also has a special name, called tocopherol.¡±

    The so-called tocopherol is vitamin E, a substance that was verymon inter times but had not been extracted in the 18th century.

    He chose vitamin E for a couple of reasons, one being that its extraction is rtively simple with a high sess rate. Second, it could be mixed into cosmetics as nearly all skincare products rted to anti-aging and suppressing age spots inter generations contained vitamin E.

    This would be the second secret weapon of the ¡°Paris Angel¡±pany to extract money from the purses of wealthydies.

    Mr. Lamark, upon hearing such a professional name, became even more serious, ¡°Your Highness, do you know how to obtain this¡­ ah, tocopherol?¡±

    Joseph affirmed, ¡°I know of a method to extract tocopherol from corn germ, which will require the purchase of some additional equipment, such as centrifuges, sedimentation dishes, and so on, oh, and the construction of a constant temperature greenhouse.¡±

    ¡°A constant temperature greenhouse? Is that aboratory that maintains a fixed temperature? How could that be achieved?¡±

    In this era, without air conditioning, maintaining a constant temperature was indeed not easy.

    After some thought, Joseph exined, ¡°Lay dense water pipes beneath the flooring and inside the walls of the room, and build arge water tank outside, connecting these pipes. When you need to raise the temperature, heat the water in the tank; to cool down, draw water from the Seine River. This waterwheel could be put to good use.¡±

    Even in the summer, the temperature of the river water can stay below 20 degrees Celsius, which is sufficient for biological cultivation.

    Lamark was obviously interested in this substance that could dy aging, but on the other hand, his long-standing wish to explore the nts of South America made him appear indecisive.

    Seeing his hesitation, Joseph promptly threw out even bigger ¡°bait¡±:

    ¡°Mr. Lamark, after acquiring facilities like the constant temperature greenhouse, there is actually another, more miraculous medicine that I need your help to experimentally produce.

    ¡°This medicine can treat diseases like pneumonia, wound infections, childbed fever, and can even cure deadly diseases like the ck Death, syphilis, and septicemia.¡±

    Lamark was stunned!

    If such a medicine really existed, wouldn¡¯t it fulfill his life¡¯s dream¡ªfor there to be no more death from disease in the world!

    He breathed excitedly, almost out of breath, ¡°Your Highness, are you, are you not joking?¡±

    Seeing that he had ¡°taken the bait,¡± Joseph smiled and said, ¡°After you have produced this medicine, try it and see, won¡¯t you?

    ¡°Right, about going to South America, I will fund your expeditionter on, and guarantee it will be arger sum than the Medical Association would offer, with more freedom too.¡±

    With that said, where would Lamark hesitate any further? He nodded vigorously, ¡°Your Highness, I will give it my all to produce that miraculous drug with you!¡±

    ¡­

    After leaving the workshop and giving Mr. Lamark the method for extracting Vitamin E, Joseph¡¯s carriage arrived at Paris City Hall by a little after 3 p.m.

    Eman exited the City Hall and waved at the slightly overweight man with therge ears behind him, ¡°No need to trouble yourself further, please go back.¡±

    The man could only reluctantly turn and head back into City Hall while Eman approached the carriage across the street, bowing to Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, I have inquired clearly. There are a total of fourteen properties registered for sale in Paris that meet your requirements.¡±

    Without hesitation, Joseph said, ¡°I want the best.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, that would then be the Nagel Jewelry Store on Champs-Elysees.¡±

 Chapter 35 - 35 Under Amsterdam

    Chapter 35: Under Amsterdam

    In the middle of the Champs-Elysees, this location is 600 meters from the Tuileries Pce, looking south at the Louvre.

    Before Joseph stood a jewelry store spanning some twenty meters wide, but at the moment its doors were half-closed, with the sign of Nagel Jewelry Store still hanging.

    ording to what Eman had learned, the owner of this store had married a Spaniard and thus nned to sell the property to move to Spain.

    Joseph entered the store to look around, finding it quite new with two floors, each roughly over five hundred square meters, solid oak flooring, and all the corners of the room and banisters of the stairs wrapped in brass¡ªits decor was very particr, exuding a kind of restrained and exquisite beauty.

    He didn¡¯t dawdle, quickly reaching an agreement with the store owner¡¯s agent and bought the shop for 36,000 livres.

    For the busiestmercial district in Paris, this price was rather fair.

    Eman went toplete the transaction, while Joseph looked around and said to the apanying architect, ¡°Mr. Archid, I need your help with some modifications to this store.¡±

    Yes, among the Crown Prince¡¯s personal entourage, an architect was always on hand, though there was hardly any work for him most of the time; today, atst, there was a use for his skills.

    ¡°Please give your instructions, Your Highness.¡±

    Joseph pointed to the wall facing the street: ¡°Rece all these walls with ss, asrge as possible, allowing passersby to see inside the store at a nce.¡±

    ¡°Rece all these wooden counters with custom-made ss disy cases about a meter high, and the merchandise will be ced directly on top so customers can touch them at any time.

    ¡°The lighting must also be changed. Use the same type of crystal chandeliers as in my reception room. Absolute illumination is necessary, every corner of the store must be brightly lit.

    ¡°All exterior walls painted in a fresh and soft tone¡­¡±

    Archid kept recording in his notebook until Joseph turned to him and asked, ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it, how long will these modifications take and how much will it cost?¡±

    The architect hurriedly flipped through his notes, hesitantly said, ¡°About half a month, and probably 3,000 livres.¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°I will give you 5,000 livres to finish within a week, can you do it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, I will do my utmost.¡± Archid thought for a moment and added, ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness, even if Angel Water was disyed in New Bridge¡¯s grocery store, it would still sell out immediately, and this shop is already quite good. Why bother spending so much to renovate it?¡±

    Joseph smiled and said, ¡°Because, besides Angel Water, the shop itself is also merchandise.¡±

    Archid looked surprised: ¡°You intend to sell the shop too?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m speaking of a different kind of merchandise; consider this store as a sample.¡±

    ¡­

    Nethends.

    Within a military encampment 4 kilometers south of Amsterdam.

    An elderly man in a green military uniform, with half-white hair and a slight tilt to his left chin, frowned at a map. After a long moment, he finally spoke: ¡°I believe that we should abandon Amstelfen and retreat south of Amsterdam, using the river as a barrier¡­¡±

    The man in a deep white military uniform beside him immediately interrupted loudly, his tone tinged with sarcasm: ¡°Colonel Wolster, my men and I have traveled great distances to the Nethends, not to witness your army¡¯s ¡®evading the enemy¡¯ tactics.¡±

    Wolster had the final say in the Dutch Army, but facing the man with only the rank of captain, he dared not rage, only stressing his words more: ¡°Mr. Dibowa, the Prussian Army¡¯s vanguard is only 15 kilometers from Amstelfen, and the town itself has no fortifications to defend. Do we intend to sit here and wait for death?¡±

    Amstelfen is a town immediately bordering the southern part of Amsterdam. If lost, Amsterdam would bepletely exposed to the Prussian Army.

    The French captain continued sarcastically, ¡°A fortress? Your grand army couldn¡¯t even hold onto Utrecht, such a stronghold, let alone Amstelfen with ten fortresses¡ªI¡¯m afraid it wouldn¡¯t be of much help to you.¡±

    Wolster¡¯s face turned red, ¡°What¡¯s the use of talking about this? What¡¯s most important now is to decide how to face the enemy!¡±

    ¡°Attack,¡± Dibowa said loudly, ¡°French soldiers have always crushed their enemies with an offense!¡±

    A Dutch officer hurriedly interjected, ¡°Monsieur Dibowa, even with the recently conscripted soldiers, we barely have over 9,000 men, but the opposing Prussian Army has over 20,000. Under such circumstances, an attack would be no different from suicide.¡±

    Dibowaughed, ¡°20,000 is the total strength of the entire Prussian forces, the vanguard that can reach us certainly won¡¯t have that many.

    ¡°What¡¯s more, thanks to your earlier retreat being too fast, you¡¯ve forced the Prussian Army to pursue at a high pace for over ten days, and given the densework of Dutch waterways, most of their cannons will likely be unable to keep up with the vanguard troops.

    ¡°While we have over ten cannons at our disposal!¡±

    Wolster looked at him with wide eyes, ¡°Are you really nning to attack the Prussian Army?!¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Dibowa looked back at him, ¡°The Prussian Army certainly won¡¯t expect the continuously retreating Dutch Army to dare a sudden counterattack, hence their guard will be down. This is our opportunity.¡±

    Wolster, feeling somewhat ufortable under his gaze, looked down and said, ¡°No matter how brave your soldiers may be, even if they are armed with cannons, such a rash advance upon the enemy¡­¡±

    Dibowa shook his head, ¡°No, not my soldiers, but yours.¡±

    ¡°Mine, my people? How could that work¡­¡±

    Dibowa cut him off again, ¡°Yes, your people, and you will use the new recruits to attack the Prussian vanguard. Then let them act as if they are routed¡­ oh, they will surely be routed.

    ¡°While my men, along with your main forces, will wait for the Prussian Army to catch up in the narrow area between the Sibe River and the Abcoude Lake, with all my cannons set up right here.¡±

    The Dutch officers, upon hearing this, saw a glimmer of hope, envisioning the Prussian Army falling into a surprise ambush and fleeing in panic.

    Ever since Prussia intervened in the Nethends, they had not won a single battle, and at this moment, their desire for victory was immense.

    Wolster frowned and shook his head, ¡°Even if we could defeat the vanguard of the Prussians, it would be useless. Their main forces would arrive soon after, and we would still be unable to hold out.

    ¡°The mission the Congress has given me is to hold out for five days.¡±

    Dibowa corrected him, ¡°Before holding out for five days, you need a victory that repels the Prussian offensive, or else you could just keep retreating to Hond, and you could ¡®hold out¡¯ for more than a week.¡±

    He looked at the young officer standing stiffly to the side, with curly hair and a nose as straight as a sword, ¡°Andr¨¦ (note 1), how long do you think it will take the Prussian main forces to reach Amsterdam?¡±

    The young officer stood tall and said, ¡°Commander, if left to march unimpeded, they will cross Amstelfen before nightfall tomorrow. But if we can harass their supply lines, that time frame will be significantly extended.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Dibowa gave him an approving look, ¡°Then this task is yours toplete.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Wolster eximed in surprise, ¡°Lieutenant Davout only has a little over sixty cavalrymen, how could he possibly attack the Prussian supply lines?¡±

    ¡°No, not just sixty,¡± Dibowa shook his head and smiled, ¡°but your 650 cavalrymen as well.¡±

    [Note 1: Andr¨¦ Davout is a fictional character requested by the readers, set as the brother of the historical military leader Louis Nics Davout.]

 Chapter 36: Blood and Courage

    Chapter 36: Blood and Courage

    ¡°650 men?¡± Wolster immediately protested, ¡°That¡¯s all my cavalry, You have no right tomand them¡­¡±

    Captain Dibowa didn¡¯t let him finish and smiled, ¡°Give me your cavalry, or face the Prussians alone.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t¡­¡± themander of the Dutch Army sighed resignedly and waved his hand, ¡°The cavalry are under yourmand now, we can¡¯t have infighting at this time.¡±

    ¡°A very wise decision!¡±

    Dibowa turned to the curly-haired French lieutenant and said, ¡°Andre, proceed as nned. How soon can you set off?¡±

    Andre saluted, his hat in hand: ¡°Yes, sir! My men are all prepared and can set off at any moment. However, the Dutch cavalry might need a bit more time.¡±

    Dibowa nodded, ¡°They are under yourmand now, go teach them how to improve their efficiency.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    As the cavalry lieutenant left, Dibowa looked at the Dutch officers in the tent: ¡°So, does everyone now agree on taking the offensive against the Prussian vanguard?¡±

    The others nodded in silence.

    ¡°Very well, thank you, gentlemen.¡± Dibowa moved to the map and pointed at the location of the Sibe River, ¡°Mr. Wolster, please deploy The Hague Imperial Guard here.¡±

    The Dutch officer, somewhat disgruntled, said, ¡°There¡¯s practically no Imperial Guard left now; they are all troops of the provincial congress.¡±

    Dibowa nodded indifferently, ¡°Alright then, whatever they are called, in any case, they will bebined with my artillery and await the Prussian vanguard here.

    ¡°And the ¡®Free Corps¡¯ will form a battle line 200 meters to the south, to face the first charge of the Prussian Army.¡±

    The so-called ¡°Free Corps¡± was a militia group formed by the Dutch Patriot Party, and The Hague Imperial Guard were originally elite troops of William V; the disparity in theirbat effectiveness was obvious. Of course, these Imperial Guard members had also participated in the exile of William V, so there was no doubt about their loyalty to the Provincial Congress.

    A Dutch officer immediately objected, ¡°This is making the Free Corps cannon fodder! Why shouldn¡¯t the French people face the front?¡±

    Wolster raised his hand to stop him, ¡°Captain Dibowa is right, without the veterans at the rear, the Free Corps would quickly rout in front of the Prussian Army¡­¡±

    Yet Dibowa calmly said, ¡°The Free Corps doesn¡¯t need to engage the Prussians to the death. They only need to open up the nks after the engagement. What I¡¯m concerned about is their level of training, whether they can execute the tactical n without descending into chaos.¡±

    Wolster suddenly stood up taller, his voice firm, ¡°I will personallymand the Free Corps.¡±

    Dibowa nodded, and continued, ¡°Then after that, we¡¯ll do this¡­¡±

    As he sketched with his pencil, the area of less than 2.5 kilometers wide between the Sibe River and Abcoude Lake on the map was now marked with Dutch and French troops.

    ¡­

    On the south side of Amstelfen.

    ¡°Report!¡± A cavalry scout came up to Andre and, circling his horse¡¯s reins, saluted with his hat, ¡°Three kilometers east, tracks of the Prussian Army were found, numbering over four thousand. Mainly infantry, but also some cavalry.¡±

    Andre nodded; this must be the Prussian vanguard. He immediately turned and ordered, ¡°The entire army will move one kilometer west, quietly and at a slow pace, be mindful of the Prussian scouts.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Andre nced at his pocket watch, then took out a map to check it; ording to previous intelligence, the main body of the Prussian Army was 15 kilometers from here, right downstream of the Sibe River. If they continued at the current pace, they would be able to skirt around them by tomorrow noon.

    As he had anticipated, at 2 p.m. the next day, the Cavalry Scouts spotted arge Prussian convoy, protected by more than three thousand Prussian soldiers.

    Andrei ordered the entire army to line up on the west side of the Sibe River, and it was then that he noticed his palms were covered in sweat.

    Having graduated from military school less than two years ago, this was his first time actuallymanding in battle. It was impossible not to be nervous. Originally, he was the assistant to the cavalry squadron leader, but the squadron leader had to return to France for dysentery treatment on the way to the Nethends. Thus, Andrei was suddenly entrusted withmand, bing the cavalry squadronmander of the French volunteer soldiers.

    He gazed at the distant ins and rivers, suddenly filled with worry.

    It wasn¡¯t the face-off against the Prussians he feared. Even if it was merely a harassment mission, or even a decisive battle, he was confident that with his glorious blood and fearless courage, he would crush the enemy!

    Five days.

    Even if it meant dying in battle, he believed firmly his sword wouldy between his body and the Prussian forces.

    What worried him was what would happen after those five days.

    After holding off the Prussian forces for five days with the French volunteers and Dutch forces, would the Prussians really retreat?

    His uncle had learned through internal contacts that this operation n was devised by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, a military n by a thirteen-year-old boy¡­

    Andrei tried not to think too much about it. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death; dying on the battlefield was a soldier¡¯s destiny. What he feared was a meaningless death. Especially since he came to the Nethends ¡°privately,¡± if they failed to preserve the Patriot Party in the end, the military wouldn¡¯t even acknowledge his death as one for the country.

    He hoped that the ¡°Child of God¡¯s Favor¡± really was as miraculous as people imed.

    He did not know how much time had passed when the voice of a Cavalry Scout interrupted his thoughts, ¡°Report, the Prussian convoy ising.¡±

    Light shed in Andre¡¯s eyes, and he waved his hand forward and shouted, ¡°Charge!¡±

    The French cavalry squadron led at the front, with the former Dutch Imperial Guard cavalry after, they pounced towards the Prussian supply troops.

    When they were still a great distance away, sharp bugle calls echoed amongst the Prussian soldiers, and arge number of infantry quickly assembled. They backed against the convoy and formed dense line formations, with muskets and bays pointed forward, ready for the enemy.

    Dust billowed, hoofbeats thundered, and Andrei, from afar, could only see the dense masses of Prussian soldiers. He then raised his Charleville 1728 model short musket and took a shot towards the Prussian side.

    The cavalrymen behind him also fired their weapons, with loud bangs and crackles erupting, and the battlefield was instantly enveloped in a cloud of gunsmoke.

    However, at this point, they were still over 400 meters away from the Prussian forces, and the bullets could not inflict any damage.

    Yet, the dense gunfire still made the Prussianmander very anxious. The cavalry before him seemed to be close to a thousand men, perhaps the main force of the Dutch Army.

    After firing his shot, Andrei immediately led the cavalry south in a swift turn, galloping past the front of the Prussian formation at a distance of more than 300 meters.

    The Prussian forces waited for more than twenty minutes, not seeing the enemy charge, and were just about to grumble and prepare to move on, when suddenly arge contingent of cavalry attacked from the side and rear, apanied by intense gunfire.

    The Prussianmander¡¯s face turned dark as he ordered his forces to re-form to meet the attack. But the opposing cavalry merely circled in front of them before swiftly riding away.

    The Prussian cavalry protecting the convoy was too few in numbers to pursue.

    So, Andreimanded the cavalry toe and go, to and fro, forcing the Prussians to stay in ce and maintain their defensive formations until the main force of Prussian cavalry arrived to reinforce as dusk neared. Then, atst, Andrei ceased the maneuvers.

    Andrei allowed his troops to rest in a dense forest for a few hours before immediately ordering a march northwards through the night, heading straight for the primary Prussian forces¡¯ assembly point.

 Chapter 37: The Franco-Prussian War

    Chapter 37: The Franco-Prussian War

    5 kilometers south of Amstelfen.

    Outside the brightly lit camp of the Prussian Army, Andre was directing the soldiers to move two cannon barrels down from the horses¡¯ backs.

    As it was a light cavalry raid, they could not carry the heavy cannons. Instead, Andre had brought cannons that weighed less than 200 jin¡ªlight enough to be carried on a single horse.

    He didn¡¯t even bring mounts for the cannons, simply digging a hole in the ground and propping the cannon barrels at an angle inside, never expecting to hit the Prussian Army.

    Load the gunpowder, load the shot, ignite.

    With two booms, the Prussian camp was immediately thrown into chaos.

    By the time the Prussians finally discerned the direction of the enemy attack, they promptly gathered more than ten cannons to return fire.

    Meanwhile, Andre had already strapped the pound cannons back onto the horses¡¯ backs, taking advantage of the night to head towards Utrecht in the south.

    Themander-in-chief of the Prussian Army, Duke of Brunswick, did not sleep soundly that night. He was quite surprised that the Dutch, who had been beaten without the power to retaliate, would take the initiative to provoke a fight.

    When day broke the next day, he sent cavalry to thoroughly search the area, making sure there were no enemy ambushes, before ordering the army to continue advancing towards Amsterdam.

    However, just then, the vanguard of the Prussian Army was under a surprise attack by the Dutch.

    Although the Prussian Army had not expected the enemy to attack proactively, their military discipline, honed by Frederick II, was extremely high, and they almost immediately counterattacked.

    The Dutch, as always, could not withstand a single blow. After losing roughly twenty men, they began to scatter in all directions.

    The Prussian vanguardmander, Blucher, reacted extremely swiftly, immediately leading the army in pursuit and soon reaching the eastern shore of Abcoude Lake.

    Before himy the Dutch Army¡¯s line formation stretched for miles¡ªthis was the mostmon line infantry tactic of the 18th century, with soldiers spaced one to three steps apart. Thousands of men formed a neat single line, usually in three or four ranks, standing erect and alternately firing their muskets at the enemy.

    Blucher sneered secretly, ¡°Is this the Dutch purpose? To lure me into rash action with a routed army and then ambush me here?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you underestimate the quality of Prussian soldiers!¡± He immediately gave the order for the entire army to halt their pursuit, form into line formation on the spot, and have an additionalpany from Campbell Camp charge in column formation.

    The Prussians moved very quickly; in just twenty minutes, over four thousand soldiers hadpleted the formation.

    Two thousand three hundred men formed a one-kilometer-long line to directly face the Dutch line formation. Behind them, eight hundred soldiers formed into several columns, ready to charge the enemy lines at any moment.

    Additionally, nearly two hundred cavalry stood by on both nks, ready to move at a moment¡¯s notice.

    The disy of organizational discipline and operational capability alone was enough to send a chill down the spines of the Dutch across from them.

    With the sound of a bugle call, the Prussian drummers began a rapid beat, and almost simultaneously, the toon leaders waved their hands forward, ordering an attack.

    At the same time, several four-pounder cannons embedded in the Prussian lines started to roar.

    As Prussian soldiers advanced steadily to the drumbeat, the infantry lines of both sides drew closer. Amidst the barrage of cannon fire, some of the Dutch already showed signs of retreating, but they were promptly driven back into line by their officers¡¯ sabers.

    Not until the two armies were about 100 meters apart did the Dutch lines begin to spout shes of fire, while the Prussians, as if the other side was merely setting off fireworks, continued to march forward in precise order.

    Prussian ranks saw men falling, but without so much as a furrowed brow, they kept advancing until they were only 60 meters apart when the drumming of the Prussians suddenly stopped.

    ¡°Raise guns, aim¡ªfire!¡±

    With the continuousmands of the officers, Prussian soldiers skillfully unleashed a volley, creating more than a dozen gaps in the Dutch line formation as shouts of panic erupted everywhere.

    As the two sides began to exchange fire, the huge disparity in military training between them became apparent.

    The Prussian Army could fire five times while the Dutch Army could manage only three, and the Prussians¡¯ actions were impably synchronized, with almost the entire line firing simultaneously, whereas the Dutch side was sporadic, and many soldiers fired hastily without taking proper aim under the stress.

    After more than ten rounds of Prussian firing, gun smoke shrouded the entire battlefield, and the Dutch began to retreat en masse.

    Seeing this, Blucher did not hesitate to order, ¡°Advance in column!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    With the sound of uniquely rhythmed drumbeats, more than forty columns of the Prussian Army charged fearlessly into the fray amidst the shes of gunfire, while their own line also moved forward ten paces.

    <img data-y-imgId=¡±10115921¡å data-y-path=¡±/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10115921/44433988a4ea7ba1a50034a3cd561102f2Nvqh94p9lqsp4.jpg¡±>

    More than a dozen charging Prussian soldiers immediately fell, but they were in column formation, with the leading soldiers taking the brunt of the bullets and theirrades behind them still advancing at a jog.

    The Dutch infantry line was quickly broken, and the soldiers fled in disarray, but they were soon restrained by their officers, neatly splitting east and west to avoid the Prussian onught.

    Blucher observed through his telescope and pointed westward, ¡°Cavalry, pursue them.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    His observation was astute; Wolster wasmanding on the east side, and the west side was evidently in greater chaos.

    Blucher himselfmanded the main force, continuing the advance, and at this pace, he could take Amstelfen that same day.

    However, just as all the Dutch soldiers had left the frontal battlefield, sudden and sharp cannon fire erupted from the vanguard of the Prussian side.

    Several massive iron balls howled as they tore through the Prussian line formation, creating a blood mist in midair. One of the iron ballsnded and rolled on for more than forty meters, crushing the lower leg of amander before it finally came to a stop.

    Blucher¡¯s eye twitched at the sound; there were at least a dozen cannons, and by the sound of it, they were of no small caliber!

    He had been marching hard for days, bringing only five 4-pound cannons, and was almost instantly suppressed by the artillery fire from the opposite side.

    The momentum of the Prussian army¡¯s charge suddenly stalled, and Blucher hesitated for a moment before looking towards Amstelfen nearby, gritting his teeth and ordering a battalion and a half from the reserve troops to press on¡­

    Two hours after the Duke of Brunswick had led the Prussian Army¡¯s main force, he heard dense cannon fire from the north and frowned slightly¡ªthe Prussian army¡¯s cannons were with him, and Blucher had only five, so it couldn¡¯t make such amotion.

    Did that mean the cannon fire was from the Dutch?

    But their artillery had beenpletely wiped out by his forces half a month ago, and even if they got their hands on some cannons, they would not have the gunners to operate them.

    After all, artillerymen were the hardest soldiers to train; without years of hard practice and solid mathematical fundamentals, they might fire dozens of shots without a single hit.

    As the Duke of Brunswick pondered, a messenger rode up hurriedly, reporting that arge number of Dutch cavalry had been spotted near Utrecht.

    The Duke of Brunswick¡¯s heart tightened¡ªUtrecht was his supply base, with food and munitions transported from there to the frontlines daily, critically important and not to be lost.

    What exactly were the Dutch up to?

    As an experiencedmander, he quickly scoffed and shook his head. With an absolute advantage in troop strength, why should he dance to the enemy¡¯s tune?

 Chapter 38 - 38 The Decision of William II

    Chapter 38 The Decision of William II

    The Duke of Brunswick immediately ordered the main force of the Prussian Army to defend their position, instructing Blucher to ascertain the enemy¡¯s situation without making rash attacks. He then sent out three infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment to construct a defensive line stretching 20 kilometers from Amstelfen to Utrecht to protect the logistics.

    Before noon, he received bad news ¡ª Blucher¡¯s troops were fiercely battling the Dutch by the Sibe River and suffered heavy shelling and encirclement by the enemy forces, with over 800 casualties.

    The Duke of Brunswick took a deep breath, not expecting the Dutch to still have the strength to struggle, and he quickly sent reinforcements to Blucher.

    By the time the Prussian Army¡¯s logistical defense line was established and the vanguard troops had regrouped, two days had passed.

    The Duke of Brunswick did not mind the wasted time; he had already plugged the gaps caused by advancing too quickly earlier. Now it was time to crush the Dutch with an absolute advantage in forces.

    Four days after repelling the Prussian vanguard, Dibowa weed the most ferocious attack yet from the Duke of Brunswick at noon.

    On the ins south of Amstelfen, there was no room for strategy, only a brutal sh of iron and blood!

    Dibowamanded 12 cannons that continuously bombarded the most dense formations of Prussian soldiers. Andre also led the cavalry, constantly harassing the Prussian nks and firmly capturing the attention of the Prussian Cavalry.

    The Dutch held the higher ground and, inspired by their significant victory a few days prior, their morale was extremely high. They disyed remarkable fighting capabilities, and the Prussian Army, despite their furious attacks until nightfall, failed to break the Dutch defenses.

    At first light the next day, the Duke of Brunswick continued the assault. The dense musket fire exchange and rampant shelling quickly littered the battlefield with thousands of bodies.

    The battle was incredibly intense; by 2 p.m., the French Artillery had already run out of shells.

    On seeing Captain Dibowa and his artillerymen withdraw from their positions and ready their muskets to join the infantry inbat, Andre knew the situation was dire.

    He looked toward the Prussian Army¡¯s cannons, which were still spewing fire, made the sign of the cross on his chest, raised his cavalry saber high, and shouted to his blood-soaked soldiers behind him, ¡°Follow me! Let¡¯s break through the Prussian artillery lines!¡±

    The French Cavalry immediately struck their breasttes with their sword hilts and bellowed in response, ¡°Yes!¡±

    The Duke of Brunswick frowned as he watched the smoky battlefield. He hadn¡¯t expected the Dutch resistance to be so stubborn, especially their artillery. Although they had only half the number of cannons as his own, their remarkable marksmanship held its own against them.

    Based on the current situation, taking Amsterdam would likely incur hefty costs,pletely deviating from his original n.

    While he pondered whether tomit his reserves in one final, fierce attack, the King¡¯s orderly officer arrived with a message.

    The Duke of Brunswick looked at the retreat order signed by King William II himself, brought by the envoy, and frowned, saying, ¡°What in the world is this about?¡±

    The envoy awkwardly exined, ¡°It has been confirmed that Princess Wilhelmina is not in the hands of the Dutch.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible!¡± eximed the Duke of Brunswick in shock. His very purpose for this battle was to rescue Wilhelmina, and now they were telling him she wasn¡¯t here?!

    The envoy said helplessly, ¡°She was found in the Southern Nethends, allegedly kidnapped by an Italian-speaking gang. The police in Antwerp rescued her and even killed two of the kidnappers.¡±

    He was referring to the Southern Nethends, which is modern-day Belgium and at the time, Austrian territory.

    ¡°Kidnappers? Impossible!¡±

    The envoy continued, ¡°Your Grace, Princess Wilhelmina has returned to Prussia¡­¡±

    The Duke of Brunswick nced at the withdrawal order again, reluctant, ¡°Even so, we could use this opportunity to wipe out the rebels and allow the Prince of Orange to return to the Nethends!¡±

    The envoy gave an embarrassed smile again, ¡°In fact, the Dutch Parliament officially announced yesterday that they epted the Prince of Orange¡¯s return to Amsterdam to assume the role of Stadtholder.¡±

    The Duke of Brunswick stared nkly for a long time, finally resigned, he waved to the orderly officer at his side, ¡°Order the entire army to retreat.¡±

    The return of William V to the Nethends was indeed arranged by Joseph, and initially, the Patriot Party adamantly refused, but the French envoy Colbert ryed the Crown Prince¡¯s words to them, ¡°The so-called Stadtholder can very well be a ceremonial position. Rather than letting William V stir up trouble from the outside, why not bring him back to Amsterdam to keep an eye on him. William V¡¯s influence is in The Hague, and you control the army, you can even take him as a hostage.¡±

    Afterward, the Patriot Party happily epted this suggestion.

    <img data-y-imgId=¡±10115889¡å data-y-path=¡±/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10115889/512df61219d96adf31b892a0b47490284Tn1wnQ78HC9nfi.jpg¡±>

    Three days ago, a French spy set an ambush in Nijmegen and hijacked Princess Wilhelmina on her way to church. The Prussian princess believed that her hiding ce was unknown to others, and therefore only brought seven or eight bodyguards with her. She was kidnapped with barely a struggle by ¡°kidnappers who spoke Italian.¡±

    Though Prussia had upied the southern part of the Nethends, it was limited torge cities; small towns and viges were still in the hands of the Patriot Party, enabling the French spy to leave the Nethends unimpeded and take Wilhelmina to the Southern Nethends. Along the way, they even sent a letter to William II demanding a ransom.

    Latterly, the contact in Antwerp arranged for two corpses to act as the kidnappers who had been killed and alerted the local police about ¡°suspicious foreigners,¡± also arranging for journalists to follow and report on the incident.

    Wilhelmina, rescued publicly by the police, could no longer pretend to be held hostage by the Patriot Party, and thus the main excuse for King William II of Prussia to send troops to the Nethends disappeared.

    The Patriot Party then conceded further, and coupled with France holding an impressive military exercise in the south of Luxembourg, and the Duke of Brunswick unable to take Amsterdam, things started to shift.

    In the end, William II looked at his pitiful purse and decided to withdraw the troops.

    Andre, watching the thousands of enemy soldiers stationed around the Prussian Artillery¡¯s position, and the Prussian Cavalry that were continuously keeping a close eye on him, knew he would likely never reach the Prussian cannons without being struck down on the battlefield.

    But this was the only way to save the dire situation, and even with just a one percent chance, he had to try. He gently kicked his horse¡¯s nks, gradually speeding up, and as he was about to approach the right nk of the Prussian Infantry, suddenly a horn sounded from within the Prussian camp, and the Prussian Infantry¡¯s lines began to retreat¡­

    He pulled on the reins, standing there until the Prussians had all but vanished from sight, and only when the surrounding Dutch began cheering did he finally believe that the enemy had truly retreated.

    He made the sign of the cross in front of his chest, looked up to the sky, his chest swelling with emotion, ¡°He is the son blessed by God; he really did it!¡±

    ¡­

    As dawn broke, Joseph left for Paris by carriage.

    Today was the grand opening of the Paris Angel¡¯s exclusive store on the Champs-Elysees, and he had to be there by noon for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

    Although it was just a store opening, the store itself was also amodity, and he naturally needed to ensure the ceremony was befitting, to add to its perceived value.

    The opening had been widely publicized through newspaper advertisements, and by the time he reached the Champs-Elysees, the area was already crowded with people, especially the middle section where the new Paris Angel store was located, which had bepletely impassable.

 Chapter 39: The Crown Princeâ€™s Blessing (Please Follow)

    Chapter 39: The Crown Prince¡¯s Blessing (Please Follow)

    Angel Water had previously only been a sensation within the Pce of Versailles, but after a period of trial use by the nobledies, its wondrous effects had already spread throughout Paris.

    Now, not a single woman among the entire noble ss of Paris was unaware of this miraculous cosmetic.

    ims such as ¡°two days to smooth out pimples,¡± ¡°five days for skin to be soft and supple,¡± and ¡°a week to fade spots¡± were all backed by numerous individuals who could attest to its efficacy.

    Especially prominent was the advertisement that appeared on the front pages of major newspapers ten days ago¡ªa single, bold line dominated the page: ¡°Angel Water, you deserve to have it.¡±

    Simple, direct.

    Like an arrow shooting straight to the heart of every woman. Yes, the noble and luxurious Angel Water might be expensive, but I deserve to own a bottle!

    If one flipped casually through the other pages of the newspaper, one could see announcements about the grand opening of the Paris Angel Exclusive Store, clearly stating that Angel Water would only be avable at this type of store, where a multitude of new products would also beunched.

    The grand opening was scheduled for 12:00 noon, and long before dawn, people had already gathered outside the exclusive store, peering curiously through thepletely transparent ss facade at the merchandise disyed inside.

    Joseph frowned as he looked at the street that was so congested with the crowd waiting for the store to open; though he was the owner, he was unable to get close to the door¡­

    It wasn¡¯t until Kesode ordered the Royal Guard to step in to maintain order that a narrow passage finally emerged on Champs-Elysees.

    At exactly 12:00 noon, more than ten sales associates, each over 1.8 meters tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, handsome features, and wearing neatly pressed thick red velvet uniforms, emerged from the Paris Angel Exclusive Store.

    They lined up neatly in two rows at the flower-decked entrance, apanied by a band ying joyful celebratory music, as two slender girls pulled out a red silk ribbon, tied with a bouquet in the middle, strung across the front of the store.

    The manager of the exclusive store came to the forefront, bowed, and then announced in a loud voice:

    ¡°May I invite the ¡®Child of Divine Favor¡¯ from Versailles, the esteemed French Crown Prince, to inaugurate our store!¡±

    A thunderous cheer burst from Champs-Elysees. Moments earlier, when people saw the Royal Guard maintaining order, they spected that an important figure might be arriving, and to their surprise, it was the Crown Prince himself.

    Dressed in ceremonial garb, Joseph walked out from the store, waving to the crowd to signal them, and dered loudly:

    ¡°Today marks the official opening of the first exclusive store belonging to the Paris Angel Company.

    ¡°The mission of Paris Angel is to ensure that every French woman can preserve her youth and beauty forever!

    ¡°I wish you all a delightful shopping experience!¡±

    The crowd stirred and cheered again, with some admiring fans even starting to chant, ¡°Long live the Crown Prince!¡±

    Joseph took the scissors from the manager and cut the red ribbon in front of him, then quickly ¡°escaped¡± the scene through the back door with Kesode¡¯s protection.

    There was no helping it, he feared that if he moved any slower, he would be engulfed and devoured by those starry-eyed noble maidens.

    From all directions, flower petals were scattered into the air, and the manager, with a smile, gestured for the people to enter the store and make their purchases.

    As people talked about the novel inaugural ceremony, they swarmed into the store. In almost an instant, both floors of the exclusive store, spanning over a thousand square meters, were packed with customers, yet outside, there were still a thousand more people anxiously waiting for a chance to get inside.

    A young woman with a tall and elegant figure, dressed in a dark blue long dress with a wide-brimmed hat, its veil falling and concealing her face, looked at the sea of people outside the Paris Angel Store and furrowed her brows slightly as sheined softly:

    ¡°How could there be so many people? If only I had known, I would have asked Mr. Balvetto to buy it for me¡­¡±

    She touched the barely noticeable blemish marks on her cheek, as though making up her mind.

    A few days ago, one of her girlfriends had gifted her a small half bottle of what was said to be the most popr skincare product at the moment, ¡°Angel Water.¡± After only a few uses, the stubborn pimples that had troubled her greatly had significantly receded.

    But that bit of ¡°Angel Water¡± was about to run out, and for the sake of her lovely face, there was no question that she had to buy another bottle to take home!

    She surveyed the Paris Angel Exclusive Store for a moment and then, moving her long legs, swiftly walked towards the back of the store.

    Joseph emerged from the back door of the exclusive store, where a carriage had already been waiting for him. Just as he was about to get in, he suddenly caught sight of a disheveled little boy, about eight or nine years old and covered in dirt, begging pitifully at the entrance of the alley:

    ¡°Noble sir, madame, please grant me a few coins.¡±

    Gazing at the even younger girl slumped in the corner, the boy¡¯s voice grew urgent:

    ¡°Please, I beg you¡ªjust 5 deniers, so I can buy my little sister a ¡®Crown Prince¡¯s Blessing¡¯! I beg you, she has had a fever all day long¡­¡±

    However, this alley was seldom traversed by pedestrians, and even the few who hurried past didn¡¯t spare him a nce.

    Joseph approached and dropped two silver coins into the battered can the boy was holding. The child immediately knelt down, choking up as he said:

    ¡°Thank you, kind sir, thank you! May the Lord bless you!¡±

    Kesode was first to help him to his feet.

    Joseph said,

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, hurry and get your sister some medicine. By the way, what is this ¡®Crown Prince¡¯s Blessing¡¯ you just mentioned?¡±

    The boy eagerly replied,

    ¡°Noble sir, it¡¯s those small pills, something salicin, they can save lives and are very cheap. I¡¯ve heard that the Crown Prince himself invented the medicine, so everyone calls it ¡®Crown Prince¡¯s Blessing¡¯.¡±

    Joseph gestured to Eman, who immediately brought over a few grains of salicin¡ªJoseph had also been using salicin to control his pneumonia.

    ¡°Is it this medicine?¡± Joseph handed the pale yellow pills to the boy.

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the one!¡± The boy was overjoyed, bowed deeply, and fed a pill to his sister¡¯s mouth, then gave her some water to drink, nodding vigorously at her, ¡°Swallow it, swallow and you¡¯ll feel better soon.¡±

    As the boy made as if to kneel again, Joseph quickly held him up and asked:

    ¡°Where are your family?¡±

    The little boy forced a broken smile:

    ¡°They all got sick and diedst year, only my sister and I were spared.¡±

    As he spoke, a series of ¡°gurgling¡± sounds came from his stomach.

    Joseph felt a pang of sorrow and gave him some more money, but then he suddenly caught sight of the crowd on the other side of the alley hoarding Angel Water.

    It¡¯s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.

    He looked at the little boy, ¡°Do you want to stop going hungry?¡±

    The boy nodded earnestly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a way,¡± Joseph pointed toward the crowd, ¡°there¡¯s a store called Paris Angel over there. Take this money and buy some chairs, then rent them out in front of that store, 2 deniers an hour. Remember to take a security deposit.

    ¡°Once you¡¯re familiar with the situation at the store, buy some clean and tidy clothes to wear, and help thedies who don¡¯t want to queue or who need someone to make purchases for them. You can probably charge 1 livre per service.¡±

    The boy¡¯s eyes widened, and he bowed deeply:

    ¡°I really can¡¯t thank you enough! You must be the savior sent by the Lord for me and my sister!¡±

    Behind a protruding pir in the alley, a woman with long legs veiled in gossamer watched Joseph from a distance and murmured to herself:

    ¡°That man appears to be the Crown Prince? I didn¡¯t expect him to have a somewhat kind heart. It seems that not everyone in the Royal Family is a viper or a parasite, after all.¡±

 Chapter 40: Hunger Marketing and Thin Profit Volume Sales

    Chapter 40: Hunger Marketing and Thin Profit Volume Sales

    The tall girl waited until Joseph¡¯s carriage had disappeared into the distance before she darted toward the back door of the Paris Angel Company. After checking that no one was around, she bent down to peer through the keyhole and saw an old doorkeeper sitting at the entrance, listlessly staring at the front door.

    She studied theyout of the room for a moment, bit her red lips, and moved to the side door window. She pulled a thin wire from her hair and slipped it through a crack in the window, deftly manipting it until the bolt quietly slid open.

    Carefully pushing the window ajar, she leaped in with a soft grace, unbeknownst to the doorman who was merely three meters away.

    The girl tossed a pebble against the back door, creating a light ¡°snap,¡± drawing a frown from the doorman, who got up to investigate.

    Taking advantage of the moment, she swiftly stepped forward, used the back of his chair to vault herself over, and disappeared into the entrance hall.

    The doorman seemed to feel a breeze and turned his head to look, but all he saw was an empty hall.

    Passing through a storeroom, the tall girl effortlessly evaded several clerks and found herself in the Paris Angel¡¯s first-floor sales area.

    The store was crowded, but luckily the employees controlled the number of people entering, so it wasn¡¯t too packed.

    She nced at the crowd squeezed outside against the ss wall, a triumphant smile crossing her face, then turned her attention to the shop that had long piqued her curiosity.

    Next to the entrance stood two life-sized oil paintings, both depicting the same pretty woman, except the woman on the left had dull skin with a few pimples on her forehead, next to the words ¡°Before Use.¡± The woman on the right, however, had smooth, fair skin that radiated charm alongside the words ¡°After Use.¡±

    Walking leisurely forward, the tall girl discovered that the shop had no counters, just over a dozen chest-high, step-like ss disys neatly arranged.

    Atop the ss disysy various exquisitely packaged cosmetics, with small wooden cards beside them listing the names and prices, all glittering under the chandelier lights.

    The soft piano music ying around the store enveloped it in an ethereal, upscale ambiance.

    Not purchasing anything but merely strolling through the store was already a form of splendid mental indulgence.

    ¡°A mask?¡± she paused in front of something that resembled a cloth mask, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    A tall and handsome clerk immediately approached and bowed politely, ¡°Miss, the mask is a new skincare product our store hasunched. It is highly effective at¡­¡±

    As she listened to his maic voice, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of his firm, upright neck, making her cheeks feel warm.

    Before long, her small bag was filled with Angel Water, masks, hand creams, and a bunch of other items.

    The store had an odd rule, where customers would pick up items first and pay for everything at the end. Looking at her little bag, she sighed; she had only nned on buying a bottle of Angel Water but ended up with so much more. But these items were just too tempting¡­

    A well-dresseddy walked past her, nearly spilling over with cosmetics from the three bags she carried, muttering, ¡°To be able to buy freely without a price increase, my God!¡±

    The realization hit the tall girl in an instant, see, indeed no one could resist these damned wonderful products!

    She lingered in the store for close to an hour before she was content enough to prepare to pay and leave. The handsome clerk then told her she could apply for a VIP card at the shop, which offered services like free delivery andplimentary greeting card writing, and holders of the Silver Card and Gold Card could enjoy a 5% and 10% discount, respectively.

    She cautiously inquired, ¡°What kind of status does one need to get a Gold Card?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, madam, anyone can apply for the card,¡± the clerk replied with a smile. ¡°You just need to deposit 1000 livres in advance. This money remains yours, and when youe shopping, the amount is simply deducted from your prepaid bnce.¡±

    The tall girl was taken aback by the 1000 livres, then asked, ¡°And the Silver Card?¡±

    ¡°A prepayment of 500 livres, madam,¡±

    As the girl squeezed her way out of the crowd and turned back to look at the sign of Paris Angel, she suddenly stamped her foot in annoyance, cursing herself for not being able to hold back at the end!

    That VIP card had cost a whole 200 livres, and now she wouldn¡¯t be able to go to the opera next month and the month after, nor could she buy new shoes!

    She murmured with a distressed face, ¡°If only I had epted Mr. Weston¡¯s rewardst time¡­¡±

    She halted mid-sentence and then stared seriously at her reflection in the ss, ¡°Soleil! What are you thinking? You¡¯re doing this not for money but for freedom and justice! Don¡¯t let money consume your ideals!¡±

    The next day.

    The general manager and boutique manager of Paris Angel Company rushed to the Pce of Versailles early in the morning, reporting to Joseph in his reception room about the previous day¡¯s sales.

    The bespectacled elder, who used to manage thergest jewelry store in Paris and was poached by Paris Angel Company with a high sry, read clearly from his ledger,

    ¡°A total of 2,206 bottles of Angel Water and hand creams sold, with 2,110 facial masks.

    ¡°Common VIP cards 71, Silver Cards 35, and Gold Cards 40.¡±

    He paused for a moment, closed his ledger, and continued, ¡°The total revenue is 126,562 livres.¡±

    Joseph, although prepared, was startled to hear this number. This wasn¡¯t just opening a shop, it was like robbing money! He blurted out, ¡°126,000? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, 126,000¡­¡± The bespectacled elder nced nervously to the side.

    The man next to him, with a t nose and a slight limp, quickly bowed his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°Your Highness, this was my mistake! I underestimated the sales volume, leading to insufficient stock. After 5:30 p.m. yesterday, the store ran out of stock, so the revenue might be less¡­¡±

    Joseph coughed slightly, mentally praising him; this was indeed the former general manager of the Plymouth Shipyard highly esteemed by Eman, always feeling he hadn¡¯t made enough for the boss.

    He nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Brent, actually, this is quite good. Hunger marketing can enhance customer¡¯s eagerness to buy. From now on, let¡¯s stock up to 95% of the anticipated sales volume.¡±

    ¡°Hunger marketing?¡± Although Brent didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the term, he immediately nodded and remembered the Crown Prince¡¯s request.

    Joseph knew it would be difficult for such a day of 126,000 livres in sales to happen again since arge part of it was from VIP card top-ups, meaning those customers wouldn¡¯t spend money on future purchases.

    Moreover, after releasing their purchasing power this time, consumers would need quite a while to finish using the cosmetics they had bought.

    However, making seven or eight thousand livres daily in sales shouldn¡¯t be difficult in the future, and most importantly, Paris Angel¡¯s brand effect was now established.

    This must be leveraged wisely!

    He thought for a moment and then instructed Brent, ¡°Please contact the top workshops in Paris after you return, andmission a batch of jewelry, hats, and shoes. Use the finest materials, the best workmanship, the most fashionable designs, and spare no expense.

    ¡°Additionally, sign a contract with the workshops that anything made for Paris Angel, without thepany¡¯s consent, cannot be reproduced in the same style.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Brent nodded, noting it down, and then cautiously asked, ¡°What exactly do you intend to do?¡±

    ¡°Stamp these items with the Paris Angel mark and sell them in our boutiques. Price them at three to five times the cost. For secondary products, we¡¯ll focus on making thin profits on high volume sales.¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41 Absolute Monopoly (Please Add to Booklist)

    Chapter 41 Absolute Monopoly (Please Add to Booklist)

    Brent was struck by a sudden thought, a vision of thosedies and young mistresses who, after purchasing cosmetics, would casually pick up a hat or a pair of shoes, filling him with immense admiration for the Crown Prince¡¯s business acumen.

    At his side, an elderly gentleman wearing sses suggested, ¡°Your Highness, nearly half of yesterday¡¯s customers were noblewomen from the Pce of Versailles. Do you think we should open a branch there?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Joseph smiled and shook his head. ¡°Letting them travel all the way to Paris to buy our products will further highlight the preciousness and irreceability of Paris Angel. At the same time, when the nobility of Paris see them frequently entering and leaving our store, they too will follow suit and make purchases.¡±

    After discussing product sales, Brent continued, ¡°Your Highness, in the past few days, Count Albrow, Duke Lavalier, Marquis de Montes, and six other individuals have expressed interest in franchising with Paris Angel Company. What are your thoughts on this matter¡­?¡±

    Indeed, from day one of nning his specialty store, Joseph intended to expand Paris Angel through franchising!

    Opening stores one by one was not only slow but also a tedious andborious process.

    Without you having opened many, those capitalists with keen senses of smell would mimic you andpete.

    Although Joseph held the core technology of salicylic acid and did not fearpetition, it was inevitable that he would lose some customers.

    Thus, he wanted to use the method of franchising to quickly conquer the cosmetics markets of All of France and even Europe, ensuring that from product efficacy to marketing and market size, Paris Angel left no opportunity forpetitors!

    After all, there was no concept of antitrustws in this era; not to monopolize was practically to refuse the gifts of the times.

    Moreover, the profit margins on his cosmetics products were extremely high, roughly between 800% and 1300%. Allocating one-fifth of that to franchisees waspletely eptable to him, and for the franchisees, it would be likeughing all the way to the bank!

    Ultimately, by working with the agents of Paris Angel, aprehensive saleswork could be established, ensuring that any future products could also rely on this channel for a swift distribution and rapid cost recovery.

    Joseph nodded, telling Brent, ¡°The matter of franchisees is entirely in your hands. I have written all the franchising conditions and negotiating tactics in the document, which I trust you have learned by heart. Just bring it to me for signature once you finalize the negotiations.¡±

    Joseph had never underestimated the intelligence of people from this era; what theycked was simply the vision and concepts from future generations. As long as he taught them these things, they would not perform worse than people from the future.

    Especially someone like Brent, a remarkable expert in his field.

    In the future, Joseph¡¯s energy could definitely not be wasted on the routine business operations of Paris Angel. Thus, it was essential to train his subordinates early and to delegate authority to them.

    ¡°Thank you for your trust,¡± Brent said, touching his chest and bowing, ¡°I will surely not let you down!¡±

    Sevigne Street in Paris.

    The headquarters of Paris Angel Company weed several high-profile visitors on this day.

    These individuals included Count Albrow, Duke Lavalier, and Marquis de Montes. Whether they were from wealthy old nobility or newly affluent capitalists, each one held a notable reputation in the Parisian business world.

    They hade together for the same purpose today¡ªto join the Paris Angel Company as franchisees.

    Brent first gave them a tour of thepany¡¯s production workshop, which left these elites of the business world in awe.

    Was this a workshop? It was more like a grand vi!

    The workers were dressed in clean and neat uniforms, seated on carved chairs, working at a steady pace. Everything from the raw material storage to the filling station was made of high-quality oak, exquisitely crafted and spotless.

    After showing the production nt, Brent led them into the conference room and presented arge oil painting of thepany¡¯s exclusive store. He announced, ¡°Franchising is actually very simple; it is about letting each of you also own such an extraordinary shop!¡±

    Then, he smiled slightly, ¡°I know you may be worried that perhaps you cannot achieve such remarkable results. Rest assured on this matter, you don¡¯t need to handle the new store¡¯s decoration or arrangement at all¡ªleave it to Paris Angel Company. What you will receive is a shop ready to open for business immediately.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have to worry about management staff or clerks, Paris Angel Company will train them for you, supervise them for you, and even take care of making the uniforms!

    ¡°In other words, all you need to do is sign the franchise contract, and then you can just count your money every day.¡±

    Count Albrow, Duke Lavalier, and others all showed knowing smiles.

    Brent immediately added, ¡°I can reveal a secret to you, the exclusive store that Paris Angel opened on the Champs-Elysees has a record sales of up to 126,000 livres in a single day.¡±

    Even those elite businessmen, ustomed to handlingrge sums of livres, were so astonished that their eyes widened at his words.

    The shop¡¯s daily turnover was even higher than what their vast factories made in a month!

    Brent continued, ¡°Thepany will open only three franchise stores across the whole of Paris, and the distance between each store must not be less than half a league.¡±

    One league is four kilometers, so a distance greater than two kilometers between stores ensured they wouldn¡¯tpete for the same customers.

    ¡°Oh, for the first franchisee, thepany will offer a discount, and the franchise fee will be 150,000 livres. After that, the franchise fee will increase to 180,000. For franchisees outside of Paris, the price will be 110,000 livres.¡±

    The business elites immediately started whispering among themselves.

    Truth be told, the franchising policy and prospects were very appealing to them, especially since they had witnessed the astonishing sess when the store on the Champs-Elysees street opened, but they had never dealt with this franchising model before, so they had some reservations.

    Duke Lavalier, with deep frown lines, said, ¡°Mr. General Manager, who can be sure these days? Maybe today it sells for 126,000, but perhaps tomorrow it¡¯ll only sell 1,200. I¡¯m pessimistic about its earning ability.¡±

    ¡°Your Grace underestimates the dedication ofdies to beauty. They would rather starve than neglect their faces. I assure you, Paris Angel has no off-season.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope to sell other goods in the store,¡± said Count Albrow.

    ¡°Oh, that puts me in a difficult position¡­¡±

    As everyone was bargaining, a young man sitting in the corner clenched his fists tightly.

    His name was Boduan, and he had taken over his family¡¯s textile industry just three years ago. However,st year the French Government and the British signed a trade agreement, cutting tariffs on almost all industrial goods to near zero.

    A flood of high-quality, inexpensive British textiles poured into France, and his factory was immediately overwhelmed.

    In just over a year, he had lost more than half of his substantial family business and eventually sold off his remaining dozen or so textile nts in agony, nning to retire gracefully and live a quiet life of a wealthy man.

    He hadn¡¯t intended to franchise with Paris Angel, but an old friend had dragged him here to take a look. At that moment, he suddenly recalled the franchising advertisement for Paris Angel in the newspaper: Perhaps the pessimists are always right, but only the optimists make money!

    He stood up abruptly, staring at Brent, ¡°Mr. General Manager, I¡¯ve decided to franchise. As the first franchisee, I¡¯m entitled to the 150,000 livres opening discount, so I am going to invest 300,000 livres to open two franchise stores!¡±

 Chapter 42 - 42 Loan Crisis

    Chapter 42 Loan Crisis

    ¡°You will certainly not regret your decision today.¡± Manager Brent tipped an imaginary hat in a grand gesture, speaking with an enticing tone, ¡°Viscount Boduan, congrattions on bing a member of the Paris Angel Company!¡±

    Count Albrow hadn¡¯t expected this young viscount to be so daring, but he reacted very quickly, immediately saying, ¡°I also decide to invest in a franchise.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is wonderful, my Lord Count, your investment insights are as sharp as ever.¡±

    The others were momentarily stunned. Just a second ago they were still haggling, so howe in the blink of an eye, the three stores in Paris were already divided up?

    You see, there¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡°France actually has only two provinces, Paris and the rest.¡± As the political, economic, and cultural center of all France, Paris¡¯s consumer spending power is far greater than other regions.

    When someone invests arge sum, it undoubtedly means the business is extremely profitable! Those who had hesitated to act were now berating themselves, regretting theirck of courage.

    But one cannot miss the opportunity a second time!

    Duke Lavalier followed, ¡°I would like to open a store in Reims, my hometown is there, after all.¡±

    ¡°Ahem, I¡¯ll join too. I have some property in Marseille; I¡¯ll invest in two stores there.¡±

    ¡°I will invest in a store as well¡­¡±

    That night, in Brent¡¯s home, he kissed the seven franchise contracts in his hand fervently and began jumping around and shouting like a madman.

    Joining the Paris Angel Company was undoubtedly the best decision he had made in his life; earlier that afternoon, he had achieved financial freedom¡ªJoseph had promised amission of 3000 livres for each franchise signed.

    In other words, he was now a wealthy man worth over twenty thousand!

    He poured himself a ss of wine, took a big gulp to apany the contracts, and happily calcted: he would buy a vi first in either the Louvre District or the Saint-Germain District and then go to Viscount Machievi¡¯s residence to propose a marriage for his son! That old miser could no longer mock his family for being poorer than his, ha ha!

    ¡­

    Joseph signed his name on each of the contracts Brent brought, not feeling too surprised.

    Any discerning person could see the profitability of Paris Angel Company, and though the French Government was poor, the people were quite wealthy. Such a promising project would have nock of investors.

    The seven stores were just the beginning; he predicted that after these franchises opened, the demonstration effect would bring at least double the number of franchisees.

    After Brent left, Joseph, the second inmand of France¡¯s finance, set out towards the Finance Minister¡¯s office.

    As soon as he entered, all the officials in the room gathered around to warmly greet and congratte him, ¡°Your Highness, congrattions to you!¡±

    ¡°It was Your Highness who saved the Dutch!¡±

    ¡°The Prussians just retreated in such a meek manner, ha ha.¡±

    ¡°The blessed son of France!¡±

    Finance Minister Brienne approached the front of the crowd, earnestly saying, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ve heard about the matter with the Nethends. I must say, I am astounded by your diplomatic skills!¡±

    Joseph smiled and said, ¡°This is a victory for France, I merely gave a slight push from behind.¡±

    The room erupted again with high praise before gradually dispersing.

    Brienne¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°Your Highness, from what I¡¯ve inquired, the verdict from the High Court shoulde out in the next few days, and it will likely still be a refusal to register.¡±

    Joseph was not surprised, as the legition submitted was made with the expectation of being rejected.

    He said indifferently, ¡°Archbishop Brienne, there¡¯s no need for concern. This is just the beginning¡ªI haven¡¯t made my move yet.¡±

    Brian thought of the Crown Prince¡¯s brilliant maneuvers in the Nethends and felt a sense of assurance. He nodded in encouragement and casually added, ¡°By the way, I saw yesterday¡¯s financial report; it seems that your loan has not yet been finalized?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, thank you for the reminder. I shall take care of it promptly.¡±

    Upon returning to his office, Joseph nced at the important matters of recent days and asked his assistant, ¡°Has tomorrow¡¯s loan negotiation with Ravel Bank been postponed again?¡±

    Thetter replied with a sense of helplessness, ¡°Your Highness, they said they need to audit their ounts and currentlyck the capacity to handle other matters.¡±

    Joseph frowned. ¡°What about the arrangements with Labod Bank?¡±

    ¡°No reply yet, but I¡¯ve heard they¡¯ve invested a lot of money in Ennd¡¯s automatic loom industry and might not be able to provide a loan of several millions in the short term¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Joseph¡¯s eyes narrowed immediately.

    As he understood, the French Government had been obtaining short-term loans through partnerships with both banks for over a decade. Previously, even without the aide of the Finance Minister, the banks would prepare and send the agreements two months in advance.

    Yet, with just half a month left until the government bonds matured, both banks were still giving the runaround. If there wasn¡¯t a problem, it would be a miracle!

    In this era, the efficiency of the banking system was very low. It would take several days to process a staggering amount of over six million livres from the signing of an agreement to the avability of funds. This means that dying another eight or nine days could lead France into a debt default!

    He had to think of another solution.

    Joseph immediately signaled to Eman, who was standing by the door, ¡°Please prepare my carriage; I need to go to the Paris Discount Bank.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

    By noon, Joseph had arrived at the headquarters of thergest bank in France at the moment, the Paris Discount Bank.

    The manager of the discount bank greeted the Crown Prince with great fanfare, leading the entire management team and even offering to host a luncheon for him.

    However, as soon as Joseph mentioned the loan, he was politely rejected by the other party, ¡°Your Highness, we have an early agreement with Ravel and other banks that they are responsible for the government¡¯srge short-term loans; it is inappropriate for us to involve ourselves in such business.¡±

    After multiple attempts, the discount bank was only willing to offer medium to long-term loans with coteral, and even then, raising the funds might take a considerable amount of time.

    Joseph left with no other choice and proceeded to the Paris Bank, only to receive a simr response.

    His final destination was the Royal Bank.

    Only¡­ this bank truly had no money.

    Although it was a major bank, ever since John Law concocted the Mississippi Company pyramid scheme, causing hyperintion and ruining the reputation of the Royal Bank, this government-backed bank had been as impoverished as the French Government.

    Ultimately, only two medium-sized banks were willing to loan 600 thousand livres to the French Government, and that too at a high interest rate of 25%. As for the smaller banks, many had capital of only one to two million livres and couldn¡¯t offer much in loans.

    Back in the carriage, Joseph¡¯s expression was as dark as still water. It seemed most of these banks had acted deliberately, and not just to raise the interest rate.

    He turned to the Finance Assistant apanying him, ¡°Is it possible to use administrative pressure on those banks?¡±

    Thetter immediately grimaced, ¡°Your Highness, given the current financial situation of the government, it would not be suitable to fall out too badly with the banking sector¡­¡±

    Joseph took a deep breath and looked out the carriage window at Cano Bank, saying in a deep voice, ¡°So they think they can y with the nation¡¯s finances just because they control the money?

    ¡°Very well, then I shall just start my own bank.¡±

 Chapter 43: The Power of Money (Begging for Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 43: The Power of Money (Begging for Monthly Votes)

    Indeed, Joseph had long nned to start a bank.

    To straighten out a country¡¯s finances, a bank is an indispensable tool, especially after the Royal Bank¡¯s decline left France without even a symbolic ¡°central bank,¡± leaving the government¡¯s financial control capabilities virtually nil.

    Furthermore, the Industrial Revolution was on the cusp of bursting forth. Massive financial support was needed during this period to ensure unimpeded industrial development.

    Thus, for Joseph, establishing a bank was a necessary action; however, ording to his n, now was not the optimal time.

    As is well known, banking relies heavily on the scale of capital. A bank with a capital of 1 million livres, no matter how well-managed, would have a hard time outperforming apetitor with a capital of 10 million livres.

    Joseph¡¯s original n was to enter the banking sector after mobilizing more resources at his disposal.

    However, the banking capital¡¯s various provocations to the finance system, along with the looming possibility of a government debt default, decided him to elerate this process.

    Luckily, the Paris Angel Company¡¯s profits were exceedingly good, even exceeding his expectations, which greatly bolstered his confidence in terms of funding.

    What remained was to figure out the operations.

    The carriage moved slowly. Joseph looked out at the trees and passersby sweeping past the window, silently organizing the specific ns for setting up the bank in his mind.

    Although the banking industry of the 18th century was already thriving, from a historical perspective of finance, it was just beginning, and the various clever tricks invented by the future financial moguls had yet to appear. For Joseph, France¡¯s financial field was like the American continent in Columbus¡¯s eyes¡ªfresh and full of opportunities.

    After a little more than an hour, aplete n had formed in his mind.

    Having repeatedly confirmed thepleteness and feasibility of the n, a rxed expression finally appeared on his face. He ordered Eman,

    ¡°Please send someone to notify Mr. Brent toe to see me with utmost speed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    More than three hourster, when Joseph returned to the Pce of Versailles, he found that Brent had already been waiting for him¡ª the diligent manager had ridden a horse directly here in the interest of time, foregoing a carriage.

    Joseph first praised his efficiency and then summoned his personal architect, painter, carpenter, ountant, and other personnel to his study to assign tasks:

    ¡°From now on, your sole task is to open as many Paris Angel franchise stores as possible in the shortest amount of time.¡±

    He looked toward Brent:

    ¡°You will be in full charge of this matter. You can utilize all the resources at my disposal, with the aim of opening at least three stores in the Paris area within one week. In addition, open a direct store in Reims.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Brent¡¯s face showed a grave look. Although ording to the Crown Prince¡¯s earlier instructions, the ss walls, disy stands, lights, and even the staff uniforms for new franchise stores were prepared, the renovation work for new store interiors and flooring would be very time-consuming, particrly with multiple stores happening simultaneously¡ªa one-week timeframe was virtually an impossible task¡­

    Joseph, seeing his expression, smiled slightly and said:

    ¡°For opening the first franchise store, you will receive a bonus of 1,000 livres. For the second store, the bonus will be 1,500 livres. And so on, increasing by 500 livres for each additional store.¡±

    He then looked toward the architects and others:

    ¡°For the first store you open, each of you will receive a bonus of 500 livres. For each additional store thereafter, an increase of 200 livres.¡±

    With the money ability buff, everyone bes Superman!

    Brent¡¯s heart raced as he quickly calcted that if he could open 3 stores in Paris, he could earn 4,500 livres in one week!

    4,000 livres for 4 stores, 10,000 livres for 5¡­

    If he could manage to open 7 franchise stores and 1 direct store, his bonus would be a whopping 22,000 livres!

    He had the money for his second vi!!

    Almost with bloodshot eyes, he blurted out:

    ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness! I swear to the Lord, I will not disappoint you!¡±

    He eagerly gestured to the architect, painter, and the others, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, follow me!!¡±

    The group hastily bowed to Joseph and sprinted out of the Crown Prince¡¯s chamber like they were on a 100-meter dash.

    In the open area outside the Pce of Versailles, Brent handed the coachman ten livres and shouted loudly:

    ¡°Quick! Back to Paris, quick!¡±

    Mr. Painter furrowed his brows, having just calcted the amount of the bonus:

    ¡°¡­2,100 livres for the three shops¡­ If everything ispleted, that¡¯s 9,600 livres! Oh, God! 9,600!!¡±

    His heart gave a lurch, and his breathing quickened. He turned and roared at the coachman:

    ¡°Mr. Brebo, show your skills! Quick!¡±

    After everyone had left, Joseph swiftly wrote a few lines, handed them to Eman, and instructed:

    ¡°Please follow these ideas, and advertise them through all newspapers, salons, balls and other channels. I¡¯m giving you 15,000 livres, and you must spend it all within a week.¡±

    Eman had never heard of such a bizarre request and looked at the paper in his hand doubtfully. It read:

    [On November 30th, stocks of the Paris Angel Company will officially be released to the entire nation of France. We wee your subscription.

    Advertising slogan: ¡°Stand at the st of the wind, and even pigs can fly. The next st, lies with the Paris Angel!¡±]

    The rest of the paper contained information about the business model and operating data of the Paris Angel Company.

    November 30th was exactly a week away.

    He promptly bowed deeply with his hand on his chest, earnestly saying:

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, I will do my utmost!¡±

    Joseph then had a servant invite Brian, Mono, and Count Robel to join him for dinner.

    He had a particr intention for inviting these three¡ª the first two were Cab Ministers and on good terms with him, while Count Robel was nominally the State Counselor but in reality the head of the King¡¯s Secret Police, closely connected with the Royal Family and with great influence.

    At the luxurious dinner table, Mono looked around and, not seeing the ¡°audience¡± that usually came to observe the Crown Prince¡¯s meals, realized that this was no ordinary dinner. He raised his ss with a smile:

    ¡°Let us toast to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.¡±

    The others immediately echoed: ¡°To His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.¡±

    After enjoying the fine wine, Mono praised Joseph¡¯s exploits in the Nethends and then casually broached the topic:

    ¡°Your Highness remembers us old fellows amidst your busy schedule, there must be some good news, haha.¡±

    Joseph smiled and said:

    ¡°You are all my closest friends. Actually, I would like to ask for your assistance in a matter.¡±

    Brian responded with a cheerful smile:

    ¡°Pleasemand me, Your Highness, if there¡¯s anything you need.¡±

    Joseph wiped his mouth with a napkin and put on a serious expression:

    ¡°In fact, I am nning to establish a bank and would like to invite you all to take a stake in it.¡±

    When making big moves, it is always wise to avoid eating alone.

    Giving a piece of the cake to others means that if anyone dares covet that cake, you don¡¯t need to lift a finger; the stakeholders will take care of chopping off his ws for you.

    As long as you hold the decision-making power in the bank, sharing some profits is inconsequential.

    These three officials were the first batch of shareholders Joseph was bringing in, of course; there were even more influential figures to follow. With these people backing the bank, it was destined to prosper smoothly.

 Chapter 44: The Powerful Group of Shareholders

    Chapter 44: The Powerful Group of Shareholders

    Joseph saw everyone¡¯s attention converging on him and continued to say:

    ¡°The bank¡¯s total share capital is 10 million shares, each priced at 1 livre. For now, it will not be offered to the public.¡±

    Mono nodded with a smile:

    ¡°Since His Highness has invited us, we are certainly interested in taking a share. But I wonder how much the total investment for this bank will be?¡±

    ¡°Around 10 million livres.¡±

    Upon hearing this, the three men immediately seemed less enthusiastic. They thought they had spotted a profitable opportunity, but instead, they were being solicited for investment? With your empty-shell bank iming an investment of 10 million, who knows how much will actually materialize? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to invest in an established discount bank with this money?

    Robel, who was the least acquainted with Joseph and also the poorest among the three, said with a wry smile:

    ¡°Your Highness, as you know my situation, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have much money to invest¡­¡±

    Joseph gave a slight smile and said:

    ¡°Hear me out.

    ¡°In a week¡¯s time, the Paris Angel Company will offer its shares to the public, with a total share capital of also 10 million shares, and 2 million of those will be released at a price of 2 livres per share.

    ¡°If you invest in my bank, you will be able to subscribe to the same amount of Paris Angel shares at the pre-public offering price of 1 livre per share.¡±

    Once he finished saying this, the three men¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.

    However, Brian, being in finance, immediately expressed some hesitation:

    ¡°Your Highness, although the business operations of Paris Angel are doing very well, I doubt each share could really be evaluated at 2 livres?¡±

    At 2 livres per share for a total of 10 million shares, this amounted to a terrifying market valuation of 20 million livres for Paris Angel!

    Joseph gestured to thewyer at the door to bring over the franchise contracts and smiled as he said:

    ¡°In this period, Paris Angel has already acquired 7 franchise stores. Here are the contracts, and many more investors are ready to sign the franchise agreements. Additionally, I am nning to open several morepany-owned exclusive stores around the country.

    ¡°I believe, before long, you¡¯ll see Paris Angel Exclusive Stores in all the major cities of France. Within half a year, Paris Angel stores will be spread across all countries in Europe.

    ¡°To be honest, a pricing of 2 livres per share is quite low.¡±

    He then exined the concept of the franchise model again, and the three men at the table could no longer remain calm.

    Whichpany in Paris is the hottest right now? That would, of course, be Paris Angel.

    Every woman in the streets and alleys of Paris knows about ¡°Angel Water,¡± and their own families¡¯ matriarchs and youngdies are also splurging thousands of livres on these cosmetics.

    Moreover, the influence of Angel Water has begun to spread across All of France, with even groups of high-rankingdies from Marseilleing to Paris to snap up the products not long ago.

    If there was only one store, then thepany¡¯s valuation certainly could not reach 20 million, but with 9 stores, that number bes much more believable.

    And that innovative ¡°franchise¡± model was indeed very attractive. To be honest, after hearing about it, all three of them had thought about investing in a franchise store. How did the Crown Princee up with such a brilliantmercial model? No wonder everyone says he is a child blessed by God, his mind must have been touched by the Almighty!

    Clearly, it won¡¯t be long before France is filled with Paris Angel franchise stores.

    When that happens, thepany¡¯s market value will surely rise like the floodwaters of the Seine River during the rainy season, surging day by day!

    Brian squinted his eyes. If one could acquire shares at 1 livre, then selling themter would at least a profit of 1 livre per share! It was like getting the bank¡¯s shares for free.

    And he estimated that the Paris Angel¡¯s share price would not stay at 2 livres for long; it was bound to rise soon!

    Without further hesitation, he looked at Joseph and said:

    ¡°Your Highness, since you¡¯ve said as much, I¡¯ll take a share of 250,000 livres.¡±

    Seeing the Archbishop had made his move, Mono immediately followed:

    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll invest 500,000 livres¡­¡±

    Joseph spoke with some difficulty:

    ¡°Count Mono, this, due to the limited number of shares, we can only offer you 3%. Please understand, after all, there are the King and Queen, and the Prince of Conde, the Count of Artuwa¡­¡±

    Upon hearing the names of these individuals, Mono immediately smiled and waved his hand:

    ¡°All right, all right, then make it 300,000.¡±

    Robel also gritted his teeth and produced 200,000 livres.

    In the end, Joseph made it clear that these shares only carried dividend rights and no management decision rights. The three of them were there purely to make money, and naturally had no objections.

    At the dinner table, everyone was overjoyed, clinking their sses together in heartyughter.

    The next day, Joseph had lunch with Louis XVI and Queen Mary, using the opportunity to pitch to them a 5% share of the bank stocks each.

    With his own parents, there was no need to use Paris Angel¡¯s shares as bait; Joseph casually asked for an investment of 500,000 each, with a simple ¡°thank you¡± to express his gratitude.

    However, Louis XVI hadst time taken out 600,000 livres to support his son¡¯s Nethends strategy, which, althoughter proved to be a sessful bet, politically made a fortune but didn¡¯t earn a penny in cash.

    Now, with only about 100,000 in spare cash left in his hands, he threw it all into his son¡¯s venture, issuing IOUs for the rest.

    Meanwhile, Queen Mary, known as ¡°Madame Deficit,¡± was essentially being smeared, but she indeed had a habit of spendingvishly on a regr basis, with only 220,000 on hand and the remaining 280,000 owed.

    But Joseph wasn¡¯t truly after their funds; it was more about securing two significant backers as investors, so he couldter unt his influential connections.

    In the afternoon, Joseph hurried back to Paris, where he sessively met with the Prince of Conde, who had great influence in the military, and the staunch Royalist, the Duke of Artuwa, who also happened to be Louis XVI¡¯s younger brother.

    Both, upon learning they could acquire Paris Angel shares at a low price, naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse free money and subscribed to 400,000 livres of bank shares each, remembering this favor from the Crown Prince.

    That noon, all over France, people were discussing the sale of shares by the Paris Angel Company. There was no helping it, as Paris Angel was mentioned in nearly every newspaper, and at the beginning of any salon, someone would steer the conversation towards this topic.

    Naturally, within the Pce of Versailles, there was insider information circting that Paris Angel¡¯s daily sales reached 120,000, with eight or nine branches opened, and ns to expand into Ennd, Spain, the Nethends, and other ces, indicating a shocking scale for thepany.

    Everyone was itching to get in, hurriedly gathering funds in anticipation of snapping up the initial shares of Paris Angel.

    At the same time, within the office of the general manager of Ravel Bank in Paris, General Manager Etienne frowned and asked his assistant:

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t anyone from the Finance Minister¡¯s sidee to negotiate?¡±

    Thetter nodded:

    ¡°Yes, a low-level official inquired about a loan over ten days ago, but no one hase since.¡±

    Etienne muttered in confusion:

    ¡°Strange, the national debt is about to mature, and yet the Crown Prince seems to be in no rush?¡±

    The assistant suggested:

    ¡°Could they have secured a loan from another bank?¡±

    Etienne shook his head:

    ¡°The Duke of Orleans has already spoken to the other banks, it¡¯s impossible that anyone would lend to him.¡±

    He mused to himself; Even if the Crown Prince had no experience, the other financial officers should have reminded him about the national debt, so why is he so calm?

 Chapter 45: Taking Control of Parisian Policing (Please Follow)

    Chapter 45: Taking Control of Parisian Policing (Please Follow)

    Etienne pondered for a long time and decided to visit the Pce of Versailles in person tomorrow to inquire about the situation, after all, this loan was also an important business for Ravel Bank.

    He had only agreed to the Duke of Orleans to dy the loan until thest day, but that didn¡¯t mean he was not interested in doing this deal.

    The next day.

    Inside Joseph¡¯s reception room, Besancon and Frient sat stiffly on the sofa covered with a Persian carpet.

    Joseph signaled them to drink tea and said with a smile,

    ¡°It seems things are going quite smoothly on your end.¡±

    Besancon had officially received the appointment as Director of Paris Police. He first took out a document and respectfully handed it to Joseph:

    ¡°Your Highness, the evaluation, reorganization, and training of police officers in all districts of Paris have beenpleted, and as of a few days ago, the new police force has taken over the maintenance of public order.

    ¡°This is the list of rmended candidates for key positions in the Police Headquarters after the reorganization; your final approval is still needed.¡±

    Joseph opened the document and saw a series of police positions, each with at least two candidates, as well as their detailed information.

    Joseph nced through it and, in general, it represented a major turnover of officials in the entire Paris police system.

    The Saint Antoine District had the earliest police reform, and consequently, the Saint Antoine faction ounted for nearly forty percent of the official selection, with Alden and Magone both receiving nominations for Police Commissioner.

    Furthermore, police officers who were selected from the former police force, skilled in their work, incorruptible, and with a good reputation, were promoted to various officer ranks. But ording to Joseph¡¯s previous requirement, only those of minor nobility andmoner origins were used.

    There were also a small number of people from Besancon¡¯s own circle.

    Joseph nodded. From this list, it was clear that Besancon was very dedicated to the police reform and also capable. Once this batch of officials was reced, one could say that the police system in Paris waspletely under his own control.

    He ticked off several people he was more familiar with, like Alden, and left the rest for Besancon to decide¡ªtrust those you employ fully, grant your subordinates more power, and they will work better for you.

    Besancon continued:

    ¡°Your Highness, as for the former police officers, I took the liberty of forming a ¡®Daily Affairs Squad¡¯ tasked with responsibilities such as river supervision and sanitary clean-up, and transferred them all to this squad.¡±

    Joseph knew he was referring to those who paid to get into the police force and as they had contracts with the city hall, indeed they could not be directly dismissed; transferring them to manage city hygiene was indeed a good solution.

    ¡°Hmm, this arrangement is very good.¡±

    Besancon carefully addedstly:

    ¡°Your Highness, the new uniforms have been tailored, and equipment has been reced with new ones, only, regarding the funding¡­¡±

    Josephughed and waved his hand:

    ¡°Just write a report about how much money you need and send it to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    Joseph now held the franchise fees of the Paris Angels franchisees, plus the bank shares invested by everyone from the King to the Cab Ministers, as well as the business ieing into the Paris Angel Company, totaling more than 3.1 million livres.

    The funding for the Paris Police Headquarters was indeed not something he took to heart.

    Frient, after Besancon¡¯s report, immediately said:

    ¡°Your Highness, the first batch of students for the Paris Police Academy has been recruited, totaling 201 individuals. I n to officially start the academy a week from now; do you think you might be avable to preside over the opening ceremony?¡±

    ¡°So soon? Of course, I¡¯ll be there,¡± Joseph was quite surprised. He knew that just half a month ago, the police academy was still just an idea of his, and in a week¡¯s time, it was actually going to open?!

    Frient said:

    ¡°Your Highness, as per your instructions, I purchased two hectares ofnd in the Saint Antoine District, which contained many buildings. Although somewhat rundown, with minor repairs, they are still passably usable as school buildings.

    ¡°Moreover, when the citizens of Saint Antoine District learned that the police academy was being established by Your Highness, they came to help voluntarily, and tasks like leveling the training field and simr work werepleted in just one week.¡±

    Besancon added:

    ¡°Your Highness, actually, starting fromst week, on my end, 100 police officers are rotated daily to the police academy for training. Although the academy is currently in a rudimentary state, it is sufficient for general training purposes.¡±

    Joseph thought to himself: This Frient really is talented, his efficiency is simply unlike that of an 18th-century person!

    Such a subordinate must be rewarded handsomely!

 Chapter 47 - 47 Award Ceremony (Request for Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 47 Award Ceremony (Request for Monthly Pass)

    Dude Labod had never been as agitated as he was today since taking over the family business.

    The manager of Labod Bank brought him some very bad news today¡ªthe Crown Prince, who was responsible for financial loans, intended to terminate their cooperation with the government of France.

    At present, the industrial andmercial situation for the whole of France was gloomy. Government loans were the most premium segment of Labod Bank¡¯s business. Losing this deal might well mean that Labod Bank would not survive.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Labod Bank¡¯s major shareholder, Goldman, confirmed the government¡¯s intention to end the partnership.

    In this matter, the two banks were like grasshoppers on the same rope, and they had to work together with all their might.

    After discussing for a long time with the shareholders of both banks, they finally pinpointed the crux of the problem¡ªit was the Bank of France Reserve.

    This was an outlier that did not abide by the tacit agreements within the banking industry. Had it not been for the Reserve, the French government would have no choice but to plead with Labod and Ravel Bank for loans.

    Soon after, someone suggested, ¡°Perhaps we can strike some kind of deal with this Bank of France Reserve.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Count Labod looked at everyone, ¡°who has information about this bank?¡±

    No one spoke. After a while, Goldman frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s probably a foreign bank, one that just arrived in Paris.¡±

    Labod nodded, ¡°It seems we have no choice but to seek Mr. Necker¡¯s assistance.¡±

    In the vi gardens of senior advisor to the Banking Guild of France and famed banker, Mr. Necker¡­

    Labod and Goldman recounted the events, simply referring to the French government as ¡°a certain major client¡± and the national debt as a private debt of that client, then gazed eagerly at Necker.

    If there was one person in Paris who understood the Bank of France Reserve, it would definitely be this master, the most well-informed man in the French banking industry.

    However, Necker merely smiled and shook his head, ¡°I have not heard of such a bank.¡±

    He bent down to trim the jasmine and continued, ¡°However, I believe the two of you have fallen into your client¡¯s trap.¡±

    ¡°A trap?¡±

    ¡°He is a gentleman who holds his nerves very well.¡± Necker swept the fallen branches into a pile and wiped his forehead. ¡°The more you believe he wouldn¡¯t risk deceiving you at this time, the more I am nearly certain that the Bank of France Reserve is nothing but a ploy to intimidate you.

    ¡°If you go to him, worried about losing the business, it allows him to lower the interest rate, pretending to stop working with that fictional bank and demanding you to issue the loan promptly.¡±

    Labod and Goldman exchanged looks, both feeling as though they¡¯d just had an eye-opening revtion.

    Necker had the expression of a hunter who had seen through the hiding spot of his prey, ¡°I believe, if you do notpromise, that client, two days before the deadline of his debt, will spare no expense to secure your loans.¡±

    Labod nodded vigorously, ¡°Mr. Necker truly is the most outstanding banker in France! Without you, we would have been fooled this time!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll heed your advice and certainly wait until thest day!¡±

    ¡­

    In the Apollo Hall of the goldenly resplendent Pce of Versailles, a very solemn award ceremony was taking ce.

    The brisk beat of the military drums and the solemn sound of horns stopped simultaneously, and the Minister of War, Marquis Saint Priest, called out loudly to the soldiers in front of him, ¡°Attention¡ª¡±

    The aide next to him fiercely mmed his staff on the ground, emitting a muffled ¡°thud,¡± and the soldiers stood tall and straight as swords.

    Saint Priest turned around and, lifting his hat, saluted toward Louis XVI, ¡°Your Majesty the King, Your Majesty the Queen, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, please allow me to introduce the heroes of the battle at Amstelfen¡ª

    ¡°Captain Marie Francois Du Bois!

    ¡°Lieutenant Trez Preville Fouquet!

    ¡°Ensign Louis Andre Davou! [note 1]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After he had introduced everyone, Louis XVI stepped forward to Du Bois and gave him high praise, then reached for the brass cufflinks, solemnly handing them over, ¡°I hereby promote you to the rank of Major.¡±

    He then moved towards Lieutenant Fouquet, continuing the promotions, while Queen Mary took a wreath from herdy-in-waiting, ced it on Du Bois¡¯s head with a smile, and said softly, ¡°You are the hero of France.¡±

    As she moved on to the next awardee, Joseph came up to Du Bois, delivering the speech he had prepared in advance, ¡°Your tactical strategy was splendid; without yourmand, the Dutch Army may have ended in defeat in the first two days.¡±

    He had not intended to participate in such a tedious ceremony, but as the nner behind the Dutch repulsion of the Prussians, both the Queen and the military had strongly requested his presence at the award ceremony, so he had reluctantly attended.

    Du Bois immediately raised his hat to salute in return, ¡°Your Highness, these are not my achievements; you designed the overall strategicyout, forcing the Prussians to choose retreat. As for the tactical arrangement at Amstelfen, it was actually nned by a good friend of mine, Captain Bertier, before I left, and I only executed it.¡±

    Joseph thought he heard a familiar name and quickly asked, ¡°Bertier? Which Bertier are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, it is Major Louis Alexander Bertier, under General Custine.¡±

    [note 1: The surname Davou should be close to ¡®d¡¯Avou,¡¯ resembling ¡°De Avou¡± as per trantion convention, but it is still written as Davou, and prefixed with ¡°de¡± to symbolize nobility.]

 Chapter 47 - 47 Award Ceremony (Request for Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 47 Award Ceremony (Request for Monthly Pass)

    Dude Labod had never been as agitated as he was today since taking over the family business.

    The manager of Labod Bank brought him some very bad news today¡ªthe Crown Prince, who was responsible for financial loans, intended to terminate their cooperation with the government of France.

    At present, the industrial andmercial situation for the whole of France was gloomy. Government loans were the most premium segment of Labod Bank¡¯s business. Losing this deal might well mean that Labod Bank would not survive.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Labod Bank¡¯s major shareholder, Goldman, confirmed the government¡¯s intention to end the partnership.

    In this matter, the two banks were like grasshoppers on the same rope, and they had to work together with all their might.

    After discussing for a long time with the shareholders of both banks, they finally pinpointed the crux of the problem¡ªit was the Bank of France Reserve.

    This was an outlier that did not abide by the tacit agreements within the banking industry. Had it not been for the Reserve, the French government would have no choice but to plead with Labod and Ravel Bank for loans.

    Soon after, someone suggested, ¡°Perhaps we can strike some kind of deal with this Bank of France Reserve.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Count Labod looked at everyone, ¡°who has information about this bank?¡±

    No one spoke. After a while, Goldman frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s probably a foreign bank, one that just arrived in Paris.¡±

    Labod nodded, ¡°It seems we have no choice but to seek Mr. Necker¡¯s assistance.¡±

    In the vi gardens of senior advisor to the Banking Guild of France and famed banker, Mr. Necker¡­

    Labod and Goldman recounted the events, simply referring to the French government as ¡°a certain major client¡± and the national debt as a private debt of that client, then gazed eagerly at Necker.

    If there was one person in Paris who understood the Bank of France Reserve, it would definitely be this master, the most well-informed man in the French banking industry.

    However, Necker merely smiled and shook his head, ¡°I have not heard of such a bank.¡±

    He bent down to trim the jasmine and continued, ¡°However, I believe the two of you have fallen into your client¡¯s trap.¡±

    ¡°A trap?¡±

    ¡°He is a gentleman who holds his nerves very well.¡± Necker swept the fallen branches into a pile and wiped his forehead. ¡°The more you believe he wouldn¡¯t risk deceiving you at this time, the more I am nearly certain that the Bank of France Reserve is nothing but a ploy to intimidate you.

    ¡°If you go to him, worried about losing the business, it allows him to lower the interest rate, pretending to stop working with that fictional bank and demanding you to issue the loan promptly.¡±

    Labod and Goldman exchanged looks, both feeling as though they¡¯d just had an eye-opening revtion.

    Necker had the expression of a hunter who had seen through the hiding spot of his prey, ¡°I believe, if you do notpromise, that client, two days before the deadline of his debt, will spare no expense to secure your loans.¡±

    Labod nodded vigorously, ¡°Mr. Necker truly is the most outstanding banker in France! Without you, we would have been fooled this time!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll heed your advice and certainly wait until thest day!¡±

    ¡­

    In the Apollo Hall of the goldenly resplendent Pce of Versailles, a very solemn award ceremony was taking ce.

    The brisk beat of the military drums and the solemn sound of horns stopped simultaneously, and the Minister of War, Marquis Saint Priest, called out loudly to the soldiers in front of him, ¡°Attention¡ª¡±

    The aide next to him fiercely mmed his staff on the ground, emitting a muffled ¡°thud,¡± and the soldiers stood tall and straight as swords.

    Saint Priest turned around and, lifting his hat, saluted toward Louis XVI, ¡°Your Majesty the King, Your Majesty the Queen, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, please allow me to introduce the heroes of the battle at Amstelfen¡ª

    ¡°Captain Marie Francois Du Bois!

    ¡°Lieutenant Trez Preville Fouquet!

    ¡°Ensign Louis Andre Davou! [note 1]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After he had introduced everyone, Louis XVI stepped forward to Du Bois and gave him high praise, then reached for the brass cufflinks, solemnly handing them over, ¡°I hereby promote you to the rank of Major.¡±

    He then moved towards Lieutenant Fouquet, continuing the promotions, while Queen Mary took a wreath from herdy-in-waiting, ced it on Du Bois¡¯s head with a smile, and said softly, ¡°You are the hero of France.¡±

    As she moved on to the next awardee, Joseph came up to Du Bois, delivering the speech he had prepared in advance, ¡°Your tactical strategy was splendid; without yourmand, the Dutch Army may have ended in defeat in the first two days.¡±

    He had not intended to participate in such a tedious ceremony, but as the nner behind the Dutch repulsion of the Prussians, both the Queen and the military had strongly requested his presence at the award ceremony, so he had reluctantly attended.

    Du Bois immediately raised his hat to salute in return, ¡°Your Highness, these are not my achievements; you designed the overall strategicyout, forcing the Prussians to choose retreat. As for the tactical arrangement at Amstelfen, it was actually nned by a good friend of mine, Captain Bertier, before I left, and I only executed it.¡±

    Joseph thought he heard a familiar name and quickly asked, ¡°Bertier? Which Bertier are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, it is Major Louis Alexander Bertier, under General Custine.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    [note 1: The surname Davou should be close to ¡®d¡¯Avou,¡¯ resembling ¡°De Avou¡± as per trantion convention, but it is still written as Davou, and prefixed with ¡°de¡± to symbolize nobility.]

 Chapter 48 - 48 Today Is a Good Day

    Chapter 48 Today Is a Good Day

    Joseph¡¯s eyes immediately brightened, but to be on the safe side, he continued to ask, ¡°Do you know anything else about him?¡±

    Dibowa felt a bit gloomy, as if he were the one beingmended today, yet the Crown Prince kept asking about Alexander¡­

    Nevertheless, he patiently answered, ¡°Your Highness, hees from a military family and excels at mapping. He is quick-witted and can endure hardship. He also fought in America under Count Rochambeau, and the battle n for Yorktown was created by him.¡±

    Hearing about his skill in mapping and participation in the American Revolution, Joseph could fully confirm that this man was the historically renowned Napoleon¡¯s ¡°personal aide,¡± Chief of Staff of the Army, who followed Napoleon from Italy to Russia, umting numerous aplishments, Marshal Bertier.

    Of course, the future marshal was currently just a mere major, scraping a living under some mediocre military noble.

    Joseph knew that to reorganize France, the military had to be firmly in his control!

    However, it was the great nobility that controlled the French military power at that time.

    France was still in the transitional period from feudal to modern military systems, where the military resembled the private armies of regionalmanders during thete Ming dynasty¡ªwith local finances and nobility responsible for funding and training the stationed troops in each province.

    The equipment andbat effectiveness of the army depended entirely on the local investment. Naturally, following the principle of ¡°he who pays calls the shots,¡± only local military nobles couldmand these troops.

    This was evident from the names of the military units at the time¡ªnder Regiment, Souvanson Infantry Regiment, Bordeaux Regiment, etc.¡ªall named after ces, which were former domains of great lords.

    Thus, if the King wished to mobilize the army, he had to regard the military nobility. In times of peace, the nobility would generally cooperate, but if there was any turmoil, that would be a different matter.

    For instance, the rtionship between the great nobles and the King was not harmonious at the moment.

    During the reign of Louis XVI, it was imed that he had summoned the manpower of 20 regiments to support the monarchy, but until his execution, not a single soldier had marched into Paris.

    In that period, only the Swiss mercenaries and a few personal guards¡ªboth funded privately by the King¡ªremainedpletely loyal. Apart from them, even the French Guards stationed right under his nose were beyond hismand.

    Keep in mind, the Parisians who attacked the Bastille, though armed, could only sigh at the formidable stronghold towering over ten meters high. In the end, it was the French Guards dragging cannons to the scene that forced Governor Launay to surrender unwillingly.

    Hence, despite the Royal Family seeming powerful and glorious, the great noble ss and the emerging Capital Group had already joined forces, slowly taking control of the military, judiciary, economy, and public opinion.

    Among these, the King¡¯s power in military and economic matters had been the most severely undermined.

    Currently, the great nobles and Capital Group had not yet coordinated their interests, and it was the residual influence of the monarchy that maintained a facade of tranquility; but once an opportunity like the Estates-General arose, these individuals would soon stir up trouble.

    So, controlling military power had always been Joseph¡¯s top priority.

    However, his political foundation was still too weak to reach into the military nobility¡¯s bowl and seize military power, a process that was destined to be long and extremely difficult.

    Of course, Joseph had his ownprehensive n for this, and the Paris Police Academy was in fact the first covert move he had made in the military realm.

    In the mindset of that era¡¯s people, the police were essentially a gang hired by the government and not considered a significant force, which gave Joseph the opportunity to influence the violent institution.

    With the police academy as a foothold, he could begin to build a loyal lineage of troops that would obey him absolutely.

    This venture might be summed up in a single sentence, but it involved a myriad ofplexities.

    First and foremost was the need for money¡ªmilitary forces are a gold-consuming behemoth. Fortunately, he now had the Paris Angel Company; although far from feeding the gold-consuming beast, he could stille up with initial startup funding.

    Next was equipment¡ªthere had to be advanced weapons that could overwhelm all opponents. Joseph was most confident about this, as he knew the equipment technology in his mind was absolutely capable of crushing this era, it just needed to be manufactured.

    Last, and most crucial, was the people, the military talent. This included high-quality soldiers and excellentmanders, particrly thetter, as a good general could even determine the victory or defeat of a battlefield!

    And Marshal Bertier was precisely such an outstanding officer. It could be said that without his assistance, Napoleon¡¯s military achievements might have been far less impressive.

    Right now, there was an excellent opportunity to establish a connection with Marshal Bertier, and Joseph definitely could not miss it!

    As he was about to further inquire from Dibowa about the Chief of Staff, he heard someone coughing twice beside him. Turning his head, he saw Eman incessantly signaling to him with his eyes, and Joseph then remembered that they were in the middle of an award ceremony.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He could only walk helplessly towards Lieutenant Fouquet and spoke a few encouraging words to this artillerypanymander before continuing to the next person.

    The young cavalrypanymander immediately straightened his back even more. Ever since he learned about some hidden facts behind the situation in the Nethends, his admiration for the teenage Crown Prince had grown immensely.

    Joseph smiled at him, and ever since he heard that this officer¡¯s surname was ¡°Davout,¡± he had been filled with anticipation.

    After first praising Lieutenant Davout for leading the cavalry in valiantbat, he couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Lieutenant Davout, has anyone in your family served in the Imperial Guard?¡±

    Davout nodded in surprise, ¡°Yes, Your Highness, my father once served as apanymander in the Royal Cavalry Regiment.¡±

    Joseph¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Do you have a rtive named ¡®Nics¡¯?¡±

    Davout was even more surprised, ¡°Your Highness, do you know my brother?¡±

    ¡°Nics is your brother?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, Louis Nics Davout, is my younger brother.¡±

    Joseph was overjoyed inside. What a lucky day was this? Toe across two jackpots in a row!

    Nics Davout!

    Iron Marshal!

    One of the strongest of Napoleon¡¯s top three generals, a supreme military genius.

    For him, winning against greater numbers was routine, and he had reversed the course of battles many times on his own.

    The man whom Napoleon hailed as ¡°France¡¯s purest glory!¡±

    If he missed this opportunity, he would never forgive himself!

    Joseph stepped forward and asked, ¡°Where is your brother serving now?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, Nics is still at the military academy; he won¡¯t graduate until next year.¡±

    Not yet graduated, huh¡­ Joseph was slightly disappointed, but then he thought it was better this way. Now to hold on to his brother, and once he graduated, bring him straight here to build trust more easily.

    After the award ceremony concluded, the group of meritorious officers bid farewell to the King and Queen. When they came before Joseph, he suddenly held back Dibowa and Andr¨¦ Davout, using the excuse of wanting to ¡°hear them talk about the intense battles on the Dutch front,¡± and took the two to the square outside the Pce of Versailles.

 Chapter 49: The Strategic Vision of the Crown Prince

    Chapter 49: The Strategic Vision of the Crown Prince

    The great fountain refracted joyous rainbow lights under the sun¡¯s illumination.

    Before Joseph even spoke, Andre couldn¡¯t contain himself and asked, ¡°Your Highness, I really want to know, how did you make the Prussians retreat?¡±

    In the past few days, the image of the Prussian Army suddenly withdrawing just as he was resolutely facing death had often appeared in his mind.

    Dibowa was about to reprimand him for breaching etiquette when he heard the words ¡°make the Prussians retreat,¡± but he was surprised and said, ¡°Was the situation in the Nethends really your doing, Your Highness?¡±

    He had no connection to the Dawu family; though rumors linked the Crown Prince to the events in the Nethends, this was the first time he had received concrete news.

    Andre nodded and looked towards the Crown Prince with anticipation.

    Joseph chuckled and said, ¡°The details are not convenient to disclose, but in essence, it was about handing over Wilhelmina to the Southern Nethends police and having them deliver her back to Prussia, then letting the Patriot Party bring the Prince of Orange back to Amsterdam. This naturally eliminated William II¡¯s excuse to interfere in the Nethends.¡±

    His brief exnation contained huge implications¡ªhow they found Wilhelmina, how they got her to the Southern Nethends, and how they sent her back to Prussia to precisely coincide with the timing on the battlefield, without raising William II¡¯s suspicions about France¡­

    Andre and Dibowa exchanged a nce, both seeing surprise and admiration in each other¡¯s eyes for the Crown Prince¡¯s masterful move! As it concerned secret matters, though they were burning with curiosity, they didn¡¯t feel it was proper to inquire further.

    They then began to describe the bloody and fierce battle conditions in the Nethends, especially on thest day when the Prussian Army¡¯s offensive was extremely intense, and the French Army had over forty casualties among their 300 volunteers.

    With a grave expression, Andre sighed and said, ¡°The Prussian Army has strict military discipline and high levels of training. If the battle had continued, I estimate that the Dutch would not have held out until nightfall.¡±

    Dibowa nodded, ¡°Alexander is currently studying the Prussian Army¡¯s military structure and training intelligence. ording to him¡­¡±

    He nced at Joseph and cautiously said, ¡°The fighting capability of the Prussian Army is one-third greater than that of the French Army.¡±

    Joseph knew his statement was not an exaggeration, as Prussia once imed to have the number one army in Europe. The Junker Nobility¡¯s military training system was veryprehensive and strict, along with the German perseverance and obedience. Although its capabilities had declined somewhat, itsbat effectiveness was still not to be underestimated.

    He solemnly said, ¡°The structure of France¡¯s military is too outdated; it should have been thoroughly reformed a long time ago.¡±

    Historically, France¡¯s outdated military had suffered severe setbacks on the battlefield until Napoleon appeared, steadying the situation. Under Napoleon¡¯s leadership, the military reform waspleted, eventually bing the dominant force on the European Continent.

    Dibowa immediately agreed, ¡°Indeed, Alexander and I have discussed this multiple times. We shouldprehensively study Prussia to deal with various future challenges!¡±

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    ¡°Study Prussia?¡± Joseph looked at him but shook his head slightly, ¡°What we need to do is surpass the Prussian Army, not simply emte them.¡±

    Andre and Dibowa looked at each other again, ¡°So, Your Highness, how do you think the military should be reformed?¡±

    Joseph had thought about this matter previously and replied, ¡°The biggest problem with the French Army is that the forces are fragmented, there is no unifiedmand, no standardized training, and the disparity in the quality of equipment and soldiers is stark. During major battles, an assembled army might seem vast, but in reality, the number of capable corps is very limited¡­¡±

    As he had brought up military reforms, he went on to talk about abolishing local regiments, nationalizing army management, increasing the number of nonmissioned officers and their training, and developing new tactics.

    Listening intently, Andre and Dibowa¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider. The Crown Prince was barely thirteen years old, yet he already possessed such strategic foresight. They, with several years of military academy education, only knew to repeat the experiences of the past¡ªit was as if they had been functioning without a brain¡­

 Chapter 50 - 50 All Come into My Bowl

    Chapter 50 All Come into My Bowl

    Especially Dibowa, who was somewhat older, knew deeply that organization, management, training, and logistics were fundamental to improving thebat effectiveness of the army. He had already taken out paper and a pen, quietly repeating the military reform content that the Crown Prince had just mentioned and swiftly copying it down.

    ¡°Establish a conscription system for all of France, aprehensive conscription andpensation regtions, formingws¡­

    ¡°Establish a French Ministry of Military Affairs, gradually eliminate local garrisons, unify the selection, assessment, and promotion systems of the French Army¡­

    ¡°Elevate the status of meritorious soldiers, let supreme honor be the highest pursuit of the army¡­

    ¡°Construct national-level military armament production and equipment systems, encourage the research of new weapons, and elerate the adoption of new weapons¡­

    ¡°Set up military hospitals¡­¡±

    The more he wrote, the more excited he became. If these measures could be implemented, France would surely have an invincible army capable of defeating all enemies. The humiliation of being forced to sign the Treaty of Paris would bepletely washed away, and France would take back everything it had lost!

    His father died on the battlefield at Legnica during the Seven Years¡¯ War when he was only eight years old.

    He only remembered that France was defeated, and the whole country was shrouded in gloom. His father¡¯s death did not bring him any honor, instead, there were those who mocked the ipetence of French soldiers to his face.

    He also knew that, as a mere Major, he could not influence the military reform of France, but he could pass these precious ideas to experts like Bertier for further in-depth research!

    Joseph, out of the corner of his eye, saw Dibowa¡¯s earnest and excited expression as he transcribed, feeling that the timing was nearly ripe, and thus he revealed a sly, fox-like grin, ¡°It seems that the Major finds this military reform n quite agreeable. I wonder if you would be interested in assisting me in advancing this work?¡±

    ¡°I am willing to serve Your Highness¡­¡± Dibowa began, then hesitated, ¡°Only, I am not very skilled in this area and am afraid I might disappoint Your Highness.¡±

    Joseph thought to himself that this was the time to find someone who is skilled, like the Chief of General Staff, but he still smiled and said, ¡°You have richbat experience, which is exactly what we need to perfect the military reform n. To be frank, I am organizing staff to carry out research in the field of military theory and hope you can help me.¡±

    Dibowa immediately stood at attention and said proudly, ¡°Following Your Highness is my lifelong honor!¡±

    Joseph nodded in satisfaction and then turned to Andre with a warm tone, ¡°Lieutenant, why did you not continue with your forebears¡¯ glory and serve in the Imperial Guard?¡±

    A sh of frustration and sadness passed through Andre¡¯s eyes, ¡°Your Highness, my heart has always harbored a great me called love. Back then, because of the pursuit and persistence of this me, I hurt some people¡­ Eventually, I went to the Soissons Cavalry Camp.¡±

    Joseph asked, ¡°Would you be willing to serve under me then?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Andre could hardly hide his surprise and delight as he eximed, ¡°The Dawu family¡¯s title was conferred by His Majesty the old King; loyalty to the Royal Family is the Dawu family¡¯s oath! I will be Your Highness¡¯s most loyal soldier!¡±

    Joseph also looked at the two men before him with considerable joy, knowing that sooner orter Bertier and Dawu, these two heavyweights, woulde to his fold.

    ¡­

    Lately, the talk of all Parisians has been about the new stores of Paris Angel Company.

    They couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to it ¨C the simultaneous preparation of three new stores was like three whirlpools on the sea surface, incessantly pulling in wood, ss, paint, and copperware from all over Paris.

    The top craftsmen of Paris were also concentrated in the stores of Paris Angel Company, each exhausted to the bone, but their faces were filled with feverish excitement.

    Over the past week, they made more money than they usually did in three months!

    Every day, the stewards of Paris Angel made sure to prepare four meals a day, delivering them on time, attentively waiting on the workers to finish, then politely asking them to resume work.

    As for the meals, there were fried meats, buttered corn, white bread, tomato vegetable soup, all rich and tempting¡ªeat as much as they wished.

    Not a single craftsmanined of fatigue, nor did anyone want to rest¡ªwhoever brought up rest at that time would be cursed without hesitation¡ªit was quadruple the pay! To stop even for a second was a sacrilege to their wallets!

    Come evening, a great number of oilmps would be lit inside and outside the storefront, illuminating the area as bright as day, as the second shift of workers took over to continue the work.

    Even those in fine fettle set a record: working continuously for three days and two nights, earning a whopping 28 livres in ¡°overtime pay.¡±

    Oh, to think there was extra ¡°pay¡± for overtime! It was simply unbelievable! When the craftsmen learned this was at the Crown Prince¡¯s behest, they prayed for him several times a day.

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    Someter generations always love to say that Westerners value freedom and the good life and have traditionally disliked working overtime. In fact, 18th-century France was highlypetitive, and it was normal to work 14 hours a day in the factories. With the right pay, 20 hours of work was nothing.

    What Joseph initially hadn¡¯t anticipated was that, in rushing the progress of the franchise store openings, it brought an unexpected boon¡ªthe Parisians with nothing much to do started treating the construction of the new store as a form of leisure and entertainment, which continuously hiked up the poprity of Paris Angel. If this era had trending searches, Paris Angel would dominate the top ten.

    It¡¯s no wonder, really, since there were so few entertainment options during this era. A luxury storefront undergoing 24-hour renovations was truly a novelty.

    The little boy who used to beg in the alley behind the Paris Angel Exclusive Store, now bustling with joy as he managed a group of six children, including his sister and four other street kids, was busy renting out a stack of chairs amidst the crowd.

    He took Joseph¡¯s suggestion and started a business renting out chairs, making a fair number of silver coins during this time, with his team growing to six people.

    He now rented a room, and he and his sister no longer had to go hungry. He was even nning to save up more money so that he could spend a few hours a day learning to read and write.

    Time flew by swiftly.

    Brent, the general manager of Paris Angel Company, stood on Saint-Denis Boulevard, looking at the new Paris Angel store in front of him, luxurious and elegant, a great pride and sense of aplishment welling up within him.

    In just seven days, merely seven days, the new exclusive store waspletely renovated. It was a miracle he had created with thepany¡¯s workers and countless craftsmen!

    Of course, the 20,000 livres in renovation costs also yed an indispensable part.

    In the west and north of Paris, there were two more exclusive stores like this one, both of which would be finished by the end of the day.

    Meanwhile, in Reims, 30 miles away, another franchise store was awaiting its opening. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the newly opened exclusive store there would need two more days toplete.

    This meant that Paris Angel now had five exclusive stores ready for business. Even the stores in Marseille and Bordeaux, ording to the reports sent back by his subordinates yesterday, should be finished with renovations by the end of the month at thetest.

    At the same time, in front of Paris City Hall, the crowd was buzzing with about four or five hundred people craning their necks, anxiously awaiting the moment when Paris Angel Company¡¯s stocks would officially go on sale.

    Hmm, due to the influence of ¡°The Bubble Act,¡± this was the temporary stock exchange Joseph had chosen.

 Chapter 51: Paris Angel Company Goes Public

    Chapter 51: Paris Angel Company Goes Public

    In 1717, the financial juggernaut John Law established the Mississippi Company to solve France¡¯s massive debt. He obtained exclusive rights to operate the Louisiana colony from the French Government, and subsequently, thepany began offering shares.

    Because there were rumors of abundant gold mines in the Mississippi River basin, and thepany sessively gained the rights to operate more of France¡¯s overseas colonies, the stock price steadily increased.

    From the initial offer of 500 livres per share, it soared to a peak near 20,000 livres. Yes, don¡¯t miss a single zero, the stock price increased by 40 times!

    John Law believed the opportunity to resolve France¡¯s 1.5 billion national debt had arrived. Starting in 1719, he issued additional shares five times in a row, leveraging the skyrocketing stock prices with the issuance of banknotes by the Royal Bank, and he truly managed to wipe out the French Government¡¯s debt in one fell swoop!

    Of course, it was impossible to earn 1.5 billion livres within three years; all the money was piled up by the stock market bubble.

    In 1720, as arge number of prospectors came back empty-handed, the legend of the Mississippi gold mines began to crumble, bringing with it a crash in the Mississippi Company¡¯s stock price. People panicked and sold their shares en masse, causing the stock price to plummet below 200 livres.

    The ruling French powers at the time, led by the Regent, the Duke of Orleans, hastily retracted all privileges granted to the Mississippi Company. Thepany went bankrupt, and the bubble of several billion livres vanished overnight, an amount equivalent to more than thirty years of France¡¯s fiscal revenues!

    Countless people who had invested in the Mississippi Company¡¯s stock were ruined, plunging the entire country of France into a severe economic crisis. The wholemercial and industrial sectors came to a halt, leaving only agriculture barely alive, which also led to the subsequent rise of French agrarianism.

    John Law left behind a disaster and fled to Brussels, while France would not recover for decades.

    At the same time, a simr ¡°South Sea Company¡± incident urred in Ennd, and the British Government promptly enacted the Bubble Act, which strictly regted the sale ofpany shares.

    France followed suit, enacting its guidelines that anypany intending to offer shares publicly had to pass through a Cab review and receive the King¡¯s signature for approval, which typically took over a decade to grant permission for onepany to go public, with very stringent oversight.

    Of course, none of this was a problem for Joseph.

    The Finance Minister and the Minister of the Interior had long been developed into beneficiaries of the Paris Angel Company¡¯s stock, and the King and Queen were insiders.

    Additionally, Joseph assured in Cab meetings that the Paris Angel Company¡¯s stock price would never exceed 30% of thepany¡¯s actual value, that the publicly offered shares would not surpass 40% of the total shares, and that thepany would provide funds to support the stock price if it fell to a certain level.

    Confident that all financial risks had been eliminated, Louis XVI readily signed the proposal for the Paris Angel Company to go public.

    Actually, Joseph still had much wiggle room in this. What really is thepany¡¯s actual value? For a store with daily sales of 120,000 livres, valuing it at 5 million livres doesn¡¯t seem excessive, right? So, the Paris Angel Company could easily be valued at tens of millions of livres.

    Of course, Joseph did not want to fish the pond dry; messing up the stock market wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone.

    After all, the Industrial Revolution needed significant capital support, and a healthy stock market was necessary to ensure industrial development.

    Besides, allowing another incident like the Mississippi Company to happen could spell doom much earlier than expected.

    In front of Paris City Hall, a wooden tform half a person¡¯s height had already been set up early.

    The tform was adorned with numerous ribbons and gands, as if celebrating a festival. A banner at the top of the tform read ¡°Paris Angel Company Stock Offering Event.¡±

    Chairs filled the area around the tform, and on the tform itself were the counters of stock traders, as well as clerks dispatched by various banks to provide services.

    Most conspicuous was arge, smooth wooden board on the left, with the words ¡°Trading Records¡± engraved at the very top, destined to disy trading information in the future.

    The entire trading scene covered an area asrge as two modern football fields.

    Due to John Law¡¯s sensational maneuvers, the French people had grown wary of stock trading, and the securities exchange was deserted, crumbling, and cramped after decades.

    Therefore, Joseph simply set up the trading location outside City Hall.

    At 10 a.m., with the uplifting sound of trumpets, people began to scatter flower petals around, and Brent climbed onto the wooden tform and announced loudly, ¡°Paris Angel Company¡¯s stock is now officially on public offering! Anyone can invest here.¡±

    Immediately, an assistant disyed the document signed by the king granting permission for the stock sale to everyone.

    Then, one by one, officials from the Paris City Hall took the stage to offer their congrattions for the listing of the Paris Angel Company.

    But investors could not wait any longer. They paid no attention to the officials and swarmed toward the trading counter, shouting loudly at the traders the number of shares they wanted to buy, almost knocking Brent to the ground with their bustle.

    This spectacle had not been seen in France for decades. Even when some major banks issued stocks, people were extremely cautious, and there were few buyers.

    However, Paris Angel had thoroughly prepared in advance, not only with overwhelming newspaper publicity but also with the actual exclusive stores that appeared all around Paris, where everyone could see the bustling scenes of renovation.

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    Just yesterday, three new Paris Angel stores in Paris opened simultaneously, practically emptying the streets. Numerousdies and misses emerged from the shops squeezing through the doors with their purchases, their faces brimming with excitement and satisfaction.

    It was said that in ces like Reims and Marseille, there were even more Paris Angel Exclusive Stores, and even Ennd was preparing to open new stores.

    Moreover, Paris Angel Company promised that if the stock price fell below 80% of the issuing price, thepany would immediately use its own funds to buy back all the shares.

    At the same time, the stock price would not exceed the actual value of thepany by 30%.

    All these were evidence that there would be no bubble in Paris Angel Company! No risk at all!

    Seeing the booming business of those exclusive stores, everyone was convinced that the stock dividends would be substantial, and they determined this was a rare investment opportunity. Just buy, that¡¯s all!

    Soon, an employee of the stock exchange wrote down the first transaction information on the wooden board disying trade records¡ª

    Purchase, Paris Angel Company, 2 livres, 30 shares, total 60 livres.

    Then came the second transaction¡ª

    Purchase, Paris Angel Company, 2 livres, 105 shares, total 210 livres.

    The third transaction,

    The fourth transaction,

    The fifth transaction¡­

    Paris Police Headquarters had sent over sixty officers to the trading scene to maintain order, barely keeping the situation under control. The surrounding reporters¡¯ eyes widened as they recorded this astonishing moment.

    At 9 p.m., Brent and the Crown Prince¡¯s personal ountant raced to the Pce of Versailles, excited.

    In the Crown Prince¡¯s reception room, Brent handed a trading report from the exchange to Joseph with somewhat trembling hands.

    The nearby ountant immediately eximed excitedly, ¡°Your Highness, a total of 773,000 shares have been sold, amounting to 1.55 million livres!¡±

    The main issue was that due to the limitations of this era, stock trading relied entirely on manual operations, which were very inefficient. The maximum speed traders could fill out forms and banks could reconcile ounts was 2,000 transactions per day, resulting in a total of just over 700,000 shares.

    Outside the City Hall, people kept arriving to purchase stocks, leading to jam-packed conditions, but only a small portion who had arrived early to queue up actuallypleted the transactions.

    Joseph praised Brent for his work, then calmly instructed, ¡°Transfer all the funds to the Bank of France Reserve. As I said before, you do not need to report back to me until the funds reach 6 million livres.¡±

 Chapter 52: Bank of France Reserve (Added for Finance Uncle Ning)

    Chapter 52: Bank of France Reserve (Added for Finance Uncle Ning)

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    Joseph had just acquired a small bank on the verge of bankruptcy two days ago and then renamed it to the Bank of France Reserve. The entire renaming and registration process was fast, after all, he had connections in the court.

    The bank¡¯s storefront and personnel were already in ce, so it had started normal operations from yesterday.

    The next day, the Paris Stock Exchange, at Brent¡¯s request and after receiving a handsome fee, dedicated five additional dealers specifically for the business of Paris Angel Company.

    The speed of stock transactions immediately picked up, and by 4 p.m., close to closing time, a mysterious buyer suddenly appeared and snapped up the remaining 430,000 shares of Paris Angel Company.

    When the transaction information ¡°Buy, Paris Angel Company, 2 livres, 430,150 shares, for a total of 860,300 livres.¡± appeared, the entire trading floor went silent for a moment.

    After about ten seconds, the trading information board disyed: ¡°For sale, Paris Angel Company, 2 livres 2 sous, 40 shares, for a total of 84 livres.¡±

    The record of these 40 shares being bought immediately appeared below.

    Soon, more sell orders emerged, and in less than ten minutes, the asking price had reached 2 livres 5 sous, with all shares being instantly bought up.

    The next morning, the share price of Paris Angel Company opened directly at the high of 2 livres 8 sous, but it was still in short supply, and stock trading suddenly became lively.

    At the trading floor, a young American surrounded by seven or eight bodyguards sat in a corner observing the trading information.

    After a moment, he signaled his assistant with a nce, who immediately approached the dealer and ced a sale of 8,000 shares at 3 livres each.

    The investors didn¡¯t pay much attention, as the price was too high, and it seemed unlikely they would be sold.

    However, within three minutes, these 8,000 shares were all bought up in three separate purchases.

    All present holding stocks realized something was amiss¡ªthe stock price was surely worth much more if someone promptly bought them no matter how high they were offered. In an instant, everyone started to hold back from selling.

    Afterward, the American directed his subordinates to make more than a dozen buys and sales, mostly selling stocks themselves and then buying them back under a different guise, with the sale price increasing each time.

    After the closing, the American youth, along with his bodyguards, went to a nearby upscale hotel, double-locked the room door, ced arge stack of notes on the table, and began to reconcile ounts with Joseph¡¯s personal ountant.

    Yes, this person was the operator Joseph had hired, with all of the bodyguards being from the Royal Guard.

    Due to restrictions from countries such as Ennd and France onpany stock sales, the unrestricted United States had be a paradise for stock trading, giving birth to many stock market prodigies.

    Thanks to their skilled maniption, the closing price had already reached nearly 3 livres 5 sous.

    The headlines of Paris¡¯s newspapers were almost all frantically reporting on the stock price of Paris Angel. Now it wasn¡¯t just Paris; even people from nearby provinces were rushing to buy stocks, and a massive amount of capital flooded into the stock exchange.

    By the sixth day of Paris Angel¡¯s stock offering, when the share price of Paris Angel Company hit 4 livres 5 sous, arge number of sell orders surfaced. However, once the stock price started to slide, someone would immediately step in to buy in bulk and stabilize the price.

    Just after noon, the American operator sold thest batch of 100,000 shares and then left the crowded ce, looking relieved.

    Under Joseph¡¯s direction, through his buy-low sell-high operations, he had also sold 200,000 original shares belonging to Joseph, altogether acquiring 6.15 million livres in funds!

    Inside the office of the Finance Minister at the Pce of Versailles, Joseph looked at the loan agreement in front of him with an easy smile, finding it somewhat amusing. He was both an assistant to the Finance Minister of one party and simultaneously the owner of the Bank of France Reserve of the other party; he was literally dealing with himself.

    Finally, he, representing the French Government, signed a loan contract with himself for 6 million livres, at an interest rate of merely 15%.

    The payment of funds was not an issue; at that moment, more than 8.1 million livresy quietly in the ount of the Bank of France Reserve.

    Royal Pce.

    The Duke of Orleans looked at the headline of the Paris News on the table¡ª ¡°Crown Prince Struggles to Address Financial Distress, Government Debt Looming Default.¡± He suddenly grabbed the newspaper and tore it into pieces with force.

    This was the newspaper from the day before yesterday.

    He had received the news this morning that the 6 million livres national debt had been fully paid off, with funds flowing out of that Bank of France Reserve.

    Half an hour ago, representatives from Ravel Bank and Labod Bank had just left. To appease both banks, he had no choice but to allocate more of the British business to them.

    The Duke of Orleans couldn¡¯t help but recall a month ago, at that party, where he had used the opportunity to introduce major French banks to invest in the British automatic spinning machine project, asking the two banks to thwart the 6 million livres loan and get other banks to cooperate as well.

    At that time, he thought it would only take a simple maneuver and the Crown Prince would surely be out of options since the leading figures of the entire French finance industry were by his side at the table. As long as they agreed, no one else could possibly get arge loan from a bank.

    Unexpectedly, that young man managed to secure the funds.

    Soon after, the butler knocked and entered, saluting the Duke of Orleans: ¡°My lord, we¡¯ve found out that the bank was originally called Seltor Bank and had just been acquired by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince a few days ago.¡±

    The acquisition information of the bank was public and easy to check.

    The Duke of Orleans immediately furrowed his brows¡ªhow was this possible? How could the Crown Prince manage toe up with a bank with a capital of 6 million? How did he do it?

 Chapter 53 - 53 Political Conspiracy

    Chapter 53 Political Conspiracy

    The Duke of Orleans immediately thought of the Paris Angel Company that Joseph had established.

    He didn¡¯t know much about the shop, having visited only once to buy a one thousand livres VIP card for his mistress¡ªsimply because she had pestered him about it for days.

    However, he had heard that thedies of the Pce of Versailles were crazily snapping up the expensive cosmetics from the shop as if enchanted.

    The Duke of Orleans then remembered that the papers had been talking about the Paris Angel Company issuing shares these past few days.

    He couldn¡¯t help but squint, it seemed that the six million livres might indeed havee from selling shares. Could a shop that sold women¡¯s skincare products really be worth six million livres?!

    In fact, this was still without Joseph thinking about cashing out inrge quantities¡ªhe still had 1.8 million shares of the Paris Angel Company that he could sell, which could him another six or seven million if he sold them all.

    After the Duke of Orleans had thought through all this, the anger on his face gradually subsided, reced by a serious and anxious expression.

    If the Crown Prince had been only a bit of a nuisance before, he had now be a serious problem.

    A problem that had to be resolved quickly!

    Public opinion, finance, and the military were three sectors that absolutely could not be controlled by the Royal Family, otherwise he would have no chance of challenging their authority.

    Through the concerted efforts of several generations, the Orleans family had maximized their influence in these three areas at the expense of the Royal Family.

    For example, in the realm of finance, the Royal Family had almost be a tool for therge banks to earn profit. Nearly half of the financial revenue was used to pay interest on debts, and the amount owed was increasing.

    If things continued this way, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Royal Family would copse under massive debt. That would be the Orleans family¡¯s opportunity!

    In fact, this was indeed how the original historical trajectory developed.

    But the emergence of the Bank of France Reserve was like a breach in the financial sector for the Royal Family.

    In the future, this bank could potentially take on more and more national debt, eventually to be signed off and written off directly by the Crown Prince in control of the bank.

    Not to mention this, even just a little bit of financial initiative gained by the Royal Family would boost people¡¯s confidence in it.

    Therefore, this gap had to be plugged.

    The Duke of Orleans paced back and forth in the room, feeling agitated. He waved towards the butler outside the door: ¡°Donnadieu, help me invite Count Isaac, Marquis of Ludo, Count Capefield¡­ yes, those from the Banking Guild, to go hunting in my estate at Yvel tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    The next day at noon.

    In the vast estate to the west of Yvel, the sun shone on the yellowing grass and bare trees, with the sound of horses¡¯ hooves and the barking of hunting dogs filling the air.

    Dozens of servants directed hundreds of hounds, driving deer from various directions in the underbrush, gradually herding them toward the open space on the southern side of the thicket.

    Sitting in the saddle, dressed in a dark blue hunting outfit, the Duke of Orleans raised his Charleville 1763 short-barrel flintlock gun, took careful aim at a stag in the distance, and firmly pulled the trigger.

    Gunsmoke wafted through the booming sound, the deer disdainfully took a few steps forward, and then lowered its head to graze.

    The Duke of Orleans showed a look of regret and gestured to the middle-aged man beside him with slightly bulging eyes and a hooked nose, ¡°Count of Isaac, it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    The middle-aged man smiled faintly and almost as soon as he raised his gun, he fired. The distant stag copsed at the sound, twitching weakly where it had just been grazing.

    The people around immediately burst into cheers and congratted him, while the hunting dogs and servants rushed towards the prey.

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve discussed that bank too,¡± the Count of Isaac handed the gun to a servant and then turned to Orleans, ¡°Obviously, he¡¯s vited the universally epted rules within the industry, for instance by using administrative measures to cancel Labod Bank and Lavier Bank¡¯s government business.¡±

    An older man with a neck so short it was nearly invisible leaned forward and added, ¡°If we don¡¯t stop this behavior, it¡¯s bound to harm everyone¡¯s interests.¡±

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The Duke of Orleans immediately gave him an approving smile.

    ¡°Therefore, I suggest,¡± the old man raised his gun and aimed at the herd of deer, ¡°members of the Banking Guild should unite to boycott the Bank of France Reserve, including refusing its notes and demanding our customers not to conduct any business with it and so on.¡±

    A man in his fifties wearing a beige tight-fitting coat and with arge chin rode up from behind, ¡°But this alone, I fear, won¡¯t stop the Bank of France Reserve.¡±

    Isaac turned to look at the neer, ¡°Then, Mr. Necker, what do you suggest?¡±

    Necker respectfully bowed, chest to hand, ¡°I believe that His Highness, the French Crown Prince, dares to act recklessly in the financial sector entirely because of the support of Her Majesty the Queen and the Finance Minister. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to secure the permit for stock issuance from the Paris Angel Company.¡±

    The Duke of Orleans nodded thoughtfully, no wonder the Austrian woman wanted her son to be the assistant to the Finance Minister¡ªwith that, plus Brienne, she couldpletely control the financial policy. So, the Paris Angel Company and the Bank of France Reserve must also be part of her plot!

    He immediately said in a cold voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. Since Bishop Brienne has chosen to betray, he¡¯s no longer suitable to continue as the Finance Minister.¡±

    Brienne was once the speaker of the ¡°Assembly of Notables,¡± an organization representing the great nobility, and a leading figure against Louis XVI¡¯s tax reform proposals.

    Later, to win over the Assembly of Notables, XVI appointed Brienne as the Finance Minister.

    Only after taking office did Brienne realize France¡¯s finances were riddled with problems, and the state was on the brink of disaster. Tax reform was imperative.

    As a result, he abandoned his personal interests and firmly supported the King, but he was consequently ostracized by the great nobility and the Church.

    Isaac surveyed the few people present, smiling, ¡°If we use our influence to remove Brienne from office and rece him with another Finance Minister, such as Mr. Necker¡­¡±

    People like Isaac held sway over the financial lifeblood of France, and with Orleans¡¯ clout in the political arena, together with the support of the noble ss, they definitely had the power to influence the choice of Finance Minister.

    Necker¡¯s eyes shed with delight, and he immediately bowed, ¡°I will find a way to sever the government¡¯s cooperation with the Bank of France Reserve and push for legition that revokes the Paris Angel Company¡¯s stock issuance license. All issues will be resolved at their root.¡±

    ¡­

    Joseph waspletely unaware that a political conspiracy against him was quietly unfolding.

    He was at that moment presiding over the opening ceremony for the first cohort of new recruits at the newlypleted Paris Police Academy.

    Apanied by the rhythmic beat of military drums, the Police Academy instructors led their students in neat steps in front of the grandstand.

    ¡°Attention! Right turn!¡±

    At themand, the more than two hundred new recruits, arrayed in several square formations, turned together. Through the rising dust, they eagerly gazed at their principal¡ªHis Royal Highness, the French Crown Prince.

 Chapter 54 - 54 "Huangpu Police Academy" (Please follow)

    Chapter 54 ¡°Huangpu Police Academy¡± (Please follow)

    At the viewing stand of the Police Academy, Joseph, d in a brand-new blue and white Paris Police Force uniform, revealed a warm smile to the instructors and trainees before him and spoke loudly, ¡°First of all, I want to congratte all of you, for you are going to be the glorious police officers of France!¡±

    ¡°Yes, at present, almost everyone looks down upon, even spits upon the police, but please believe me, this history will end with you!¡±

    ¡°The police of France will be a sacred profession, protecting the public, maintaining public order, andbating crime.¡±

    ¡°From now on, you will be respected by everyone, praised, loved, and girls will flock to marry you.¡±

    After bolstering the morale, Joseph moved on to his key points, ¡°I am delighted to be your principal.¡±

    ¡°Once a principal, always a principal!¡±

    ¡°Please remember, no matter what difficulties you encounter, no matter what adversities you face, your principal will stand firmly behind you, supporting you forever!¡±

    ¡°Even if one day, you graduate from the Paris Police Academy, and even if one day you grow too old to continue as a police officer, this academy will always be the eternal bond between you and me!¡±¡±

    The audience beneath the stage was so moved that they could barely contain themselves, feeling that entering the Paris Police Academy was simply divine favor. Had there not been rules to follow, someone might have already shouted ¡°Long live the principal!¡±

    Joseph raised his hand and made a forceful gesture, ¡°Paris Police Academy officially starts its courses today!¡±

    All instructors and trainees raised their hats in salute and replied loudly, ¡°Yes!¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Subsequently, the Director of Paris Police, Besancon, took the stage and announced, ¡°Please allow the Crown Prince to instate the newly promoted Police Commissioners of the Paris Police Headquarters.¡±

    Immediately, more than a dozen uniformed individuals, under the lead of Alden, came to the center of the viewing stand and stood in a neat row, heads held high and chests puffed out.

    This ceremony had been arranged by Besancon, and Joseph inwardly praised his subordinate thoroughly.

    Although the positions had already been determined, this ceremony dered to everyone that their posts were granted by the Crown Prince himself, to remember whom they serve.

    Joseph took from Besancon¡¯s hand a set of copper cor and cufflinks engraved with the image of a sword, symbolizing the rank of Second Grade Police Inspector, and one by one, adorned them on the several elevating to Police Commissioner.

    After the instatement waspleted, the Police Academy instructors led the regr training of the police officers in a drill performance for the Crown Prince, and only then did the entire ceremonye to an end.

    The trainees dispersed in an orderly manner, and Joseph then followed the Dean of Administration, Frient, to inspect this newly established Police Academy.

    Other officers from the Police Headquarters apanied them at a distance.

    Deliberatelygging a few steps behind, Besancon gave a meaningful nce to a square-faced Police Commissioner, who hurriedly approached.

    With a frown and in a low voice, Besancon said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you made a move on that matter yet?¡±

    ¡°Director, in fact, I was prepared two days ago,¡± the square-faced police officer hurriedly exined, ¡°but then an individual from the ¡®Daily Affairs Squad¡¯ said he had a better n.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    The square-faced police officer swiftly recounted the n, and Besancon immediately smiled, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s just the kind of trick those fellows are best at; this is a good n.¡±

    The square-faced police officer also smiled, ¡°I think so too. This way, we can severely teach those damned banks a lesson without leaving any trace, so I let them prepare anew.¡±

    Besancon nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Good, proceed as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    As Joseph walked from the academy¡¯s buildings to the training grounds, he shook his head inwardly. The school buildings were extremely rudimentary, clearly repurposed from slums¡¯ dpidated houses; though the training ground was rtively t, it was utterly barren, probably only suitable for drill and running exercises.

    However, it can be understood, after all, this ce only started to be constructed nearly a month ago.

    But this is his Whampoa¡­ cough, his Paris Police Academy, how can it be so shabby? Especially now that there¡¯s some money in hand, it must be built ording to top-tier standards!

    Joseph first pointed to the dpidated school buildings and said to Bleriot, ¡°Build new buildings over there that can amodate at least 2000 people. Each room must have a firece, and the toilets must be equipped with flushing systems.¡±

    Then he looked at the training ground, ¡°All kinds of training equipment must be fully supplied, climbing frames, ropedders, obstacle courses, sand pits, mud pits, we can¡¯t just practice drills¡­¡±

    Upon arriving at the academy¡¯s storeroom, Joseph frowned deeply, ¡°Why is it all anti-riot forks and swords, spears? Where are the firearms?¡±

    Bleriot responded somewhat aggrievedly, ¡°Your Highness, back in the Saint Antoine District, didn¡¯t you restore order with just these¡­¡±

    Joseph sighed, ¡°I had no choice at that time. Provided there¡¯s rigorous training, firearms will certainly be more useful!

    ¡°Take note, purchase 500 firearms first. They should be the new guns produced by the Salle-a-Manger Company.

    ¡°Stock up on more gunpowder and lead bullets, and from now on, everyone should fire live rounds 10 times every three days. The Elite ss should do it at least 8 times a day.¡±

    Bleriot nodded in surprise¡ªthe academy currently had only around 200 cadets, and you¡¯re preparing 500 guns¡­ and the amount of live-fire practice far exceeds even the elite troops of the Imperial Guard.

    Joseph, however, was obviously still not satisfied and continued, ¡°Also buy some cavalry horses, let¡¯s start with 50, and hire a stablemaster. Members of the Elite ss must learn horseback riding, and those with good talent can also be taught cavalry tactics like mountedbat and formation charges.¡±

    Bleriot was numbed, alright then, whatever you say we should buy, we¡¯ll buy. But 50 cavalry horses will cost over 300,000 livres.

    After visiting the entire academy, Joseph seemed slightly unsatisfied, smacking his lips and shaking his head slightly, ¡°The area is a bit small.¡±

    Just as Bleriot was about to say that the academy has two hectares ofnd, which should be enough for training any project, he heard the Crown Prince mutter quietly, ¡°Even if we reduce the load of gunpowder, a cannonball would still reach the city center.¡±

    This time, not only Bleriot but also all the police officers who heard these words felt a twitch in their hearts, From the sounds of it, is the Highness nning to train the police to use cannons?!

    Joseph thought for a moment and instructed Bleriot, ¡°Look around the outskirts of Paris to see if there¡¯s arger open space, buy one.

    ¡°Build something like military barracks, anti-cavalry defense, I¡¯ll bring over some cannonster¡­ By the way, does anyone here know how to operate a cannon?¡±

    Bleriot and the others exchanged looks, all shaking their heads.

    Joseph said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine, Dibowa is an Artillery Officer, he can teach. Hmm, for a startup phase, this will be about right¡­¡±

    Paris Louvre District.

    Ravel Bank¡¯srgest store in Paris.

    A group of people dressed in blue and white police uniforms, wearing a ruffian look on their faces, carrying anti-riot forks and shields, sauntered in through the doors.

    A bank employee hurriedly greeted them with a smile stered over his face, ¡°Officer, what can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need anything, it¡¯s your bank that needs us,¡± a burly policeman bellowed, ¡°We¡¯ve received a tip that a gang of robbers is nning to rob this ce today!¡±

    No sooner had his words fallen than the customers in the bank, whether depositing money or arranging transfers, scampered out of the bank like startled birds, abandoning their transactions and running without looking back.

    The burly policeman gave his subordinates a signal, ¡°Go, guard the door properly! Inspect everyone whoes in carefully, we must not overlook a single robber!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

 Chapter 55: The Real and Fake Fouche (Requesting Promotion, Seeking to Spread)

    Chapter 55: The Real and Fake Fouche (Requesting Promotion, Seeking to Spread)

    No one wanted to even approach Ravel Bank with those sleazy-looking cops stationed at the door, let alone undergo a check to enter the bank.

    For the whole morning, the bank didn¡¯t do a single piece of business.

    Of course, the so-called robbers did not show up either.

    The bank manager couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He approached the hefty policeman, smiling profusely, ¡°Officer, sir, I think that perhaps the robbers have already given up¡­¡±

    The hefty policeman red, ¡°How do you know the robbers are giving up? Are you in contact with them?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, absolutely not!¡± The manager got startled and then continued with a pained expression, ¡°But with you standing guard here, the robbers might be afraid toe, yet you also scare away the customers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my problem. If I don¡¯t stand guard here and you get robbed, my sry would suffer.¡±

    Realizing what was inferring. The manager went and fetched a package of silver coins, slipping it quietly into the hefty policeman¡¯s hand, whispering, ¡°About the sry, I canpensate you a bit.¡±

    The hefty policeman¡¯s heart leapt¡ªhe had been digging river silt for more than half a month after being transferred to the ¡°Daily Affairs Squad,¡± and he didn¡¯t even have a police uniform.

    This time, the Police Commissioner personally gave him a task, issued him a uniform and equipment, and made it clear he could extort money freely, so of course, he was not going to be polite with the bank manager.

    After taking the money, he still didn¡¯t move. The manager became anxious, ¡°I¡¯vepensated you for the sry, now you can go and rest.¡±

    ¡°How could that be possible?¡± The hefty policeman said with a look of integrity, ¡°Since you¡¯ve taken such good care of me, I definitely cannot let the robbers harm you!¡±

    The manager, with no other choice, sent for General Manager Etienne.

    Etienne came and tried to bribe the cops again to no avail and had to keep reporting to the board of directors¡­

    Meanwhile, the same situation unfolded at Labod Bank; a group of cops put on a show of force ¡°protecting¡± the bank so well that not even a fly could get inside.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The next day, the cops imed they received a tip that the robbers might dig tunnels to steal from the vault, so they hired someone to dig a four-meter deep trench around the bank to look for the tunnel.

    Of course, no tunnel was found, and naturally, the bank had to pay for the construction cost.

    For three consecutive days, both banks were left without a single customer. The bank executives went to protest to the Director of Police Services Besancon and were told to cooperate ¡°for their own safety.¡±

    Approaching noon, a reporter arrived at Ravel Bank for an interview. Before he could start, the hefty policeman pulled him aside and whispered a long, mysterious tale.

    He spoke of how when clearing out gangs in the Saint Antoine District, they found secret letters of correspondence with foreign gangs, and how the Osman Gang had infiltrated Paris, threatening not only to rob this bank but also to kill everyone inside¡­

    The reporter hadn¡¯t expected to stumble upon such explosive news and immediately got excited. He handed the hefty policeman a few silver coins and dashed back to the newspaper to rush his story.

    Soon, the whole of Paris was abuzz with talk of the Osman Gang. Citizens avoided the two banks as if they were the devil, daring not toe within 30 meters, fearing they might get caught up should the gang strike.

    Joseph was entirely unaware of Besancon¡¯s people teaching the banks a lesson.

    He had just left the Paris Police Academy and was back at the Pce of Versailles when a middle-aged man of medium height, wearing a somewhat worn gray coat, with thinning hair and an honest and in face, was waiting for him.

    It took Joseph a few seconds to recall his name. He smiled and said, ¡°Captain Prosper, why are you here? Is there any news about that matter?¡±

    This unassuming man was one of the three senior spies that the Minister of War had promised to assign to Joseph, having just arrived in Paris two days prior.

    Considering themunication and transportation conditions of the time, his arrival was quite early. The spies that the Minister of War was sending were still half on the way to their destination.

    Captain Prosper bowed respectfully and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, ¡°Your Highness, I have found the man you are looking for.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡± Joseph was somewhat surprised.

    In that era, not to mention any sort of city resident database, there wasn¡¯t even aplete register of households. Yet this man had managed to find the individual in just two days, solely by name and a few characteristics. He truly was the ace spy that even Saint Priest was loath to part with.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing remarkable. Your Highness, if I were familiar with Paris, a single day would have sufficed,¡± the spy said, frowning slightly before adding, ¡°Only, there¡¯s a little trouble now.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What trouble?¡±

    Prosper said, ¡°There are two people called Joseph Fouche who match the characteristics you described.¡±

    Indeed, the person Joseph had asked him to find was the very same Fouche who wouldter serve as the chief of Napoleon¡¯s intelligence system, participate in the entirety of the Coup of 18 Brumaire, andter shift his loyalties to Louis XVIII, earning the moniker ¡°The Executioner of Lyon.¡±

    Originally, Joseph had intended to select one of these spies, including Prosper, to oversee his future intelligence agency. But through his interactions with them, Joseph realized that while these men were adept at espionage, they were not skilled in management, strategic nning, or personnel allocation.

    Therefore, he still needed to find a chief responsible for the intelligence agency to ensure its normal operation.

    He immediately thought of the infamous Fouche¡ªa man capable of propping up Napoleon¡¯s intelligence empire.

    Although this individual had enjoyed a thriving career in politics since the French Revolution, blowing hot and cold, due to his humble origins, he was currently no more than an ignored, lowly priest.

    So, Joseph sent some newly reported spies to find him, also to test the abilities of the spies, not expecting them to find him so quickly.

    Only now, they needed to discern which one was the Fouche he sought.

    ncing at the sky, he said to Prosper, ¡°Please take me to meet them tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

    The next day.

    In a small monastery in the north of Paris, Prosper, dressed in in clothes, and his men found Fouche and brought him to a secluded cottage.

    Prosper looked at the nervous priest and said in a deep voice, ¡°I am from the Royal Police. Listen, some foreign spies have infiltrated your monastery, and right now I can only be certain that you are not involved with this matter.

    ¡°These scoundrels have stolen an important piece of intelligence, and if they are rmed, the information might be destroyed.¡±

    The priest¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You, what are you telling me all this for?¡±

    Prosper handed him a package of paper, ¡°I need you to poison their food, so we can ensure that they all die at the same time.¡±

    The color drained from the priest¡¯s face, and the poison he held dropped to the floor with a ¡°tter¡± as if it were a scorpion as he trembled, ¡°No, there are innocent people among them, I, I can¡¯t kill them¡­¡±

    Outside the room, Joseph shook his head slightly, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be him, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Eman entered the cottage, told the priest that there was no such thing and that it was all a joke, left him ten livres, and followed Joseph and the others out.

    An hourter, in another, slightly bigger monastery, Prosper repeated his act and said to the priest with sunken cheeks, dead-fish eyes, and thin lips, ¡°So, I need you to poison their food¡­ ¡±

    A gleam suddenly appeared in the priest¡¯s eyes, ¡°My lord, if I assist the Secret Police, will I be rewarded?¡±

 Chapter 58: Sarabande Dance

    Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Sarabande Dance

    The eyes of the nobledies immediately turned to Lady Sangbellon, and as soon as she proposed her idea for the ball, it sparked a wave ofughter and cheers.

    ¡°I think this idea is great,¡± Earl Debreninac was the first to affirm.

    Queen Mary smiled and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s very interesting, let¡¯s do it this way this year.¡±

    The nobledies all echoed one after another, ¡°This year¡¯s masquerade ball will definitely be spectacr!¡±

    ¡°Lady Sangbellon is truly full of wisdom.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to dance all night.¡±

    From that day on, a new face suddenly appeared in the Crown Prince¡¯s chamber.

    Charming and seductive, drawing every man¡¯s sideways nce, was none other than Lady Sangbellon herself.

    It was a tradition in the Pce of Versailles for grand nobles to serve Royal Family members, for instance, every morning when the Queen got up, it wasmon for the wife of a prince or duke toe help her dress.

    Though Lady Sangbellon¡¯s status was not extremely distinguished, she was still qualified to do some misceneous work in the Crown Prince¡¯s chamber. Especially after she gave some small gifts to the Crown Prince¡¯s maidservants, her presence could be seen everywhere except in duties assigned to specific hands.

    Lady Sangbellon was very skillful, often appearing within the Crown Prince¡¯s peripheral vision holding a vase or tablecloth, letting other maids shout her name, but never allowing the Crown Prince to notice her directly.

    Joseph had no idea that such a maidservant had been added; there were simply too many birds and swallows in the Pce of Versailles. But after a few days, he had grown somewhat ustomed to her presence.

    A week went by in the blink of an eye, and soon it was Saint Nichs¡¯ Day.

    Joseph stepped out of his study, extremely unwillingly, under the repeated urging of the maidservants.

    The Queen¡¯s maidservant, Earl Debreninac, came over personally holding a ck gown and called for all the maids to help.

    Joseph¡¯s face was even darker than the color of the gown, and if it had not been for Earl Debreninac, who was essentially the chief stewardess, watching over him, he might have already fled the Pce of Versailles.

    The maidservants clumsily removed his coat and trousers, and Earl Debreninac immediately gently pulled the ck gown over his head, then helped him stick his hands through the sleeves, and tightened the corset belt at the back of the dress with force.

    Joseph was in pain from being squeezed and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Gentle, gentle, I¡¯m suffocating!¡±

    ¡°The ball is about to start, Your Highness, please cooperate a bit,¡± Earl Debreninac put a semi-transparent silk shawl over him, took out a towering wig with feathers, and carefully ced it on his head, looking him up and down and nodding, ¡°Hmm, it fits very well.¡±

    Joseph looked at the gown on his body and could only think about giving a good beating to whoever came up with this idea¡ªhe had been a perfectly straight man in his previous life, only to be forcibly turned into a cross-dressing aficionado in the 18th century.

    Yes, the theme of this masquerade ball was ¡°gender switch,¡± with men dressing as women and women dressing as men.

    Joseph nced at his reflection in the mirror and could hardly bear to look; he shook his head and thought to himself, The French people really do y mboyantly.

    In fact, in some of the private balls of nobles of this era, shameless antics weremonce. Tonight¡¯s masquerade ball, however, was considered very proper.

    Luckily, Earl Debreninac did not force him to wear high heels, since those were not exclusive todies.

    When Joseph put on a mask and walked into the Hall of Mirrors in the Pce of Versailles like a zombie, a rhythmically upbeat sound of music immediately began to y all around.

    Twenty-four huge Bohemian crystal chandeliers on the ceiling shone dazzling light, illuminating the hundreds of noble ¡°men and women¡± attending the ball who all turned their heads to look toward Joseph.

    The King and Queen had already arrived. Dressed in a bright red swordsman outfit and with a fake short beard stuck to her lips, Queen Mary looked at Joseph and chided, ¡°Miss, you arete.¡±

    Louis XVI wore a deep blue gown, holding a matching silk fan to cover his face, and nodded with a smile toward his son.

    Dressed as a shepherdess, the Chancellor stepped into the middle of the Hall of Mirrors, delivered a series of festive greetings, and then announced the start of the ball.

    Masked men and women started dancing to the music. Within a moment, seven or eight noble youngdies dressed in various men¡¯s attire rushed to Joseph¡¯s side, and curtsied, offering a hand, ¡°Esteemed miss, may I have the honor of a dance with you?¡±

    ¡°Would you care to dance with a police officer, madam?¡± The girl speaking was dressed in thetest Parisian police uniform.

    ¡°Miss, you know, I was the first to invite you.¡±

    ¡°Beautifuldy, please, dance with me¡­¡±

    Though Joseph wore a mask, it was apparent that he was recognized immediately by these fluttering noblewomen.

    ording to court etiquette, only those of higher status may invite those of lower status to dance, never the reverse.

    Moreover, it¡¯s traditionally the gentlemen who invite thedies to dance, but today¡¯s theme was gender reversal. Seizing the opportunity, these young women hesitated not a whit before pouncing on the prince of their dreams, His Highness the Crown Prince.

    In the end, a burly ¡°coachman¡± pushed the other girls aside and grabbed the still-confused Joseph¡¯s hand, dragging him to the center of the dance floor and cleared her throat forcefully, ¡°Ahem!¡±

    She must have given everyone the signal beforehand, as the surrounding nobles immediately stopped and circled around her and Joseph.

    The ¡°coachman¡± asked softly, ¡°Might I inquire, miss, which dance would you like to perform?¡±

    Feeling desperately awkward and following the expectant gazes around him, Joseph could only respond with resignation, ¡°The Sarabande.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± the ¡°coachman¡± signaled the musicians, and immediately a Bach dance tune filled the air.

    Joseph was led into the dance, his movements exceedingly clumsy from only a month of court dance lessons.

    The musicians stared at the Crown Prince¡¯s feet, desperately trying to match their apaniment to his steps, but clearly, it was a challenging task.

    If they knew the term ¡°Brownian motion,¡± they would certainly use it to describe the Crown Prince¡¯s dance.

    Soon enough, Joseph stepped on the ¡°coachman¡± three times and gave her an elbow¡­

    The girl in the police uniform took advantage of the ¡°coachman¡± rubbing her shoulder to step forward and steal Joseph away, ¡°Beautifuldy, what dance would you care for?¡±

    ¡°The Sarabande.¡±

    Joseph had no choice; it was the only dance he had learned.

    On with the music, on with the dance, and before long, the ¡°police officer¡± too had given up, reced by a ¡°cavalryman¡±: ¡°What dance do you desire?¡±

    Joseph sighed, ¡°The Sarabande.¡±

    And so, he danced the Sarabande for nearly an hour straight. Despite being harried by his poor dance skills, the noble maidens persisted valiantly, contending eagerly one after another.

    In a corner, Lady Sangbellon, dressed as a schr, watched with wide eyes as a throng of young girls surrounded the Crown Prince, irritatedly squeezing the ¡°Cartesian Geometry¡± in her hand.

    The idea for the masquerade ball was hers, meant to create a chance to flirt with the Crown Prince, but now she couldn¡¯t get anywhere near him¡ªthe noble youngdies were just too strong!

    Suddenly, she tossed aside the geometry book and sneered with disdain, ¡°Hmph! To think they couldpete with me with such meager skills.¡±

    She requested pen and paper from a servant, pondered for a moment, quickly scribbled a note, handed it to Viscount Vis, and signaled to Joseph.

    Finally, after Joseph had changed to his tenth dancing partner, Perna, who had been watching him silently in a cinched white coat, could no longer bear to see his distressed expression, stepped forward, and pushed away a ¡°woodcutter¡± who was about to invite him for a dance.

    ¡°The Prince¡¯s pneumonia has not yet fully healed; it is not advisable for him to engage in prolonged activity.¡±

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s right!¡± Joseph eximed as if he heard the music of heaven, perceiving Perna at that moment as if she were Queen Mary descended to earth, radiating a holy aura.

    He nodded at her gratefully, and like a man escaping his fate, squeezed out of the crowd.

 Chapter 57 - 57 Lady Sangbellon

    Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Lady Sangbellon

    Joseph did not intend to interfere much with the specific preparation and establishment process of the Police Affairs Department. He was an outsider in this area, and preferred to leave the specific work to those who were adept at it, while he would ensure control over the overall direction.

    The people of the Police Affairs Department all watched as the Crown Prince walked away, each one eager to try their hand.

    To tell the truth, when Prosper and the others heard that the Police Affairs Department would be part of the police system, they were quite dissatisfied, even if it was only in name. They had all thought they would be transferred to serve in the Imperial Guard.

    However, after learning that they would receive a high sry sufficient to heal any emotional wounds, all their displeasure immediately vanished, reced by a surge of motivation.

    ¡­

    When the Duke of Orleans returned to the Royal Pce, his face wore a rxed smile.

    Just as he was preparing to overturn Brian, news came from the High Court that Brian¡¯stest tax bill contained extremely tough provisions that took no ount of the feelings of the nobility.

    The High Court rejected the bill even before the process wasplete.

    It was as if God had arranged it all! This would be an excellent opportunity to deal with Brian!

    At the just-concluded banquet, he had easilypleted all the arrangements.

    First was securing the support of influential nobles.

    They would spread the word that Brian would only harm the interests of the nobles, branding him an enemy of all nobles and calling for their ss to firmly resist Brian¡¯s policies.

    After that, in alliance with the Justice Minister and the Foreign Minister, they would join forces at the Cab meeting to push for a motion to dismiss Brian on the grounds of his ipetence andck of progress on the tax bill.

    Meanwhile, the entire financial sector would coordinate from the periphery, releasing rumors that Brian did not understand the economy and that only the great banker Necker could save France¡¯s finances. The banking industry would firmly support Necker and work earnestly with him to improve the economy.

    With a multifaceted assault, Queen Mary would be left with no choice but to abandon Brian in order to stabilize the political situation.

    Once Necker took office, everything would once again be under his control!

    The Duke of Orleans walked past the east corridor with a light step, heading towards his study, but suddenly he heard some unusual noises and immediately stopped, turning towards his son¡¯s piano room.

    The door to the piano room was tightly closed, and the sound was bing clearer. He frowned at the guard standing far away. Thetter immediately bowed his head deeply and said softly, ¡°I¡ªI know nothing¡­.¡±

    The Duke of Orleans called out loudly towards the piano room, ¡°Philippe, are you in there?¡±

    Sounds of disarray immediately emanated from inside the piano room.

    Momentster, the door was pushed open. A woman in herte twenties, of a plump figure, ran out in a panic. She was the Duke of Orleans¡¯ son¡¯s piano teacher.

    The woman¡¯s face was flush, her hair disheveled, and her dress was skewed, obviously hastily put on.

    She knelt before the Duke of Orleans, then quickly skirted the wall and hurried away.

    The Duke of Orleans entered with a stern face, only to see his son¡¯s shirt buttons were all done up wrong, and immediately pointed at him and rebuked, ¡°How many times have I told you not to mess around with this kind of lowly trash! You could easily find high-borndies who would be delighted to be with you¡­.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Little Philippe, though avoiding his gaze, interrupted him discontentedly, ¡°How could any of those youngdiespare to the charm of Madame Hote?¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    Little Philippe shrank back his neck and hurriedly turned and fled from the piano room.

    The Duke of Orleans was about to explode in anger when he suddenly remembered his own experiences at his son¡¯s age with the adult maids in the house, which were far from innocent.

    ¡°`

    He suddenly felt relieved, shook his head, and sighed. At that age, which boy could resist the temptation of those ripe women?

    Speaking of mature allure, the image of a woman he saw at the soir¨¦e instantly came to mind¡ªLady Sangbellon.

    A coquette, the epitome of seduction. Every pore on her body exuded a temptation no man could resist. Numerous noblemen of high status were bewitched by her. She had at least six or seven lovers.

    If Philippe, at such a young age, saw her, he would likely have only one thing on his mind.

    He suddenly let out a snicker, unaware that one of her lovers, Count Capefield, had contracted syphilis.

    Just the day before yesterday, while hunting, Count Capefield boasted to everyone how he had tumbled with Lady Sangbellon beforeing, and he had just been diagnosed with syphilis that very day.

    Which means, within a few years, that woman would be covered in sores, emitting the stench of death, and avoided by everyone.

    Syphilis, although treated as a boastful tidbit amongst those nobles, was well known by all as a terrifying terminal illness.

    The Duke of Orleans knew that, in fact, Louis XV had died of this disease.

    How wonderful it would be if they all died from this disgusting disease! He cursed vehemently but abruptly stopped, as if he had caught onto something.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Infect them all with it!¡± A manic joy appeared in his eyes, ¡°That boy will surely not be able to resist Lady Sangbellon¡¯s temptation, and then she will pass it on to him. Yes, just like that!¡±

    He pondered over the n carefully for a long time, confirming that the sess rate should be high and, even if it failed, he would not suffer any loss.

    He immediately called for his butler, whispering a set of instructions.

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    Several hourster, in Lady Sangbellon¡¯s house, Viscount Vis said excitedly, ¡°He said that if you can hook the Crown Prince, you¡¯ll receive fifteen thousand livres!¡±

    Lady Sangbellon wrapped her long arms around his neck, her eyes bewitching as she spoke, ¡°So much money? Which significant person is so generous? What does he want to do?¡±

    Viscount Vis naturally did not dare to mention the Duke of Orleans, merely waving his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about who it is. That person wants to get close to the Crown Prince, so he needs to know some of his movements. You just need to get close to the Crown Prince and report on his situations, and you can receive an additional reward.¡±

    Lady Sangbellon was clearly very tempted¡ªseducing a thirteen-year-old boy was almost guaranteed sess for a shark like her in the game of love, and there might even be additional rewards from the Crown Prince¡¯s side.

    The French Court was a mess, and even an affair with the King was not umon and wouldn¡¯t matter if people knew.

    She suddenly felt that not considering this approach before was a significant loss.

    She giggled and nuzzled Viscount Vis¡¯s face with her nose, cooing, ¡°Aren¡¯t you heartbroken to push me into someone else¡¯s arms?¡±

    Thetter pinned her down on the velvet mattress and kissed her, ¡°I can stille to you, so what¡¯s there to fear?¡±

    ¡°Oh you, stop it¡­¡±

    The next day, in Queen Mary¡¯s music room.

    A host of nobledies surrounded the queen, chatting about various gossip to the apaniment of gentle music.

    Queen Mary¡¯sdy-in-waiting, Countess Debreninac, suddenly said, ¡°Next week is Saint Nichs¡¯ Day; shall we hold the masquerade ball as usual?¡±

    Lady Sangbellon, standing at the edge, perked up at this; the Crown Prince would surely attend the Saint Nichs¡¯ Day ball. It was an opportunity.

    Countless experiences on the battleground of love shed through her mind, and she immediately spoke up with augh, ¡°Every year¡¯s masquerade ball is the same, everyone must be tired of it. This year, I have a great idea!¡±

    ¡°`

 Chapter 58: Sarabande Dance

    Chapter 58: Sarabande Dance

    The eyes of the nobledies immediately turned to Lady Sangbellon, and as soon as she proposed her idea for the ball, it sparked a wave ofughter and cheers.

    ¡°I think this idea is great,¡± Earl Debreninac was the first to affirm.

    Queen Mary smiled and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s very interesting, let¡¯s do it this way this year.¡±

    The nobledies all echoed one after another, ¡°This year¡¯s masquerade ball will definitely be spectacr!¡±

    ¡°Lady Sangbellon is truly full of wisdom.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to dance all night.¡±

    From that day on, a new face suddenly appeared in the Crown Prince¡¯s chamber.

    Charming and seductive, drawing every man¡¯s sideways nce, was none other than Lady Sangbellon herself.

    It was a tradition in the Pce of Versailles for grand nobles to serve Royal Family members, for instance, every morning when the Queen got up, it wasmon for the wife of a prince or duke toe help her dress.

    Though Lady Sangbellon¡¯s status was not extremely distinguished, she was still qualified to do some misceneous work in the Crown Prince¡¯s chamber. Especially after she gave some small gifts to the Crown Prince¡¯s maidservants, her presence could be seen everywhere except in duties assigned to specific hands.

    Lady Sangbellon was very skillful, often appearing within the Crown Prince¡¯s peripheral vision holding a vase or tablecloth, letting other maids shout her name, but never allowing the Crown Prince to notice her directly.

    Joseph had no idea that such a maidservant had been added; there were simply too many birds and swallows in the Pce of Versailles. But after a few days, he had grown somewhat ustomed to her presence.

    A week went by in the blink of an eye, and soon it was Saint Nichs¡¯ Day.

    Joseph stepped out of his study, extremely unwillingly, under the repeated urging of the maidservants.

    The Queen¡¯s maidservant, Earl Debreninac, came over personally holding a ck gown and called for all the maids to help.

    Joseph¡¯s face was even darker than the color of the gown, and if it had not been for Earl Debreninac, who was essentially the chief stewardess, watching over him, he might have already fled the Pce of Versailles.

    The maidservants clumsily removed his coat and trousers, and Earl Debreninac immediately gently pulled the ck gown over his head, then helped him stick his hands through the sleeves, and tightened the corset belt at the back of the dress with force.

    Joseph was in pain from being squeezed and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Gentle, gentle, I¡¯m suffocating!¡±

    ¡°The ball is about to start, Your Highness, please cooperate a bit,¡± Earl Debreninac put a semi-transparent silk shawl over him, took out a towering wig with feathers, and carefully ced it on his head, looking him up and down and nodding, ¡°Hmm, it fits very well.¡±

    Joseph looked at the gown on his body and could only think about giving a good beating to whoever came up with this idea¡ªhe had been a perfectly straight man in his previous life, only to be forcibly turned into a cross-dressing aficionado in the 18th century.

    Yes, the theme of this masquerade ball was ¡°gender switch,¡± with men dressing as women and women dressing as men.

    Joseph nced at his reflection in the mirror and could hardly bear to look; he shook his head and thought to himself, The French people really do y mboyantly.

    In fact, in some of the private balls of nobles of this era, shameless antics weremonce. Tonight¡¯s masquerade ball, however, was considered very proper.

    Luckily, Earl Debreninac did not force him to wear high heels, since those were not exclusive todies.

    When Joseph put on a mask and walked into the Hall of Mirrors in the Pce of Versailles like a zombie, a rhythmically upbeat sound of music immediately began to y all around.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Twenty-four huge Bohemian crystal chandeliers on the ceiling shone dazzling light, illuminating the hundreds of noble ¡°men and women¡± attending the ball who all turned their heads to look toward Joseph.

    The King and Queen had already arrived. Dressed in a bright red swordsman outfit and with a fake short beard stuck to her lips, Queen Mary looked at Joseph and chided, ¡°Miss, you arete.¡±

    Louis XVI wore a deep blue gown, holding a matching silk fan to cover his face, and nodded with a smile toward his son.

    Dressed as a shepherdess, the Chancellor stepped into the middle of the Hall of Mirrors, delivered a series of festive greetings, and then announced the start of the ball.

    Masked men and women started dancing to the music. Within a moment, seven or eight noble youngdies dressed in various men¡¯s attire rushed to Joseph¡¯s side, and curtsied, offering a hand, ¡°Esteemed miss, may I have the honor of a dance with you?¡±

    ¡°Would you care to dance with a police officer, madam?¡± The girl speaking was dressed in thetest Parisian police uniform.

    ¡°Miss, you know, I was the first to invite you.¡±

    ¡°Beautifuldy, please, dance with me¡­¡±

    Though Joseph wore a mask, it was apparent that he was recognized immediately by these fluttering noblewomen.

    ording to court etiquette, only those of higher status may invite those of lower status to dance, never the reverse.

    Moreover, it¡¯s traditionally the gentlemen who invite thedies to dance, but today¡¯s theme was gender reversal. Seizing the opportunity, these young women hesitated not a whit before pouncing on the prince of their dreams, His Highness the Crown Prince.

    In the end, a burly ¡°coachman¡± pushed the other girls aside and grabbed the still-confused Joseph¡¯s hand, dragging him to the center of the dance floor and cleared her throat forcefully, ¡°Ahem!¡±

    She must have given everyone the signal beforehand, as the surrounding nobles immediately stopped and circled around her and Joseph.

    The ¡°coachman¡± asked softly, ¡°Might I inquire, miss, which dance would you like to perform?¡±

    Feeling desperately awkward and following the expectant gazes around him, Joseph could only respond with resignation, ¡°The Sarabande.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± the ¡°coachman¡± signaled the musicians, and immediately a Bach dance tune filled the air.

    Joseph was led into the dance, his movements exceedingly clumsy from only a month of court dance lessons.

    The musicians stared at the Crown Prince¡¯s feet, desperately trying to match their apaniment to his steps, but clearly, it was a challenging task.

    If they knew the term ¡°Brownian motion,¡± they would certainly use it to describe the Crown Prince¡¯s dance.

    Soon enough, Joseph stepped on the ¡°coachman¡± three times and gave her an elbow¡­

    The girl in the police uniform took advantage of the ¡°coachman¡± rubbing her shoulder to step forward and steal Joseph away, ¡°Beautifuldy, what dance would you care for?¡±

    ¡°The Sarabande.¡±

    Joseph had no choice; it was the only dance he had learned.

    On with the music, on with the dance, and before long, the ¡°police officer¡± too had given up, reced by a ¡°cavalryman¡±: ¡°What dance do you desire?¡±

    Joseph sighed, ¡°The Sarabande.¡±

    And so, he danced the Sarabande for nearly an hour straight. Despite being harried by his poor dance skills, the noble maidens persisted valiantly, contending eagerly one after another.

    In a corner, Lady Sangbellon, dressed as a schr, watched with wide eyes as a throng of young girls surrounded the Crown Prince, irritatedly squeezing the ¡°Cartesian Geometry¡± in her hand.

    The idea for the masquerade ball was hers, meant to create a chance to flirt with the Crown Prince, but now she couldn¡¯t get anywhere near him¡ªthe noble youngdies were just too strong!

    Suddenly, she tossed aside the geometry book and sneered with disdain, ¡°Hmph! To think they couldpete with me with such meager skills.¡±

    She requested pen and paper from a servant, pondered for a moment, quickly scribbled a note, handed it to Viscount Vis, and signaled to Joseph.

    Finally, after Joseph had changed to his tenth dancing partner, Perna, who had been watching him silently in a cinched white coat, could no longer bear to see his distressed expression, stepped forward, and pushed away a ¡°woodcutter¡± who was about to invite him for a dance.

    ¡°The Prince¡¯s pneumonia has not yet fully healed; it is not advisable for him to engage in prolonged activity.¡±

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s right!¡± Joseph eximed as if he heard the music of heaven, perceiving Perna at that moment as if she were Queen Mary descended to earth, radiating a holy aura.

    He nodded at her gratefully, and like a man escaping his fate, squeezed out of the crowd.

 Chapter 59 - 59 I Want to Duel with You!

    Chapter 59: Chapter 59 I Want to Duel with You!

    Perna gazed at the Crown Prince¡¯s retreating figure, worried he might be upset over the dance, and wanted to follow but hesitated.

    Suddenly, she remembered her duty to monitor His Highness¡¯s health and, pursing her lips, she pushed through the ring noble maidens and chased after Joseph.

    Joseph tightened his mask, yanked off the bothersome shawl, and wriggled his way out of the crowd.

    He took a deep breath and wiped off his sweat. Taking the opportunity while the birds had not yet caught him, he hunched over and slipped out next to the great door of the Hall of Mirrors.

    The night air of Versailles Pce Square was cool and fresh. He stretched his arms and walked at a leisurely pace, feeling much relieved and secretly swearing in his heart never to attend such balls again.

    In the dim light of the courtyardmps, Eman, dressed as a maid, could barely make out the Crown Prince¡¯s figure and hurried over, ¡°Your Highness, why did youe out so early?¡±

    A graceful figure in a white robe arrived almost simultaneously from the other side, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±

    Eman turned, slightly surprised, ¡°Miss Perna, why are you¡­¡±

    His gaze swept over the two of them, and suddenly getting an idea, he cleared his throat, ¡°Ahem, Your Highness, I have a little matter to attend to on the other side.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Perna blurted out, her face flushing red, ¡°I just came to ask if Your Highness is feeling unwell!¡±

    Joseph hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just wanted to get some fresh air. Dancing is indeed exhausting.¡±

    Eman, realizing he might have misunderstood, nodded awkwardly, ¡°Ah, yes, thosedies are indeed too enthusiastic.¡±

    As the three of them stood in awkward conversation, they saw two figures approaching, mingled with the sound of a girl¡¯s sobs.

    ¡°No, Andre, you won¡¯t understand! If possible, I¡¯d trade everything for the time spent with you¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s voice replied, ¡°Oh, Emily, then please marry me! Sincepassionate fate has reunited us, I will not miss the opportunity again!¡±

    ¡°But you know it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± The girl tried to hold back her tears, speaking in fits and starts, ¡°My heart lets me bestow all my love upon you, but my reason tells me the entire Vr family still rests on my shoulders, I must put aside my love for you and turn to another man whose embrace leaves my heart locked.¡±

    ¡°My dearest Emily, I wish I could puncture my own ears not to hear your cruel words, and wish to blind myself not to see the sad tears flowing on your face! Do you know you appear in my dreams every night? I love you, and you love me, isn¡¯t that enough? Should we really let another innocent soul stand between us, to bear our painful feelings caused by this fickle fate?¡±

    The girl began to cry softly again.

    It seemed the young couple was at a critical point in their conversation, and not wanting to disturb them, Joseph nned to walk around them, but found his path blocked by arge topiary of trimmed shrubs behind him, and the couple upied the way ahead.

    Helplessly, he looked at Eman, who after scanning the surroundings, pulled him behind a maple tree.

    Perna hurriedly followed along.

    But the maple tree wasn¡¯t thick enough, with Eman¡¯s back pressed against the trunk, Joseph and Perna squeezed together, barely keeping out of sight.

    The moonlight was dim, and without close scrutiny, it was hard to detect anyone hiding there.

    The girl¡¯s sobbing voice grew nearer, ¡°Andre, not all love can be blessed with sunlight.

    ¡°You know, my mother values reputation too much, cares too much about the Duke¡¯s title, she¡­¡±

    The man hugged her tightly, ¡°Emily, I¡¯ve just earned a distinction on the battlefield, and now I¡¯ve been promoted to Lieutenant! Please believe me, in a few years, I¡¯ll have a status worthy of you!¡±

    The girl also wrapped her arms around his waist, shaking her head in agony, ¡°But my uncle keeps pressuring me to marry his son, I can¡¯t hold out much longer!¡±

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°No! You cannot marry him!¡± the man urged, ¡°Your mother wouldn¡¯t agree, would she?¡±

    The girl sighed, ¡°Do you know? Actually, it was my mother who suggested that my uncle transfer you to Soissons, to make me forget about you¡­¡±

    ¡°Andre? Soissons?¡± Joseph slightly frowned, then suddenly remembered the voice of the man, ¡°Is he Lieutenant Dawu?¡±

    Eman peeked out halfway, examining the seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl dressed in Crusader¡¯s attire under the dim gaslight, and mused, ¡°She seems to be the Duchess of Vir.¡±

    ¡°Duchess?¡± Perna eximed in a whisper, ¡°That girl is a duchess!¡±

    Eman nodded, lowering his voice as well, ¡°Do you know of Marshal Vir? The one who twice defeated the British at Stenkerque and Nerwinden, who routed Prince Eugene¡¯s forces and captured the former Austrian capital of Freiburg.¡±

    Perna nodded, she had naturally heard of the marshal whose fame resounded during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV.

    Eman continued, ¡°This Miss Marie Emilie is the great-granddaughter of Marshal Vir and the current Duchess of Vir. However, her father faced severe punishment during the Seven Years¡¯ War for negligence, causing a great decline in the family¡¯s strength. Still, the Vir name holds considerable prestige in the military, especially in the region of Mn.¡±

    At that moment, a tall, slender man dressed as a flower girl hurried over, and upon seeing Emilie, he immediately called out loudly, ¡°My dear Emilie, why have youe here? Come back with me, the ball isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    Emilie retorted coldly, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business where I go. Please leave.¡±

    But the ¡°flower girl¡± reached out to grab her, ¡°I am your fianc¨¦, how can I not care about you?¡±

    ¡°No! You are not my fianc¨¦, I have never agreed to it!¡±

    The ¡°flower girl¡± smiled, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time. Your mother will surely agree to your marriage with me! Without the thirty thousand livres from my father, your family probably couldn¡¯t even maintain the dignity of the Vir duchy.¡±

    From behind a maple tree, Perna puzzled, ¡°Thirty thousand livres is indeed a lot, but would the duchess¡¯s mother really marry her daughter off to a man she doesn¡¯t like just for the money?¡±

    Eman whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the assets and influence of the ducal family of Vir are managed by Major General Vir¡ªoh, that¡¯s Miss Emilie¡¯s uncle.

    ¡°It seems he has quite possibly usurped control from Miss Emilie and her mother, keeping everything firmly in his grasp.¡±

    Joseph sneered, ¡°Such cunning ns, to force his own son to marry Miss Emilie, then everything the Duchess of Vir possesses would be his.¡±

    Perna clenched her teeth in anger, ¡°Shameless! This is utterly shameless!¡±

    The ¡°flower girl¡± spoke, then nced at Andre nearby, with a mocking tone said, ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you that little officer from Soissons? You actually got to attend a ball at the Pce of Versailles, what¡¯s the matter? Still not giving up on my Emilie?¡±

    Andre had been invited to the ball as a reward for his military service. He red at the man, ¡°I am deeply in love with Emilie, and she loves me! I will not let her marry you!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha,¡± the ¡°flower girl¡± suddenlyughed, ¡°Someone like you aspires to marry the Duchess of Vir?

    ¡°Do you know how much it costs to run the Vir ducal mansion? Your meager sry would hardly suffice for two days.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Andre began to respond but was somewhat choked up.

    The ¡°flower girl¡± continued, ¡°Listen, even if Emilie were to marry you against all odds, it would only make the Vir family aughingstock. Her mother wouldn¡¯t be able to lift her head in front of the nobility, why?¡±

    He affected a patronizing tone, ¡°Oh, Lady Vir, I heard your daughter married a poor lieutenant with no significant title? How pitiable you are!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Andre¡¯s eyes burned with fury, and suddenly, he removed his glove and threw it to the ground, drawing his sword fiercely, ¡°I, Louis Andre Davou, challenge you to a duel!¡±

 Chapter 60 - 60 I Have a Friend Who Can Tell Fortunes (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

    Chapter 60: Chapter 60 I Have a Friend Who Can Tell Fortunes (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

    The ¡°flower girl¡± across from her sneered and also drew a sword from her waist, ¡°I, Honore Rocher de Vr, will make you remember today¡¯s lesson.¡±

    Almost all members of the Vr family were of military background, and this Rocher was no exception. He was a Major in the Bourges Legion, indeed possessing some courage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± Emily cried out in rm, ¡°Stop fighting, please!¡±

    However, once the two young men had drawn their swords, all they expected was to see each other¡¯s blood.

    Andre attacked first, his Swift Sword thrusting straight for his opponent¡¯s ribs.

    Rocher forcefully smashed down, pressing the tip of the sword towards the ground, and then took the opportunity to stab towards Andre¡¯s calf.

    Andre, who had actually been on the battlefield and seen blood, responded extremely quickly in a life-and-death moment, immediately retreating while wielding his sword upward.

    Rocher dodged in panic, seemingly not expecting the low-ranking officer to have such formidable swordsmanship. He immediately became more spirited and his movements quickened.

    Within the garden¡¯s floral beds, the dy in red¡± and the ¡°flower girl¡± shuttled back and forth among the shadow of swords, fighting to a stalemate.

    Joseph peered out from behind a tree, sensing that Andre had the advantage. But with the dim light, if one was not careful¡­

    A thought shed through his mind.

    First and foremost, he absolutely could not allow the future Marshal Dawu¡¯s elder brother to die here.

    Secondly, it was evident that Emily and her mother were being bullied, with their estate about to be plundered, and she was Andre¡¯s beloved; to not lend a hand to the young couple was utterly indefensible.

    Moreover, if Emily and Andre were to marry with his help, they would definitely be able to reim the power that belonged to the Duke Vr. The Vr family had considerable influence within Mn¡¯s military, and in the future, they might be a substantial support for him locally.

    ¡°Stop fighting¡­ Andre, be careful¡ª¡± Emily cried seeing the duelists, suddenly running forward, extending her hand to intervene between them.

    Both men were startled and hurriedly pulled back their swords.

    However, Rocher was a split second too slow, and his sword¡¯s tip grazed the girl¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Emily cried out in pain, looking down to see a gash, as wide as a finger, appear on her arm.

    Rocher hesitated for a moment, then proceeded to dramatically clutch his chest in front of the girl, ¡°Oh, dear Emily! I am so sorry, it was not intentional!¡±

    Andre, however, was so frightened that he grabbed his beloved¡¯s hand, speaking incoherently in his rush of worry, ¡°How, how bad is it? Are you seriously hurt? Why did you suddenly run over¡­¡±

    Joseph emerged from behind the tree as this happened, and Eman hastily stepped in front of him, addressing the two swordsmen, ¡°Please put away your weapons!¡±

    Perna promptly opened her small leather case, taking out her tools and approaching to tend to Emily¡¯s wound, relieved to see that it was not serious.

    Seeing the arrival of outsiders, and with Emily injured, Rocher realized they definitely could not continue fighting, so he wiped sweat from his forehead, sheathed his sword, and went to pull Emily, ¡°Hmph, consider him lucky. Emily, let¡¯s go back to dancing.¡±

    Joseph suddenly said in a cold voice, ¡°Excuse me, sir, why are you pulling Marshal Dawu¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Dawu¡¯s? Ha ha!¡± Rocher, not recognizing the disguised Crown Prince, immediately let out a scornfulugh, ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are. But he will never be able to climb to the status of Duke Vr.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Joseph smiled, ¡°Then let us make a bet.¡±

    Rocher paused, ¡°Oh? Bet on what?¡±

    ¡°If tomorrow Marshal Dawu is engaged to the Duke Vr, you will kiss his boots in public,¡± Joseph said, ¡°If they are not engaged by tomorrow, then Marshal Dawu will kiss your boots.¡±

    ¡°This is not proper¡­¡± Andre objected in shock, speaking out to stop it but then saw the young man winking at him.

    Joseph pointed to Eman and said, ¡°Marshal Dawu, please trust my friend here, he is proficient in prophecy. He has just urately divined that you will be engaged to thisdy tomorrow.¡±

    Eman: ¡°¡­¡±

    Andre felt a sense of familiarity with the voice and suddenly eximed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s the Cro¡­¡±

    Joseph immediately interrupted him with a forceful cough, ¡°Cough! As for this bet, what do you two think?¡±

    Although Andre had no idea at all, since the Crown Prince had said so, he gritted his teeth and nodded, ¡°I agree.¡±

    Rocher scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take that bet.¡±

    ¡°Good, please p hands.¡± Joseph then signaled to everyone, ¡°All of you present are witnesses, I hope you can uphold justice.¡±

    Rocher didn¡¯t take it seriously, gave Dawu a casual p, and then strode off.

    Andre wanted to ask the Crown Prince about his ns, but heard thetter say, ¡°I shall not disturb the precious moments of lovers. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    He could only suppress the doubts in his heart and watch the three people walk away.

    Only then did Emily remember something and hurriedly waved to Perna¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Thank you for treating my wound, may I know your full name?¡±

    Getting no reply, she sighed softly, turned around, and hugged Andre tightly, thinking that this might be theirst moment together.

    After walking a distance, Perna curiously asked Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, how are you going to engage Miss Emily and Mr. Dawu?¡±

    Joseph smiled slightly, ¡°I will persuade Miss Emily¡¯s mother.¡±

    ¡°Persuade?¡±

    Joseph gestured towards the Hall of Mirrors, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go find her now.¡±

    When the three returned to the Hall of Mirrors, the ball was reaching its climax, with everyone moving elegantly to the music.

    Joseph, fearing a siege, stood in a corner and sent Eman to find Emily¡¯s mother.

    No sooner had Eman left than a young man in a sequined dress edged closer, scrutinized Joseph up and down, and then stuffed a note in his hand, pointing to a woman on the second floor of the Hall of Mirrors pretending to be a schr, ¡°She asked me to give this to you.¡±

    Joseph nced suspiciously at the seductive woman, opened the note, and saw only one line: I know your greatest secret. If you want it to remain a secret,e to the second room at the end of the east side on the second floor of the south pce.

    The note was from Lady Sangbellon, who was adept at attracting men.

    Usually, the sess rates were not very high for those young girls who wrote bluntly, ¡°I admire you,¡± or forscivious nobledies who wrote, ¡°I wish to spend a splendid night with you.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn

    She knew that no one could resist a secret.

    Especially the secret of how someone else could know one¡¯s secret.

    She smiled smugly.

    She had enough confidence that once that thirteen-year-old boy entered her room, he would not want to leave!

    Joseph frowned¡ª his greatest secret?

    Of course, it was the fact that he came from another world.

    Could it be, that woman also traveled here like him?

    At that thought, he immediately turned and left the Hall of Mirrors, heading for the south pce.

    On the other side of the Hall of Mirrors, a young man dressed as a fairy watched Joseph¡¯s departing figure and couldn¡¯t help but narrowing his eyes: the Crown Prince had left behind hundreds of nobledies here, and it was his second time going out. What was he up to?

    After pondering briefly, he leaped up and followed.

 Chapter 61: I wonder if my lady is willing to share a seat and pillow with me tonight?

    Chapter 61: I wonder if mydy is willing to share a seat and pillow with me tonight?

    Joseph hastened to the southern wing of the Pce of Versailles, ascended to the second floor, and after navigating a long, narrow corridor, finally located the room indicated on the note.

    He tried pushing on the door and found it unlocked, so he simply pushed it open and entered.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived?¡± azy female voice drifted from what seemed to be the direction of the bedroom, ¡°Please close the door.¡±

    Joseph closed the door behind him, leaving a small gap, then walked towards the source of the voice.

    Upon turning into the bedroom doorway, he was greeted by a room bathed in the ambiguous pink light. Sprawled on therge white sofa in the center,y a woman who was close to thirty, or perhaps slightly younger.

    She was d in a grey schr¡¯s robe left open, covered with a semi-transparent veil, her skin pale, her hair fluffy, and her ample chest partially visible below her nearly falling clothes, yet in the dim candlelight, nothing was clearly discernible.

    Propping her cheek with her right hand, her eyes intoxicated with allure, shenguidly gazed at Joseph and, raising her left hand, beckoned him with her index finger, coyly saying withughter in her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,e here!¡±

    Joseph slightly furrowed his brows in confusion and raised the note in his hand, ¡°Madam, may I ask if you wrote this?¡±

    ¡°Yes~¡± the woman¡¯s voice oozed sticky sweetness.

    Outside the room, the ¡°little fairy¡± who had stealthily followed Joseph all the way to the doorway wiped sweat from her forehead after lifting her mask, revealing herself to be the Duke of Orleans¡¯ eldest son¡ªDuke of Chartres, Louis Philippe.

    He peeked through the gap in the door, the pink candlelight flickering inside. On tiptoe, he slipped into the room and, from the angle just past the bedroom door, caught sight of Lady Sangbellon, full of endless temptation, and the back of the Crown Prince.

    His heart began to race as he instantly grasped the situation¡ªa rendezvous between the Crown Prince and a supreme temptress like Lady Sangbellon. No wonder he had shown little interest in thedies at the ball, leaving twice, all for secret meetings with her!

    Worried about being discovered, he hurriedly tiptoed back out.

    In the room, Joseph looked at Lady Sangbellon and asked, ¡°What secret do you actually know?¡±

    The woman curled her finger again and, with a voice as soft as cream, said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing over? I want to whisper it in your ear.¡±

    Joseph frowned once more, sensing that something was amiss. After thinking it through, he decided to verify his suspicion by uttering the immutable code phrase, ¡°Is the unique unchanged?¡±

    Lady Sangbellon blinked in surprise, ¡°?¡±

    To be safe, Joseph asked another question, ¡°Which do you prefer, Brother Chicken or Queen Ka?¡±

    ¡°??¡±

    ¡°What is E=MC squared?¡±

    ¡°???¡±

    Joseph¡¯s brow furrowed even tighter, ¡°I have other matters to attend to¡ªif you do not reveal the so-called secret, I will leave.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Lady Sangbellon adjusted her posture, sitting up a bit more and teasingly tilting her head, ¡°I guess¡­ your secret is¡­ you¡¯ve never been with anyone, right?¡±

    Joseph let out a sigh; it appeared he had gotten excited for nothing, as the whole scene was apparently orchestrated solely to seduce him, and it was indeed done with great effort.

    He shook his head, turned around, and left for the door without hesitation. Not only was this olderdy not his type, but given his slender frame and being at such a critical phase of puberty, he definitely couldn¡¯t let this affect his growth.

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t go¡­¡± Lady Sangbellon hurriedly pulled her robe down a bit more, but all she heard was the ¡°bang¡± of the door closing behind him.

    She was on the verge of questioning her existence, looking down at her body, which seemed wless. This should be irresistible to any man, a fact she had verified countless times. Yet the Crown Prince had just asked a few questions about ¡°Brother Chicken¡± and ¡°MC¡± before leaving so abruptly!

    He had left!!

    She had no idea that her seduction techniques, although absolutely top-notch at the moment, were nothingpared to what Joseph had experienced in the action-packed blockbusters from the future Fusang Country. How could such scenes even be enough to cloud his mind and make him lose his reason?

    After Joseph had walked away, the Duke of Chartres stepped out from behind a pir, frowned as he made some calctions, and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a mocking smile, ¡°Hmph, is the Crown Prince done just like that? He spent what, at most three minutes inside? Such a waste.¡±

    Just as he was about to leave, Lady Sangbellon¡¯s tempting figure suddenly appeared in front of him, prompting him to swallow hard.

    If the Crown Prince was that quick, how could he possibly have satisfied Lady Sangbellon? With this thought, a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

    Why not, I¡¯ll go show her what a real man is like!

    The more he thought about it, the more pleased with himself he became, certain that after experiencing his ¡°endless prowess,¡± Lady Sangbellon would surely be thoroughly disappointed in the Crown Prince, and might even dump him.

    Joseph, I¡¯ll let you taste the bitterness of losing a lover! He sneered coldly and strode through the door into the room.

    He was confident that Lady Sangbellon wouldn¡¯t refuse him; before the Crown Prince hade into prominence, he was the target of enthusiastic pursuit by the youngdies of the Pce of Versailles!

    In the room, Lady Sangbellon was still doubting herself when she heard footsteps and immediately felt a surge of joy.

    Hmph, the Crown Prince still ys his games, doesn¡¯t he? But here hees back again, obediently.

    She let out a light hum that could melt bones, ready to greet the Crown Prince but was surprised to find the Duke of Chartres instead.

    She instinctively pulled up the gauze nket, ¡°You? What brings you here?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The Duke of Chartres, already flushed with excitement by everything around him, immediately stepped forward and grabbed her hand, breathing heavily with urgency, ¡°Lady Sangbellon, you are like the twinkling stars in the sky, deeply captivating my eyes. And like the oak tree in the courtyard, you have taken deep root in my heart¡­¡±

    With her wealth of experience, Lady Sangbellon knew exactly what was on the mind of this young man just two sentences in.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think of the Duke of Orleans¡¯ immense wealth, realizing that getting involved with his son might be a good choice as well, and it could also mend the cracks in her self-confidence caused by the Crown Prince.

    She gently caressed the young man¡¯s hair and giggled, ¡°Is that so? Then prove it to me¡­¡±

    In the room, light veils flew, the crescent moon stirred into the clouds, breaking up the watery night sky.

    After a while, the Duke of Chartres walked out of the room, rubbing his lower back with lingering satisfaction, took out his pocket watch, and revealed an extremely proud expression, ¡°44 minutes! Humph, how can that good-for-nothing Josephpare to me?

    ¡°After a few more visits to Lady Sangbellon, she will surely lose interest in Joseph!¡±

    ¡­

    In a resting room next to the Hall of Mirrors, Joseph had already changed out of the ck gown from the ball and into his everyday attire, while Lady Vr sat respectfully across from him in a simple yet dignified dress.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about that young man from the Dawu family?¡± she asked with some surprise, ¡°You know him?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Joseph replied with a smile and a nod, ¡°In fact, I have quite a good rtionship with the Dawu family.¡±

    Lady Vr nodded thoughtfully, not having expected the seemingly insignificant Dawu family to have connections to the Crown Prince.

    Joseph continued, ¡°I asked you here to talk about Lieutenant Dawu and the future of the Vr family.¡±

    ¡­

    Half an hourter, Lady Vr walked out of the resting room, took a deep breath as if having made up her mind, and nodded firmly.

 Chapter 62: Mulan Infantry Regiment

    Chapter 62: Mn Infantry Regiment

    The following day.

    Many nobles of the Pce of Versailles received invitations to attend a small ball that evening. The ball was hosted by Madam Vr.

    No one declined because they had danced the night before¡ªattending a ball every night for a month wasmon for them, but a ball hosted by Madam Vr was not.

    The fact that the Duke Vr was having financial difficulties was an open secret.

    At 9 P.M., guests gradually arrived at the modest ballroom. After the host delivered some warm-up remarks, music filled the air. The current Duke Vr, which is to say, Marie Emilie, with a stranger¡ªa young man¡ªtook the lead in the center of the hall, presenting the opening dance to everyone.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    As everyone whispered to each other asking who the young man was, Madam Vr, beaming with a smile, asked everyone to look her way and then loudly announced that her daughter, the Duchess Vr, would be engaged to Louis Andre Davout in three days.

    The crowd was astounded, for nobody knew who this Dawu fellow was.

    Soon after, a nobleman finally heard about Dawu¡¯s origins from his servant:

    ¡°It is said that he¡¯s an obscure little baron serving as a lieutenant in the Soissons Regiment.¡±

    ¡°Why would the Duchess Vr marry him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that this Dawu is quite favored by the Crown Prince, but seems to have nothing else remarkable about him.¡±

    ¡°Thed has certainly hit the jackpot¡­¡±

    Madam Vr did not offer any further exnation and instead warmly invited everyone to continue dancing to their heart¡¯s content.

    In a room of the Pce of Versailles, a young nobleman, breathless, pushed the door open and, disregarding any sense of decorum, shouted at Rocher, ¡°The, the Duchess Vr is getting engaged!¡±

    Rocher stood up in surprise and asked, ¡°Engaged? Has she epted my father¡¯s suggestion?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all! It¡¯s with a lieutenant named Davout!¡±

    Rocher felt a darkness before his eyes and quickly rified the source of the news before storming out of the room.

    Duchess Emilie, with a radiant smile, looked at Andr¨¦ Davout before her and danced gracefully. Their steps were so in sync that they resembled two butterflies yfully entwining in the grass.

    She felt as if all this was simply too surreal, like a dream. She had prepared herself to settle with fate and marry a man for whom she felt nothing, but then, justst night, her mother had unexpectedly said she should get engaged to Davout.

    She couldn¡¯t help but recall the conversation she had with her mother at the time.

    ¡°Lieutenant Dawu is highly esteemed by His Highness the Crown Prince, and he has now been transferred to the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard as an officer, essentially bing His Highness¡¯s personal confidant and bodyguard.

    ¡°Moreover, His Highness has also said that should Mr. Dawu distinguish himself on the battlefield, he will request from the King himself to bestow the title of Viscount or even Earl upon him!¡±

    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t have much money, and our financial situation¡­¡±

    ¡°No, His Highness the Crown Prince said he guarantees Dawu has a substantial sum of money, at least 50,000 livres.¡±

    Her mother lowered her voice: ¡°Most importantly, His Highness said that Mr. Dawu is exceptionally capable. If you marry him, His Highness will give his full support to help you reim everything from Noetta that belongs to you!¡±

    The Noetta mentioned by her mother was Emilie¡¯s cousin. Although the fortune left by the ancestors of the Vr Dukes had diminished in her father¡¯s generation, they still possessed several dozen hectares ofnd¡ªnot the titrnds of the Versailles nobility but real fiefs,plete with tenant farmers and seigneurial rights!

    And the immense influence and appeal of the Mn Infantry Regiment. Although the Vral Duchess line has only one female heir left, with little to no contact with the military, a summon in the name of the Duchess would surely gather a crowd within the regiment.

    It was by using the name of the Vral Duchess that her uncle reached the rank of Major General.

    No wonder her mother ultimately chose to have her marry Andr¨¦;pared to a life of humiliation under her uncle¡¯s charity, her mother preferred to restore the glory of the Vral Duchy!

    Sitting opposite Emily, Andr¨¦ also had a multitude of thoughts. Last night, his Highness the Crown Prince had summoned him, informing him of the consensus reached with the Vral family for his marriage to Emily.

    The Crown Prince had also generously lent him 50,000 livres for the wedding and future living expenses, interest-free, with repayment at his discretion.

    However, the Prince also left him with a task, which was to help his future wife reim all the resources rightfully belonging to the Vral Duchy and, using the foundation of the Mn Infantry Regiment, train an elite army.

    He was now holding Emily¡¯s tender little hand,pletely enveloped in joy, wondering how he could ever thank the Crown Prince¡ªperhaps turning the Mn Regiment into an invincible force would be the best repayment!

    Suddenly, Rocher burst in, causing a hystericalmotion like a clown, but was gently coaxed out by Lady Vral¡ªtoday was a joyous asion, and everyone should handle matters calmly and peacefully, even disgusting and rude intruders.

    Andr¨¦ saw Rocher glowering at him with venom in his eyes but paid him no mind, quietly pointing to his own boots instead.

    ¡­

    Inside the Crown Prince¡¯s study, Fouche respectfully presented Joseph with a list.

    ¡°Your Highness, these are the members recently recruited by the Police Affairs Department, a total of one hundred and seventy-six people.¡±

    Fouche¡¯s eyes were bloodshot; in preparation for the Police Affairs Department, he had slept only about four hours a day, yet the taste of power kept his spirits exhratingly high:

    ¡°Most of them were former Royal Police officers, and some are retired soldiers and the like. As per your orders, I have strictly screened them to ensure they have no serious criminal records and no bad habits.¡±

    Joseph flipped through the roster, which listed each name along with basic background information and specialties.

    He couldn¡¯t possibly remember all these people, but it was a necessary process to show that he was the real controller of this intelligence agency.

    Joseph didn¡¯t know how Fouche had managed to recruit so many people in just over a week and form a preliminary organization, but it was clear that appointing him to head the Police Affairs Department was the right decision.

    He looked at Fouche and praised, ¡°Your work is indeed very effective; you are an exceptional manager.¡±

    ¡°So can you tell me when the Police Affairs Department will be ready to start operations?¡±

    Without hesitation, Fouche replied, ¡°Now, immediately, Your Highness.¡±

    Joseph nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Your efficiency truly amazes me. Now, there are two things that need your immediate attention for investigation.¡±

    Fouche immediately took out paper and pen, standing to attention, ¡°Please give your orders, Your Highness.¡±

    Joseph said, ¡°I wonder if you are aware of the former Director of Paris Police, Gizo, coborating with gang members to create chaos in the Saint Antoine District, and the plot to attack the police station?¡±

    Fouche nodded, ¡°Yes, I have heard of this matter.¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling there are others involved in this affair, but Gizo has always taken all the me upon himself. The first matter for you to investigate is whether someone else is behind Gizo and what their motives might be.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

 Chapter 63 - 63 Gradually Leveraging the Political Sector

    Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Gradually Leveraging the Political Sector

    ¡°Another matter, not long ago, Ravel Bank and Labod Bank suddenly wanted to suspend the long-standing loans with the government and nearly caused a default on the national debt.¡±

    Joseph said, looking at Fouche, ¡°These two banks¡¯ refusal to lend would only cost them profits, so there must be other reasons behind their actions. I need to know the inside story.¡±

    Fouche immediately bowed and said, ¡°Yes, I will investigate this matter as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Joseph added, ¡°I have some leads that I think might be useful.

    ¡°When I first sought a position in the financial system, the Duke of Orleans did everything in his power to thwart me, and ultimately Her Majesty the Queen had to send me to the city hall.

    ¡°Later, when I took over as the assistant Finance Minister, Archbishop Brienne, worried about myck of experience, demanded that he oversee all financial affairs, while the Duke of Orleans insisted that I handle the government lending matters.¡±

    ¡°Then came the issue of the banks¡¯ refusal to lend.¡± Fouche, who was taking notes, paused, ¡°It seems that I need to conduct a thorough investigation into the Duke of Orleans.¡±

    He paused, looking at the words ¡°Duke of Orleans¡± on his notes, and frowned slightly, ¡°Your Highness, the Duke of Orleans possesses many privileges. And currently, the Police Affairs Department is a department under the Police Headquarters, with only police authority. As you know, as police, we are not permitted to inquire into the affairs of the Royal Pce.¡±

    ¡°Please continue,¡± Joseph said.

    ¡°What I¡¯m thinking is that if the Police Affairs Department could borrow some of the Royal Police¡¯s authorities, at least those pertaining to postal services, then the progress would undoubtedly be much faster.¡±

    Joseph gave him an approving look; he had been considering this too, and it seemed Fouche hade to the same conclusion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to do that.¡±

    He nodded to Fouche, then emphasized, ¡°However, the Police Affairs Department can¡¯t solely rely on authority to obtain intelligence. It cannot be a simple replica of the Royal Police; relying on intelligence techniques and establishing a vastwork of information is fundamental.¡±

    Fouche immediately ced a hand over his chest and bowed his head, ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±

    As night fell, arge expanse of gauzy canopies was erected on the northernwn of the Pce of Versailles. The melodious sounds of bagpipes and ordions wafted through the air, mixed with bursts ofughter, filling the atmosphere with rxation and peace.

    This was an open-air cocktail party.

    Joseph did not particrly enjoy attending such social events. Usually, they were filled with rumors and lewd jokes. He would just show his face and then leave swiftly.

    However, today the head of the Secret Police, Count Robel, happened to be there, so he stayed a little longer.

    In a corner of the party, by a small table, Robel, holding a wine ss, said with a troubled expression, ¡°Your Highness, as you know, there really is no precedent for this kind of thing. I¡¯m afraid it has to be discussed in a Cab meeting¡­¡±

    Joseph interrupted him with a smile, ¡°Please rest assured, I will report to the King and Her Majesty the Queen. And the Royal Police has nothing to do with those Cab Ministers.¡±

    Establishing such a significant intelligence agency, he had to inform the Queen anyway; otherwise, if their tasks collided with the Secret Police, they might end up fighting each other.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Seeing Robel¡¯s evasive attitude, Joseph sighed inwardly¡ªthe Secret Police were the greatest power in Robel¡¯s hands. Although there was the favor of sharing stocksst time, it seemed it was not enough to make him share some of his privileges.

    He had no choice but to use the bait he had prepared in advance:

    ¡°Count Robel, I have always felt that the Royal Police have been treated unfairly.¡±

    Robel was startled, the subject had shifted abruptly, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask in bewilderment, ¡°Your Highness means?¡±

    Joseph spoke earnestly:

    ¡°The Royal Police are always shouldering the safety and security of France, making many great sacrifices for France, yet to this day, they are just a small department within the Police Department. This is too unfair!¡±

    ¡°I believe that the Royal Police should have been made independent a long time ago, as a department on par with the Police Department, and should not even be under the jurisdiction of the Minister of the Interior!¡±

    ¡°In fact, the Royal Police are directlymanded by His Majesty the King and there¡¯s absolutely no need to involve themselves with the internal affairs system.¡±

    At this time in France, the police and intelligence systems were still intertwined and, as per tradition, part of the internal affairs system. In actuality, it wasn¡¯t until Napoleon¡¯s era that the intelligence systempletely separated from the police, and sometimes the head of intelligence would also manage the police system.

    This meant that the position level of the Secret Police was greatly limited¡ªyou couldn¡¯t hold a higher rank than the Director of Police Services as a subordinate department of the Police Department, could you?

    Count Robel¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this. If the Secret Police could be independent from the internal affairs system, wouldn¡¯t his position skyrocket from the so-called ¡°State Counselor¡± to ¡°Minister of Intelligence¡± or ¡°Minister of Security,¡± earning him a seat at Cab meetings!

    He quickly suppressed his excitement and asked:

    ¡°Your Highness, is thising from Her Majesty the Queen, or¡­¡±

    Joseph smiled, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s me, and it¡¯s a consensus with Count Mono.¡±

    Count Robel was somewhat surprised: The Minister of the Interior was nominally the direct superior of the Secret Police. If he agreed to the independence of the Secret Police, the resistance to this move would be halved, and with the Crown Prince¡¯s support, the chances would be even greater.

    He cautiously looked at Joseph, ¡°Has Count Mono promised your Highness anything?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Joseph shook his head but said with confidence, ¡°I can assure you, he will agree.¡±

    The funding for the Secret Police came from the King¡¯s private coffers and waspletely beyond the control of internal affairs, which was in reality of little value to Mono.

    In Joseph¡¯s future financial revenue increase ns, many would involve matters of internal affairs such as real estate development, public transportation, and the like.

    These projects were the real interests of the Minister of the Interior. Joseph was certain that faced with these interests, Mono would not hesitate to discard the unimportant concerns.

    And Joseph intended to use these interests to maximally leverage the politicalndscape to his advantage.

    Count Robel¡¯s eyes squinted slightly, his years of experience in intelligence work telling him that the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t merely speaking off the cuff.

    He hesitated only for a moment before raising his ss with a sincere smile, ¡°Your Highness, the Police Headquarters gathers intelligence also for the security of France, serving His Majesty the King, which aligns perfectly with the goals of the Royal Police.

    ¡°I believe that in many areas, we can cooperate and support each other.¡±

    Joseph also smiled, ¡°For example, by sharing some minor authority.¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    Joseph clinked his ss gently with his, ¡°To the future Minister of Intelligence, Your Excellency.¡±

    ¡­

    The British Ambassador to France, Hartley, finally received a reply from London.

    He slit open the envelope with a letter opener and took out the cipher book kept close to his person, carefully decoding the message.

    The letter discussed many of his recent tasks, but thest two points were of particr importance to him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    First was to confirm as soon as possible the true stance of the Crown Prince of France towards Ennd, and whether he was as Anglophile as rumored. If so, efforts should be made to court him and use his influence to affect France¡¯s policy towards Ennd.

    Second was to increase as much as possible the Crown Prince of France¡¯s aversion to Prussia, and encourage him to adopt a tough stance towards Prussia.

    The antipathy of the Crown Prince of France towards Prussia was well known; he had uttered in a Cab meeting that ¡°a war with Prussia is inevitable.¡± So, as a troublemaker under the code name Blue Star, how could Britain not stir things up here?

 Chapter 64: The Eden Covenant

    Chapter 64: The Eden Covenant

    ¡°`

    For the first task, Hartley had already set things in motion and now, having received instructions from London, it was merely a matter of sending more people to probe into the Crown Prince of France¡¯s political inclinations.

    From the Crown Prince¡¯s opposition to the expansion of the navy, Hartley deduced that he was, at the very least, not anti-British, so it was possible to arrange rtions with him as soon as possible.

    It was said that the Crown Prince was also a mathematician of considerable ability. Hartley quickly decided to send a schr to make contact with him.

    As for the second item, it was a bit of a headache.

    After Prussia retracted its troops from the Nethends, its interactions with France were not that frequent.

    After much thought, he found no good angle to exploit; at most, he could spread rumors or smear. It seemed that he could only wait for a better opportunity to arise.

    Hartley carefully put away the secret letter and immediately convened a meeting with his subordinates to instruct them on all the matters mentioned in the letter.

    ¡­

    Bright and early, Joseph weed a distinguished guest.

    His mentor for a day¡ªthe ¡°Prince of Mathematics,¡± Mr. Lagrange.

    In fact, Lagrange would visit the Pce of Versailles to teach every other day. Buttely, Joseph had been busy all over the ce, and the two hadn¡¯t seen each other at all.

    After exchanging polite greetings, the old mathematician slid an exquisitely crafted invitation across to Joseph, earnestly persuading him for quite some time. The gist was that he wanted him to attend an academic conference two dayster.

    Actually, Joseph had already received two invitations from the French Mathematical Society, but he¡¯d been too busy to attend and had declined both.

    Half a month prior, Lagrange had formalized and published Joseph¡¯s extension of Rolle¡¯s theorem. By now, he had gained some fame in the French mathematicalmunity.

    At the same time, the Mathematical Society wanted to leverage the Crown Prince to expand its influence, so they brought out a master like Lagrange to extend the invitation.

    Since his teacher had personally requested it, it was difficult for Joseph to refuse again, so he promised he would certainly attend.

    The next day, in the Saint-Germain District of Paris, within the luxurious vi of the noble widow Madame Joison, dozens of schrs from the fields of mathematics and physics stood up to pay their respects to the Crown Prince.

    In that era, the lines between physics and mathematics were not so clear. Physicists often mingled with mathematicians.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    An official from the mathematical society delivered an enthusiastic speech and introduced the Crown Prince at great length before officially opening the conference.

    One after another, people took the stage to present, with most of the content focusing on cutting-edge mathematical topics of the time, and the atmosphere was quite serious.

    More than an hourter, the conference moved into a free discussion phase, and servants began to continuously bring out various delicacies, spreading the aroma of beverages and snacks throughout the room.

    Laughter and lively conversations filled the air as the meeting scene turned into something simr to a mathematical salon.

    Joseph had intended to leave, but Madame Joison, the hostess, kindly brought him a cup of fine red tea and enthusiastically pushed him to the centermost seat. Clearly, the attendance of the Crown Prince greatly honored her.

    Sitting beside Lagrange somewhat reluctantly, Joseph sipped the fragrant hot tea and listened to an elder with white hair to his left describe his ideas on the derivation of a discrete probability distribution within probability theory.

    After the elder had spoken, a buzz of discussion erupted. Joseph could vaguely make out that the elder¡¯s statements hinted at something simr to the Poisson distribution, though it was still a good distance from a finished product. Hmm¡­ he wondered if Poisson had even been born yet.

    Soon after, Lagrange stood with his manuscript and began to expound his theorems and ideas linking functions to their derivatives. Since his in-depth discussion with Joseph about Rolle¡¯s theorem, he had deeply studied the subject and recently made significant breakthroughs.

    The audience likewise gave him high praise and engaged enthusiastically in the discussion.

    Subsequently, several other schrs spoke. While they did not have the depth of the previous two masters, most had clever approaches and novel perspectives, offering substantial academic value.

    Just then, a young schr wearing a dark grey short coat cleared his throat, drawing everyone¡¯s attention before starting a speech on the negative influences of Protestantism on science.

    Joseph, quite surprised, whispered to Lagrange for confirmation that this man was not a member of the clergy but an assistant professor of physics from the University of Paris.

    Having finished his speech, the young professor unexpectedly won bursts of apuse. Everyone present, except for a few including Lagrange, praised and expressed their agreement with his views loudly.

    From there, the discussion took a somewhat skewed turn.

    A short, plump middle-aged man talked vehemently about the industrial espionage perpetrated by the British against French science and technology, iming that such actions cost France tens of millions of livres annually.

    Joseph frowned slightly. In this age, the absence of patentws meant that it wasmon for Ennd and France to steal each other¡¯s technological achievements. However, France tended to steal more from Ennd, contrary to what the round man suggested. Plus, such talk seemed somewhat inappropriate for an academic conference.

    But the others apparently didn¡¯t think so, as they quickly started a barrage of criticisms against the Brits, with sneers and insults filling the air.

    The brown-haired young man sitting behind and to the right of Joseph loudly recounted the leading history of France in academic matters, item by item, denouncing the British for giarizing French achievements, and finally expressed his scorn for the British academicmunity through gritted teeth.

    ¡°`

    Someone cried out excitedly:

    ¡°Therefore, the British will never surpass France in the world of science!¡±

    ¡°Indeed, look at their foolish papers, iming that light is a wave, ha ha!¡±

    ¡°They alwayse up with suchughable stuff, and are so pleased with themselves.¡±

    ¡°Only France can lead the progress of science; it is the will of the Lord!¡±

    The French academicmunity was still very arrogant at the time, and coupled with the age-old enmity between Ennd and France, denouncing Ennd had be politically correct.

    ¡°Has Britain ever had a great schr? No!¡± The brown-haired young man eximed excitedly, waving his hands.

    Then, he looked at Joseph, seeking support and bending forward, said, ¡°Your Highness, you agree, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Joseph sighed, shook his head slightly, and whispered, ¡°They have Newton.¡±

    The room grew quiet, and dozens of eyes turned to Joseph as if they didn¡¯t expect the Crown Prince to speak for the British.

    Joseph thought for a moment, then stood up, as the atmosphere and those arguments just now had made him ufortable: ¡°Actually, Britain also has manymendable aspects in science.

    ¡°Besides Newton, I think everyone is familiar with Mr. Taylor, whose Taylor series is often used in calcting trajectories.

    ¡°And Maurin¡¯s ¡®Structural Geometry.¡¯

    ¡°In fact, more often than not, Mr. Watt¡¯s steam engine might bring even more astonishing impact; in the textile field, all of France has already felt that threat.

    ¡°Speaking of textiles, an Englishman not long ago invented an automatic loom¡­¡±

    A middle-aged man with spirited eyes and arge nose said softly, ¡°Cartwright.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, Cartwright.¡± Joseph nodded, ¡°If this loom isbined with the steam engine, it will be a crushing blow to the entire world¡¯s textile industry.

    ¡°France indeed has many very excellent schrs and has made astonishing academic achievements, but we must also see that, in many ways, the British have actually moved to the forefront¡­¡±

    His reason for saying this was to remind the French schrs present that the battle for the Industrial Revolution was imminent, and the next technological explosion wasing.

    Steam engines and textile technology are areas that must be focused on; they will be the core pirs that determine the Industrial Revolution.

    Being caught up in France¡¯s past academic glories or envying the progress of the British will only lead to aplete loss in the Industrial Revolution.

    After he finished speaking, the room suddenly grew cold, and for a time, no one stood up to speak, as if caught in the struggle between arrogance and reality.

    The middle-aged man with a big nose approached Joseph¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Your Highness, what you said was excellent! I didn¡¯t expect you to be so knowledgeable about Ennd.¡±

    Joseph nodded and smiled at him.

    The middle-aged man continued, ¡°Some years ago, I thoroughly investigated British industry and technology for the Anglo-French trade negotiations. Just as you mentioned, Britain has gained a lead over France in many technologies. It¡¯s a pity that insightful people like you are too few; most are still indulging in arrogance¡­¡±

    ¡°Trade negotiations?¡± Joseph looked at the middle-aged man, ¡°May I ask who you are?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my excitement has made me forget basic courtesies; I¡¯m really sorry. My name is Dupont, Pierre Dupont.¡±

    That name was too familiar. Joseph immediately asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who participated in the American Independence negotiations and run apany in the chemical industry?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, Your Highness,¡± Dupont said, surprised, ¡°You know me?¡±

    Joseph internally nodded to himself, realizing this was indeed the well-known industrialist Dupont he had encountered here.

    ¡°I have heard of you.¡±

    So, the two began to talk about British industrial technology, and soon the topic shifted to Anglo-French trade negotiations.

    ¡°Your Highness, ever since the death of Count Vergena, our negotiations with the British have stalled¡­ The Single Tax n has also failed to be implemented,¡± Dupont said with concern, ¡°You are aware that the negotiations are actually iplete, and the ¡®Eden Treaty¡¯ that has been signed is very disadvantageous for France.¡±

    What he referred to as the ¡®Eden Treaty¡¯ was the Anglo-French trade treaty that was just signedst year, in which both sides made a series of restrictions on tariffs¡ªFrance significantly reduced tariffs on British industrial goods, while Britain reduced tariffs on French wine and some agricultural products.

    As a result, French industry lost tariff protection and was battered by the technologically superior British. The increased sales of French wine and agricultural products could not make up for the huge losses in industry.

    Joseph nodded, ¡°This treaty was signed under very inappropriate conditions, causing disastrous effects on French industry.¡±

 Chapter 65: The Master of Public Opinion (Seeking Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 65: The Master of Public Opinion (Seeking Monthly Pass)

    Dupont nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with agreement: ¡°Yes, Your Highness, this is indeed a disastrous treaty. After the reduction of tariffs, arge number of textile workshops in Lyon have closed down, and the steel industry is also in jeopardy, leaving thousands of workers unemployed.¡±

    He continued speaking for a while longer as officials from the mathematics society began delivering their concluding remarks on stage, announcing the end of the academic conference.

    The attendees respectfully made way, allowing the pathway to be clear for the Crown Prince, the most distinguished person present, to leave first.

    Joseph bid farewell to Lagrange and a few other schrs before turning to walk towards the door.

    Dupont hurriedly caught up with him, cautiously saying, ¡°Your Highness, during the original negotiations, the British had already agreed in principle to the ¡®single tax n.¡¯ If the negotiations could continue, perhaps France could secure even more favorable terms.¡±

    He was one of the presidents of the French Chamber of Commerce, responsible for northern France, and also a major capitalist. The reduction of industrial tariffs by France had a very significant impact on him personally. Encountering the Crown Prince today, who was well-acquainted with Anglo-French technological industrial conditions, he naturally seized the opportunity, no matter how small the possibility, to try his utmost to facilitate the modification of the treaty.

    Dupont had been involved throughout the Anglo-French trade negotiations. From his earlier conversation with Joseph, it was clear that the talks were initially led by the Foreign Minister, the Count of Vergena, and the Finance Minister, Viscount Carolina.

    But now, one of these two men was deceased, and the other had been dismissed over the tax legition affair, causing the negotiations to halt, but a preliminary ¡°Eden Treaty¡± was signed.

    Considering the current situation, the British had already reaped tremendous benefits and certainly wouldn¡¯t want to modify the treaty. At present, the only solution was to quickly enhance France¡¯s industrial strength andpetitive edge.

    Of course, employing certain strategies to scrape out some minor benefits from the trade negotiations should still be possible.

    Thus, he stopped in his tracks and said to Dupont, ¡°I will bring this matter up in the Cab meeting, striving for the trade negotiations to resume as soon as possible.¡±

    Dupont was overjoyed and promptly bowed, saying, ¡°Your Highness, you are the savior of countless French industries! You are truly great!¡±

    As Joseph left Madame Joce¡¯s vi, a young man who had attended the academic conference, seemingly lost in thought, stumbled ahead with his head down, inadvertently heading straight towards him.

    Eman, quick to react, hurriedly intercepted him.

    It was only then that the young man with the horse-like face realized that he had almost run into the Crown Prince. With a look of panic, he ced his hand on his chest and apologized, ¡°Oh, Your Highness, I did not mean to offend you.¡±

    He spoke in English.

    Joseph, instinctively, responded in English as well, ¡°It¡¯s all right, you didn¡¯t bump into me.¡±

    The horse-faced young man offered another apologetic smile, still speaking in English: ¡°You see, I was born in Birmingham, and I just revert to my hometown dialect when I¡¯m nervous.¡±

    Joseph made a courteous remark, ¡°Birmingham is a nice ce.¡±

    The horse-faced young man beamed with gratitude and said, ¡°Thank you for thepliment. Oh, I was listening to your lecture, and it seems you hold Ennd in high regard.¡±

    Joseph, thinking the young man was trying to ingratiate himself, casually praised his hometown a few words, ¡°Well, British industrial technology is progressing very rapidly. (That¡¯s a fact)

    ¡°And they are very skilled at international politics and diplomacy. (Natural troublemakers)

    ¡°When ites to cooking, they¡¯re quite innovative. (Dark cuisine)

    ¡°Furthermore, the British are very practical and thrifty. (Old-fashioned and stingy)¡±

    Excitement shed in the young man¡¯s eyes as he was about to say something more, but Eman, standing nearby, cleared his throat with a cold expression.

    The young man with the horse-like face could only offer an awkward smile, bowed again, and said, ¡°I won¡¯t keep Your Highness any longer. Have a safe journey.¡±

    He watched Joseph depart, then immediately boarded his own carriage and headed straight for the British Embassy in France.

    ¡°You mean to say that the Crown Prince of France has been conversing with you in English?¡± Hartley looked at his subordinate with some surprise.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Hartley,¡± the young man with the horse-like face asserted firmly, ¡°his English is very fluent, and he has a high regard for Ennd. At the academic conference just now, he publicly refuted remarks that ndered Ennd.¡±

    He then repeated Joseph¡¯s words in detail.

    Hartley¡¯s expression turned contemtive; the French people, especially the Royal Family, were quite hostile towards Ennd and didn¡¯t deign to learn English. Latin was their preferrednguage. This made a Crown Prince who knew English very exceptional indeed.

    All signs were increasingly pointing towards one conclusion: the Crown Prince of France must be very pro-British, or at least he held Ennd in high esteem.

    If Joseph knew what he was thinking, he would definitelyugh out loud¡ªlearning English was a necessity for his academic studies. As for a fondness for Ennd? Don¡¯t make himugh; in his previous life, he had a strong dislike for Ennd, the troublemaker marked by the Blue Star, and now he thought daily about how to deal with France¡¯s greatest enemy.

    Hartley fumbled for the armrest of his chair, more convinced than ever that he needed to establish contact with the Crown Prince of France as soon as possible. He took out paper and pen and wrote a letter, which he instructed his subordinate to deliver to ady at the Pce of Versailles.

    After the subordinate took his leave, Hartley was reminded of London¡¯s instructions to sow discord between Prussia and France. He ordered an attendant to prepare a carriage and then set off for the Royal Pce.

    ¡­

    The Duke of Orleans looked at the newspaper the butler had just brought and couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly.

    The ¡°French Messenger¡± newspaper filled two entire pages with a detailed introduction to the tax uses in the taxw recently rejected by the High Court. Everything from the reasons behind the levying of the tax, who would be taxed, to the impact the taxation would have on the country, was exined in very simple terms.

    There was also a feature article by a journalist, narrating the King¡¯s efforts to implement the new taxw. However, it only mentioned that the taxw was proposed by the former Finance Minister Carolina and had been rejected by the High Court twice. Clearly, there was more toe.

    He then picked up another newspaper with simr content.

    ¡°Archbishop Brienne has finally gotten smart,¡± the Duke of Orleans said with a smile.

    Sincest year, when Carolina proposed the new taxw, the French Government had been intent on enforcing thew by authoritarian means. When met with resistance, they resorted to continuouspromise without realizing the need for public support through propaganda.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It was only now that the Finance Minister had finally begun to drum up support for the taxw in the newspapers.

    Truth be told, the new taxw did not overly affect the lesser nobility andmoners, especially after the recent amendments, which targeted primarily the great nobility. With the right publicity, it was bound to gain broad support across France.

    The Duke of Orleans tossed the newspaper aside, his face full of contempt. He and the banking magnates were plotting to use the rejection of thew by the court to push for Brienne¡¯s dismissal; they had no intention of allowing him to shape public opinion.

    ¡°To think of using newspapers to pressurize the High Court¡ªBrienne¡¯s idea is too simplistic,¡± he said with augh and a shake of his head.

    After years of investment and courtship, nearly half of Paris¡¯s newspaper and ¡°pamphlet¡± industry was under his control, and, aligned with the great nobility associated with him, they nearly dominated the entire publishing and printing industry in Paris.

    At this moment, his word was the direction of public opinion!

    He was the master of public discourse!

 Chapter 66 - 66 The Story of the British Ambassador

    Chapter 66: Chapter 66 The Story of the British Ambassador

    A ck carriage made its way to the front of the Royal Pce.

    The guard immediately approached to stop it, ¡°This is the Royal Pce. Please state your name.¡±

    The coachman took out a small copper tag and shed it. The guard promptly opened the gate and bowed his head, saying no more.

    The carriage went directly to the east side of the Royal Pce and stopped. A person dressed in a ck robe, with the brim of the hat pulled down very low, quickly walked up the steps and entered through the door with great familiarity.

    The Duke of Orleans was seated at a desk, pondering a matter in his head, just about to put pen to paper to write a letter, when he heard the voice of the butler from outside the door, ¡°My lord, Mr. Hartley, the British Ambassador, has arrived.¡±

    ¡°Let him in.¡±

    After a moment, the door was pushed open, and Hartley, dressed in ck, gestured with a hand over his chest toward the Duke of Orleans, saying with a smile all over his face, ¡°Oh, Philippe, my old friend! It has been some time since west met.¡±

    The Duke of Orleans nodded with a smile, ¡°Dear David! What brings you to me today?¡±

    After exchanging pleasantries, Hartley got to the point, ¡°Philippe, as you know, London is always giving me trouble. And here in Paris, I can only rely on you, old friend.¡±

    ¡°Speak openly if you need something.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to publish something in the newspapers.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯vee to the right person,¡± said the Duke of Orleans with augh, ¡°Tell me, is it an advertisement, or some kind of notice?¡±

    ¡°Uh, to be precise,¡± Hartley spread his hands, ¡°it¡¯s about publishing some stories.¡±

    ¡°Stories?¡±

    ¡°Some tales about the Prussians,¡± said Hartley. ¡°For example, a story of Duke Schwarz of Prussiapeting with Earl Filson for Queen Mary.¡±

    ¡°Duke Schwarz? I didn¡¯t know there was a¡­¡±

    Mid-sentence, the Duke of Orleans suddenly broke into an understanding smile, ¡°Oh, I see, never mind if there¡¯s a Duke Schwarz or not, the crux is the story with the Austriandy.¡±

    Hartley nodded, ¡°You are indeed a clever man. There¡¯s also a story about Baron Ramos of Silesia having a secret rendezvous with Princess Therese.¡±

    Silesia had by then been incorporated into Prussia. Princess Therese was the eldest daughter of Louis XVI, Joseph¡¯s sister. And, of course, everything Hartley said was sheer fabrication.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Duke of Orleans casually added, ¡°Baron Ramos¡¯s female ve was taken fancy to by the Crown Prince during his secret meeting, and it¡¯s said she is now with child.¡±

    Hartley¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°If you were a screenwriter, you would be famous all over Europe. Let¡¯s do it this way, please get these published as soon as possible.¡±

    All these matters touched upon the honor of the Royal Family, and without the Duke of Orleans¡¯ connections, they simply would not appear in the newspapers.

    The Duke of Orleans smiled slightly, ¡°This won¡¯t be an easy thing to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I came to trouble you, aren¡¯t all the newspapers in Paris under your control?¡±

    The Duke of Orleans nomittally said, ¡°The money I investedst time in the British automated loom industry, a sizable part of it is still under review.¡±

    Hartley nodded, ¡°I can help hurry that along for you. You know how inefficient those government officials can be.¡±

    The Duke of Orleans finally showed a look of satisfaction, ¡°Then I¡¯m counting on you. As for those stories of yours, they should soon bemon knowledge.¡±

    Not long after, Hartley left.

    The Duke of Orleans immediately wrote letters to several major newspapers under his control, mainly to arrange how to deal with the tax legition issue, and in the end, he mentioned the story of the British Ambassador as well.

    ¡­

    At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Joseph¡¯s carriage left the Paris Police Academy and hurried back to the Pce of Versailles.

    He now had to study at the Police Academy two to three times a week, mainly taking sses on tacticalmand, military cartography, and logistics.

    He was well aware that with the deepening of the Industrial Revolution, the European continent would begin to destabilize, with the redistribution of interests between old and new powers, leading to endless wars.

    Only by mastering sufficient military knowledge could he ensure the security and stability of France.

    At this time, France did not yet possess the attribute of capitting at the speed of light, it was even quite martial; a king who could lead France to victory would be adored by all French people, wielding supreme authority.

    Even if he did not personally go into battle to fight, at the very least he needed to know which battles could be fought and which could not.

    Therefore, he had to study the basic military courses, and at the same time, he could give feedback to the military instructors at the Police Academy.

    Topics like infantry-artillery cooperation, cavalry-artillery cover, concentrated use of artillery, and even military theories such as grand envelopment that had not yet emerged. Although he could not teach them thoroughly, they were like opening the doors to a new world for the instructors.

    With a concept and general direction in ce, they could continue to refine and perfect it, and then incorporate it into the military training curriculum.

    A few days ago, Dibowa had already arrived at the Police Academy to take charge of the ¡°Strategic and Tactical Research Office¡±. He was very surprised why a school that trained police would study strategy and tactics, but he dly epted the position nheless.

    After he saw Joseph¡¯s advanced military theories, hepletely understood the necessity of this research office¡ªthe level of military theory at this Police Academy was absolutely much higher than that of the Paris Military Academy! He felt fortunate in his heart to be valued by the Crown Prince and to be stationed at this military school, oh no, it should be Police Academy.

    A ¡°Police Academy¡± equipped with arge number of military horses, as well as three four-pound cannons and one eight-pound cannon¡­

    Joseph sat in the jolting carriage, silently repeating to himself about the spring suspension he had not had the time to deal with yet, and casually picked up the newspaper on the small table in front of him to browse through.

    Recently, the propaganda about the tax reform bill had been very effective. In just a few days, he had heard people discussing the new tax uses on the streets of Paris.

    If this trend continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the grand nobles of the Assembly of Notables found it difficult to stir up public opinion to oppose the Royal Family.

    However, when he saw the front page of the Voice of the City newspaper, he couldn¡¯t help but frown¡ªthe top story for that day was about the murder of a noblewoman.

    He then snatched up the Paris News, and to his surprise, the front-page headline was, ¡°New Tax Legition, Brian¡¯s Attempt to Arbitrarily Impose Taxes?¡±

    Joseph¡¯s face darkened as he read on; the article was full of sophistry, twisting concepts, portraying the tax legition as arbitrary impositions by the Royal Family due to excessive extravagance, likely to have a very negative impact.

    He mmed the newspaper on the table angrily, How could such a thing pass the news review?! What were those reviewers doing¡­

    He then realized that the news review was a subordinate department of the High Court, and since the High Court was opposing the tax reform bill, they naturally turned a blind eye to such messy articles.

    Joseph looked at the France Messenger newspaper, and not unexpectedly, its front page headline was, ¡°The High Court Refuses Registration! This May Be the Victory of Freedom!¡±

 Chapter 67 - 67 Press Association

    Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Press Association

    Joseph picked up ¡°The Citizen¡¯s Daily¡± again and unfolded it, the front-page article essentially said: the new taxw had not undergone strict scrutiny and was concocted by the former Finance Minister Carolina out of thin air. If implemented, it would have unpredictable effects on France.

    The several other newspapers conveyed more or less the same message, essentially beating around the bush and attacking the taxw with all kinds of absurd reasons.

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help but think of those unscrupulous self-media ofter generations¡ªyou talk reason to them, they talk history. You talk history to them, they get sentimental.

    Anyway, all sorts of twisted logic were thrown around, simply avoiding a direct and straightforward discussion of the issue itself.

    He looked for a long while but found only one paper, ¡°Paris News,¡± that continued to publish an analysis of the taxw.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    When he turned to the author¡¯s name, he saw it was signed ¡°Jean-Paul Marat.¡±

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. If this Marat was the same figure as one of the core leaders of the Jacobins during the great Reign of Terror period, this was a perfect irony.

    The only voice for the Royal Family¡¯s taxw turned out to be the future Jacobin leader, the most ruthless and relentless opponent of the Royal Family.

    By the time Joseph had roughly flipped through the newspapers on the table, his face was as dark as water.

    Overnight, articles introducing the taxw had disappeared, and the entire press was strikingly unified, starting to viciously attack the taxws.

    Someone must be pulling the strings behind this.

    Overtly opposing the Royal Family.

    Arrogant, utterly arrogant!

    Joseph red at those newspapers, his fists clenched tightly. It was just some news agencies, after all. Since they dared to be so troublesome, let them taste whether the royal hammer was hard enough!

    He was so focused on the taxw that he didn¡¯t notice the article tucked away in the corner of ¡°The Citizen¡¯s Daily¡±¡ªseemingly an introduction to the lives of the nobles at the Pce of Versailles, but subtly hinting that a ¡°Duke of Schwarz from Prussia¡± might be Queen Mary¡¯s lover.

    In Joseph¡¯s hands, these newspapers withrger circtions were still rtively reserved. On some of the smaller papers, there were already numerous articles published insinuating scandals about Queen Mary or Princess Therese and their ¡°Prussian lovers.¡±

    And pamphlets with more explicit descriptions were increasingly appearing in the streets and alleys of Paris.

    The so-called ¡°pamphlets¡± were a very unique kind of publication that were mostly circted in secret to avoid regtion.

    These pamphlets, of low print quality and cheap price, focused on ¡°the three vulgarities¡± and thus had a very wide audience, selling much more than newspapers.

    Joseph had intended to go directly to discuss with Robel how to deal with the wicked press, but by the time he returned to the Pce of Versailles it was already past nine in the evening, so he had to suppress his anger for now and wait until tomorrow.

    ¡­

    At the office of ¡°Paris News,¡± a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and deep nasbial folds hurried into the editor-in-chief¡¯s room with just-printed proofs in his hand: ¡°Mr. Darmanin, why wasn¡¯t my article analyzing the rtionship between the taxws and the people published?¡±

    The editor-in-chief, wearing silver-rimmed sses, looked up with an apologetic smile: ¡°Mr. Mara, it¡¯s the demand of the Press Association. They say that disclosing too much of thew could subject the court to too much external interference.¡±

    Mara protested loudly, ¡°But it¡¯s the taxes French people have to pay; the people have the right to know the details!¡±

    The editor spread his hands: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really can¡¯t help it. I must adhere to the rules of the Press Association.¡±

    After arguing his point for a while and seeing that the editor was resolute, Mara left in anger: ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Darmanin. There will surely be newspapers willing to publish my article!¡±

    The editor looked after him helplessly and shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen¡­¡±

    The next day.

    After a simple breakfast, Joseph set off for the office of the head of the Secret Police.

    No sooner had he arrived at the entrance when he heard the angry voice of a young girl emanating from inside, ¡°These vile, disgusting, low-life scum! How could they concoct such shameless lies?!¡±

    Seeing the Crown Prince arrive, the guard at the door promptly bowed and pushed open the grand doors for him.

    Joseph entered the office to find a youngdy slightly older than himself, hands on hips, ring furiously at Count Robel.

    The girl was not tall, dressed in a white, wide-skirted dress, with a hint of baby fat on her face, skin delicate and porcin-like, and a pair of eyes as clear and bright as sapphires.

    A name immediately sprung to Joseph¡¯s mind¡ªMarie Therese. Louis XVI¡¯s eldest daughter, the Princess of France, his own dear sister.

    Joseph remembered she had been unwell and was convalescing in the more suitable environment of Meudon Castle; how had she suddenly returned to the Pce of Versailles?

    Hearing footsteps, Therese turned around, and upon seeing Joseph, she quickly curtsied before breaking into a warm smile, ¡°Joseph, my dear brother, it¡¯s so wonderful to see you. Has it been three months since west met?¡±

    Joseph ced a hand on his chest in a gesture of respect, ¡°It has been a long while, dear sister. Why have you returned, and how is your health?¡±

    ¡°How could I note back?¡± Therese said as her face set into a scowl again, ¡°It¡¯s all because of those detestable rumors that torment me every single moment!¡±

    ¡°Rumors?¡± Joseph looked at Robel in surprise.

    ¡°Those tabloids like the Paris Post, The Spectator, and such. And pamphlets.¡±

    Seeing Joseph shake his head, Robel pulled out two newspapers from the desk, flipped to a particr section, and, after a cautious nce at Therese, handed them to Joseph.

    Joseph quickly skimmed the papers and his brow furrowed immediately.

    Several articles hinted or insinuated that recently a Prussian noble had arrived in Paris, and was having an improper rtionship with the Queen and the Princess. One even mentioned that he had been involved with a brown-skinned female ve.

    Therese said angrily, ¡°Since the afternoon beforest, these shameful publications have been appearing in the newspapers! I had no choice but to rush back.¡±

    She looked at the head of the Secret Police again, ¡°Count Robel, as you heard from Her Majesty the Queen just now, we must severely punish the rumor-mongers!¡±

    So she had already gone to Queen Mary toin.

    Robel immediately nodded, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. In fact, I had already dispatched people to deal with it yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Did you shut down those newspapers?¡±

    Robel hurriedly said, ¡°No, Your Highness, that¡¯s certainly not possible.

    ¡°However, we confiscated the printing tes of a few newspapers like the Paris Post and fined them heavily. Oh, and we arrested the editor of The Joyful One; he is currently being questioned.¡±

    Therese was far from satisfied, ¡°They insult the Royal Family, and they only receive such a light punishment?¡±

    The head of the Secret Police seemed quite helpless, ¡°Your Highness, the truth is, there are no words that directly insult the Royal Family in their text.

    ¡°I know, the content is full of innuendos that can easily be misunderstood, but the court will definitely not rule the newspapers at fault for this.¡±

 Chapter 68: Control Public Opinion, Use It for My Benefit!

    Chapter 68: Control Public Opinion, Use It for My Benefit!

    Robel continued, ¡°Your Highness, if we forcibly shut down the newspaper office without the court¡¯s support, public opinion will be extremely unfavorable to the Royal Family¡­¡±

    ¡°As you know, a few years ago there was a fuss over something called ¡®freedom of the press¡¯. The Royal Police arrested some people, and as a result, arge number of articles criticizing the Royal Family emerged. In the end, His Majesty had to release them.¡±

    This was the peculiar situation in France at the time.

    Under the guidance of the nobility, novelists and tabloid journalists frequently fabricated ¡®little stories¡¯ about the Royal Family. And as long as these people weren¡¯t caught red-handed, they wouldn¡¯t encounter any trouble. For themon people, reading various scandalous anecdotes about the Royal Family had be a routine pastime.

    On the contrary, any sign of dissatisfaction from the Royal Family would be seized upon and blown out of proportion, leading to all sorts of criticism.

    In the end, it was the result of the Royal Familypletely losing control over the narrative in public discourse.

    Seeing that Therese remained silent, Robel carefully added:

    ¡°Moreover, Your Highness, shutting down a few newspaper offices won¡¯t have much effect. Close one, and two more will spring up, continuing to fabricate rumors. Even if all the unofficial newspapers were shut down, as the old King Louis XV once did, they would continue with pamphlets¡­¡±

    ¡°Actually, Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s point just now was to try to control the situation as much as possible. Of course, if there is concrete evidence, we must severely punish the rumor-mongers.

    ¡°Look, like the editor of ¡®The Joyful One¡¯, I found a manuscript of rumors bearing Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s name in his office and arrested him immediately. But for the other newspapers, we don¡¯t have evidence yet.¡±

    Therese red at him, indignantly saying, ¡°If the newspapersck evidence of insulting the Royal Family, those pamphlets must have some, right?

    ¡°I heard from Dati that those are full of undisguised insults against my mother and me! Why don¡¯t you arrest them?¡±

    Robel replied with a pained expression, ¡°Your Highness, those pamphlets are typically written by one or two people in dim basements, then secretly taken to print, making them very difficult to find¡­¡±

    Therese fell silent at once.

    As far back as she could remember, she had heard all sorts of rumors defaming the King and Queen, which had never ceased. She also knew that if the Secret Police could catch those people, they would have acted long ago.

    Joseph, frowning deeply, hade here with the intention of using the Secret Police to deal with the newspapers attacking the tax bill.

    But Robel¡¯s reminder had made him realize that matters were far from simple.

    At the moment, the Nobility Group was likely just waiting for the Royal Family to use force, and then they would immediately incite public opinion, connecting the tax bill to issues of the ¡®Royal Family¡¯s abuse of power¡¯. This would make the tax bill even more problematic.

    The judiciary and public opinion supported each other, and the nobility had a firm grip on this aspect. It was no wonder that when Louis XVI was guillotined back then, he had no chance to defend himself.

    Therese¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened, and she curtseyed slightly to Robel, saying, ¡°Earl Robel, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have lost my temper with you, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    Robel hastily said, ¡°I understand your anger, Your Highness, there is no need for apologies.¡±

    Therese, with tears brimming in her eyes, took her plump blue-gray Chartreux cat from her maid¡¯s hands and turned to walk out of the room.

    Joseph wanted to go up andfort her, but for a moment he didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He really wanted to disregard everything and raid those unscrupulous newspapers, but reason told him that he would fall into the trap of the Nobility Group.

    Just as Robel had said, shutting down one newspaper would lead to countless others, and behind them, pamphlets.

    Even during the most stringent control of public opinion under Louis XV, journalists arrested and put in prison quietly started a ¡®newspaper¡¯ behind the high walls. It was also during that time that liberal thinkers like Rousseau and Montesquieu emerged like bamboo shoots after the rain.

    By this time, France had already been baptized by Enlightenment thought, and the concept of freedom of the press had deeply rooted in people¡¯s hearts, making it impossible to control with absolute power as had been done in the past¡­

    As he reached this conclusion, Joseph suddenly froze.

    No, he realized he might have been led into a facy by his anger.

    Why control public opinion with absolute power?

    The goal should not be to control public opinion but to harness it, to have it work for me rather than attempting to eliminate it!

    With this thought shing through his mind, Joseph felt as if a light shone before him, and his thoughts broadened.

    Just then, Therese¡¯s maid passed by him. He reached out and pulled her aside, whispering, ¡°Please tell my sister that I will make all the rumors vanish and ensure that the people who started them will apologize to her.¡±

    Surprise flickered in Dati¡¯s eyes. Although she believed the Crown Prince was merely trying to console the princess, she nodded gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I will be sure to convey your message to the princess!¡±

    Joseph took his leave from Robel and walked towards his own quarters, pondering the ways to control public opinion.

    As someone from the modern era who had experienced the fights among various entities on inte tforms, he knew well that ultimately, it¡¯s all about the size of the audience.

    If your voice can be heard by 90% of people and others can only influence 10%, then what you say bes the truth!

    The media in this era were essentially newspapers, books, pamphlets, and the like. So, how can these be leveraged to quickly increase one¡¯s audience?

    He immediately thought of how Master Jin drove his nascent newspaper, ¡°Ming Pao,¡± up the bestseller lists in a short period using ¡°The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.¡±

    In the 18th century, people had few entertainment options, yet he had many powerful ¡°weapons¡± at his disposal, each of them not any less mighty than ¡°The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.¡±

    In terms of content, even if all the newspapers and publishers in Europe were tethered together, they would be no match for him.

    Therefore, he needed his own publication first, and then to overwhelm his rivals with superior content, quickly spreading it among readers.

    With this in mind, he immediately said to Eman, ¡°Please help me gather information on all the newspapers and printing workshops in Paris, the sooner the better.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    Eman turned and left, while Joseph continued to fall into deep thought: after having the content, the next step would be pricing and distribution channels¡­

    Various ns gradually took shape in Joseph¡¯s mind, and his frown slowly smoothed out. It was just a battle for public opinion, after all. Bring it on.

    The Royal Family had abandoned the ground on public opinion for so many years. It was time to take it back!

    Before three in the afternoon, Eman came hurrying back, dusty and weary, cing arge stack of documents respectfully in front of Joseph.

    These were the detailed files of all the newspapers in Paris. Newspapers were required to be registered with the court, and since registration data were not confidential, they were easy to obtain.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Joseph carefully perused the information of all 57 newspapers in Paris and various printing workshops, eventually setting his eyes on the Paris Commercial News.

    It was a small newspaper with a cirction of only about 800 copies, but it met his needs perfectly.

 Chapter 69 - 69 Competitive Advantage (Asking for Monthly Votes)

    Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Competitive Advantage (Asking for Monthly Votes)

    First, the Paris Commercial News had no aristocratic backing.

    The newspaper¡¯s owner was a merchant from Marseille, inheriting the family business, and he was the sole shareholder.

    Secondly, the newspaper¡¯s business was not very optimistic, having applied twice in a year for a dy in tax payment, so there should be a willingness to sell.

    Finally, and most importantly, the Paris Commercial News owned a veryrge printing workshop, which seemed to be intended to run a printing business for other newspapers as well, though evidently this aspect had not brought in much profit.

    Joseph decided then and there, it would be this one.

    He wanted to enter the publishing industry, and the most direct approach was to acquire an existing newspaper.

    After that, he screened a few other options, and by the time he finished, twilight had fallen.

    Early the next morning, Joseph went straight to the Paris Commercial News office in the northern part of Paris to discuss the acquisition and, of course, to inspect the newspaper¡¯s situation for himself.

    The Paris Commercial News was located in a district that was not bustling, but a veryrge building by the river was extremely conspicuous.

    A sign for ¡°Paris Commercial News¡± hung on the building¡¯s main entrance. From a distance, one could hear the noisy bustle from inside. Over at the back, ck wastewater was being discharged continuously into the river.

    Joseph first looked around the newspaper office, and that huge building was the printing workshop, which contained no fewer than seven printing presses.

    The craftsmen in the workshop pulled the levers over a meter long on the printing machines, pressing nk sheets of paper against the basete.

    When they lifted the levers again, a newspaper had been printed.

    Around them, dozens of workers were busy with inking, drying, and transporting, their movements quick and precise, obviously experienced hands.

    After Joseph had looked over the storeroom and editorial room, he had a general understanding of the overall situation of the newspaper and was quite satisfied. So, he took the opportunity to stop an editor and expressed his desire to meet with the newspaper¡¯s owner.

    The editor quickly led them upstairs to an office on the second floor, pointing to a slightly overweight middle-aged man in a dark green vest wearing sses: ¡°This gentleman is Mr. Denico.¡±

    Upon seeing visitors, Denico immediately rose to greet them, smiling as he bowed, ¡°Wee, esteemed sir. May I ask if you are looking to ce an advertisement, or would you like something printed?¡±

    Joseph disliked dawdling, and after returning the greeting, he got straight to the point, ¡°Mr. Denico, I am interested in acquiring your newspaper.¡±

    Denico immediately sat back down in his own chair, waving his hands as he eximed, ¡°Please go back, not for sale.¡±

    Seeing that Joseph didn¡¯t move, he raised his voice, ¡°Leave, or else I will have you removed!¡±

    Joseph nced at Eman, thinking ording to the clich¨¦ in the movies, shouldn¡¯t you stand up and say something like, ¡°How rude! Do you realize that you are standing before His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince?¡±

    However, Eman apparently had no intention of intervening.

    Joseph had no choice but to pretend not to hear and continued, ¡°Can you tell me why you won¡¯t sell?¡±

    Denico muttered, looking down, ¡°I promised my father that I would run this newspaper well.¡±

    Joseph exhaled and sat down on the chair opposite him, smiling, ¡°I offer 150,000 livres for the acquisition. Moreover, you can still manage and run the newspaper.¡±

    He had brought an ountant with him and had already made a rough estimate. The newspaper was worth about 120,000 to 140,000 livres, mainly for the real estate and the printing workshop.

    Denico was taken aback; in fact, the newspaper had been running at a loss for over a year, and he thought it would be good to sell for just over 100,000. He hadn¡¯t expected this young man to offer such a high price.

    He began to struggle internally but still shook his head, ¡°No¡­ My father instructed me before he left¡­¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°160,000 livres.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°170,000, myst offer.¡±

    ¡°Paid in full?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°170,000 livres¡­ Are you sure¡­ you want to acquire my newspaper, sir?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Joseph signaled his ountant to show the newspaper owner proof of his bank assets worth 170,000 livres.

    Denico stared into Joseph¡¯s eyes, confirming he wasn¡¯t joking, struggled for a good while, then suddenly rxed his shoulders, revealing a resolute expression, ¡°Oh, alright, it¡¯s yours then.¡±

    He thought to himself: Dear father, you can¡¯t me me, he simply offered too much¡­

    Joseph¡¯swyer immediately took out the contract that had been prepared in advance and handed it to both parties to sign. Afterward, the ountant went with Denico to the bank to settle the payment.

    The efficiency of banks during this era was originally not high, and on top of therge amount, the procedures took over two hours toplete. All the payments had to wait three more days before they were entirely settled.

    On the way to the bank, Denico had already inquired about Joseph¡¯s identity from the ountant and felt that he had struck it lucky today. Not only had he made arge sum of money, but he had also made a connection with the Crown Prince.

    When he returned, he became exceedingly respectful, repeatedly assuring Joseph that he would definitely manage the newspaper well for the Crown Prince.

    Joseph encouraged him and asked, ¡°May I ask how the newspaper¡¯s profits were before?¡±

    Denico hesitated and said, ¡°You know, nowadays people love reading those tabloid news. It¡¯s quite difficult for newspapers like ours that focus on liberty and ideals¡­ um, we lost 1,200 livres this year, but in the first half ofst year, we still made a few hundred.¡±

    Fearing the Crown Prince might change his mind, he quickly added, ¡°Actually, when business was okay in the previous years, we used to make a thousand livres annually.¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you an annual sry of 1,000 livres, plus 5% of the newspaper¡¯s total profit as a bonus.¡±

    His acquisition of the newspaper was entirely for winning the war of public opinion, and Paris Commercial News was going to be his important base of operations. Therefore, it was crucial to stimte the enthusiasm of the management as much as possible, binding their interests with those of the newspaper.

    Denico couldn¡¯t believe his ears¡ªselling the newspaper meant he no longer had to worry about losses, and now he was going to receive such a high sry!

    The Crown Prince was like a godsend to rescue him!

    He was so moved that he repeatedly pledged loyalty and swore to do his utmost to satisfy the Crown Prince, to make the newspaper quickly profitable and grow stronger!

    Then he heard Joseph say that he intended to increase the sry of the newspaper¡¯s management and core craft workers by 20%. He immediately urged, ¡°Your Highness, the newspaper is still losing money, it¡¯s not appropriate to increase the expenses by such arge amount.¡±

    Joseph smiled. The man was indeed diligent and responsible, immediately thinking of saving money for his employer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the business situation will improve very soon. Do as I say.¡±

    Joseph didn¡¯t linger on the issue of sry and immediately brought up a serious matter:

    ¡°Mr. Denico, how many skilled te-making craftsmen does the printing workshop currently have?¡±

    The current newspaper printing technology was quite rudimentary, with the text segment using movable type made from lead, which was rtively cheap.

    All pictorial content required copper te intaglio printing technology, where the craftsmen etched onto a copper base, one detail at a time, before fitting it into the movable type assembly, or printing it separately. Because the engraving was veryborious and time-consuming, this was the most expensive part of the printing process.

    Without hesitation, Denico said, ¡°Your Highness, the workshop currently has five te-making craftsmen, among whom three have over ten years of experience and are quite renowned in the Coppersmiths Guild.¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°Please prepare some fine-textured chalkstone tes for me, cut to the size of a drawing board, and polish one side until smooth. I¡¯ll need about 40 pieces. Bring those three craftsmen to the Pce of Versailles¡ªI have a task for them.¡±

    Chalkstone is a type of limestone,monly seen as a building material and inexpensive.

    Denico, surprised, said, ¡°Chalkstone? Are you nning to repair the floor?¡±

    Joseph smiled slightly and shook his head, ¡°To be used for lithographic printing.¡±

    Denico¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You mean to say, print using stone tes?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Joseph was well aware that simply having high-quality content wasn¡¯t enough to dominate the publishing industry. One must tackle cost, distribution channels, and other aspects to leave no chance for thepetition to retaliate.

    My newspaper features brilliant content, and costs just 1 sou, or even only 8 deniers. Your newspaper has mundane content and costs 4 sous. What can you use topete with me?

    Regarding cost control, stone te printing, also known as lithography, was a major asset.

    Due to cheap raw materials and simpler, quicker te production, the cost of stone te printing was only one-fifth or even one-tenth of the current copper te printing!

    Another tool for reducing costs was the cheap papermaking technique¡ªusing wood as the raw material for making paper. If produced on arge scale, it could reduce the cost of paper by 70%. Historically, this paper-making technique even triggered a newspaper revolution in Ennd.

    Armed with these two technologies, Joseph had ample confidence to push the price of his newspaper to less than a fifth of the current cost while still making a profit.

    Of course, the technology required for cheap papermaking was more demanding, and he wasn¡¯tpletely certain of sess, but stone te printing wasn¡¯tplex, and experienced te-making craftsmen should be able to master it quickly.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After that, Joseph instructed Denico on some other tasks that needed to be done in the near future, such as increasing the newspaper¡¯s staff, stockpiling more ink and paper, and designing a brand-newyout for a publication called ¡°News and Pictures.¡±

    Having roughly arranged the newspaper¡¯s affairs and seeing that twilight was approaching, Joseph, before leaving the newspaper, casually asked Denico, ¡°Is there arge paper mill nearby Paris?¡±

    Denico immediately pointed northeast, ¡°Saint Antoine Town has one. Your Highness, half of the paper used in Parises from there.¡±

 Chapter 70 - 70 Stone Tablet Printing Technique

    Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Stone Tablet Printing Technique

    ¡°`

    The Pce of Versaillesy to the west of Paris, while Saint Antoine Town was in the northeast. To avoid shuttling between the two¡ªwhich was primarily because he simply couldn¡¯t stand the bumps of a carriage ride¡ªJoseph spent the night dealing with business at the President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce¡¯s ce. The next morning, he headed directly to Saint Antoine Town.

    This small suburban town of Paris somewhat resembled a ¡°special economic zone¡± and was the only ce around Paris that wasn¡¯t influenced by various guilds. Craftsmen could find work here without having to join any guilds.

    As they could save on guild membership fees, the wages that craftsmen expected were slightly lower. Arge number of workshops looking to cut costs took root here.

    After years of development, Saint Antoine Town was now filled with workshops, gathering thousands of craftsmen and their families.

    Joseph had Eman find a guide to take him on a tour of several paper-making workshops in the town, but he began to frown more and more with each visit.

    Those smaller workshops hardly had the conditions to experiment with new paper-making technologies.

    Thergest workshop, which had more than two hundred craftsmen, was quite sizable, but the workshop owner, Leviang, was not willing to try new paper-making techniques.

    After all, new technology required a significant investment for production trials, and the results were unpredictable, carrying great risk.

    Joseph did entertain the idea of biting the bullet and buying the workshop to do it himself, but he ultimately gave up on it.

    Leviang¡¯s workshop cost at least 500,000 livres, andunching low-cost paper production technology would also require an investment.

    Because Joseph had been frequently exercising his ¡°financial ability¡± recently, his fortune, which had amounted to more than 2.3 million livres just a while ago, had now shrunk to a mere 700,000 or so.

    If he used all of it to purchase the paper workshop, he would immediately find himself in a difficult situation should other needs for money arise.

    Therefore, after weighing his options time and again, Joseph realized that he could only put aside the matter of the low-cost paper-making technique for the time being until his financial situation improved.

    However, this result was also within his expectations. After all, industries like paper-making, which wererge-scale with high output value, could notplete technological changes overnight.

    One should know that if one couldplete the industrial upgrade of the paper industry and spread its adoption across the country, it could even give a significant boost to the economy of France.

    By the time Joseph returned to the Pce of Versailles, the three engravers from the Paris Commercial News Agency had been waiting for him for quite some time.

    Joseph looked at the three men carrying heavy tool bags on their backs and the various sized hammers at their waist, then at the glossy marble floors of the bedroom, and immediately abandoned the idea of teaching them the chalkstone b printing technology here.

    Eman approached quickly, bowed to him, and said, ¡°Your Highness, those chalkstone bs you asked for are still on the carriage. Where do you want them to be unloaded?¡±

    Joseph furrowed his brow and thought: it would be nice if there were a workshop.

    At the thought of a workshop, a location suddenly sprang to mind, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. He said to Eman, ¡°Take them all to His Majesty the King¡¯s workshop.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Eman said in surprise, ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I will speak to His Majesty about it.¡±

    Joseph then signaled to the three craftsmen, ¡°Pleasee with me.¡±

    More than ten minutester, inside King Louis XVI¡¯s fully-equipped, spacious, and bright workshop, His Majesty the King of France looked curiously at the chalkstone bs before him as well as the craftsmen dressed in coarse cloth garments.

    Firstly, Joseph sincerely thanked his father for the tremendous help he had provided to the publishing industry of France; then, with a very serious expression, he turned to the three craftsmen:

    ¡°`

    ¡°The technology I am about to reveal to you is of utmost importance! Without my permission, it must absolutely not be disclosed to anyone else, or else¡­¡±

    He thought for a moment, chose the gravest charge he could think of, and said, ¡°It will be considered treason.¡±

    Inside the Royal Workshop were the current King and the Crown Prince. Outside, stood tall and formidable court guards. The craftsmen, having never seen such a scene, were so nervous that their legs trembled, and they dared not raise their heads, only swearing oaths and promising never to utter a single word to anyone else.

    Immediately, Eman brought out the prepared confidentiality agreements and had the craftsmen sign them one by one.

    Actually, Joseph also knew that there was no patentw at the time, so this technology could not be kept secret for too long. In the future, he intended to spread lithography throughout all of France.

    However, for now, this was his triumph card that absolutely could not be leaked. For a while, he would send people to protect these three te-making craftsmen at all times, at least until he could control the public opinion in Paris.

    Afterpleting the confidentiality induction, Joseph started to formally introduce the lithography technology.

    He asked a craftsman to fix a polished chalkstone te onto a table, and then he took the printing ink that had been prepared in advance, mixing in some paraffin and rosin.

    Once the additives in the ink werepletely dissolved, Joseph dipped his brush in the ink and wrote on the chalkstone te, ¡°To your Majesty the King.¡±

    An hourter, the ink had essentially dried, and Joseph brushed the stone with dilute nitric acid twice.

    The parts of the stone covered with ink were unaffected, while the rest had a thinyer eroded away by the nitric acid.

    ¡°The base te isplete,¡± Joseph said nonchntly as he spread ayer of water on the stone, then brushed on the printing ink.

    In his heart, he marveled that during that month he spent volunteering in the mountains, helping the principal use a mimeograph to print test papers for the kids, he never thought that little ¡®craft¡¯ woulde in handy here.

    At that moment, the areas of the stone eroded by nitric acid absorbed the water, which prevented the ink from sticking, while the dried ink already on the te picked up more ink.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Joseph ced a sheet of paper on the stone, pressed it lightly, and then carefully lifted it off, revealing a line of text on the paper¡ªTo your Majesty the King.

    However, the text was mirrored.

    The three craftsmen exchanged nces, each seeing in the others¡¯ eyes an immense shock.

    The line of text was simple and not very neat, but from beginning the te-making to thepletion of printing, it took just over an hour! This hadpletely subverted their understanding of printmaking!

    Louis XVI, who had been watching with interest for quite a while, now asked leisurely, ¡°What is so special about the printing process you just demonstrated?¡±

    One craftsman, the oldest among them, seeing the King¡¯s sincere inquiry, hastily bowed and exined, ¡°Your Majesty, the Crown Prince¡¯s technique could make all the current printing methods obsolete!¡±

    Another craftsman, excited, continued, ¡°In the past, we used copper tes, first covering the copper with ayer of wax, thenying paper over it, and using a pen to carve away the areas of the drawing that we did not need on the paper.

    ¡°The pen would take away the wax underneath. After the drawing wasplete, we would immerse the copper in iron chloride solution. The areas not covered by wax would be etched away, then we would remove the copper, wipe off the wax from its surface, and brush on printing ink to print.

    ¡°Just the step of carving the wax would take a long time, and the etching of the copper would need half a day. Normally, toplete one base te it would take at least two to three days.

    ¡°Moreover, the Crown Prince¡¯s method of te-making involves directly drawing the necessary parts, which is much simpler than carving away the unnecessary parts!¡±

 Chapter 71 - 71 "Ghostwriter" and Literary Master (Please Follow)

    Chapter 71: Chapter 71 ¡°Ghostwriter¡± and Literary Master (Please Follow)

    All three te craftsmen were eager to demonstrate their skills before the King and the Crown Prince, and immediately took their stone tes to make serious attempts at printing.

    All three were experts in printing, and stone te printing was indeed overly convenient and simple. All of them were sessful in their first attempt.

    However, the eldest craftsman, noting some ked-off dry ink on the stone te, suggested,

    ¡°Your Highness, perhaps the ink primer could be thicker.¡±

    Joseph nodded, ¡°The specific consistency of the ink will need to be adjusted by yourselves.¡±

    He only had a general knowledge of the stone te printing process, and the technical details of the craft would still have to be perfected by these experts.

    The craftsmen immediately began discussing:

    ¡°We should add some bitumen.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we could also try adding some resin¡­¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s another problem,¡± a middle-aged craftsman suddenly said, ¡°The method of stone te printing differs greatly from copper coins, such as the pressure and angle of the imprint. The former printing machines probably can¡¯t be used directly.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Joseph was momentarily taken aback, as he was an outsider when it came to the specifics of printing machines.

    He looked at the craftsman and asked, ¡°Can you modify the printing press?¡±

    The craftsman immediately shook his head.

    Just as Joseph was pondering whether to seek out the workshop that made the printing presses, a somewhat modest but very confident voice came from beside him: ¡°Perhaps, I could be of help with this.¡±

    Joseph turned his head to see Louis XVI looking at him with an eager expression.

    His eyes lit up at once; this man was a top-notch mechanical craftsman, and his ¡°assistants,¡± who made locks, were famed masters. Wouldn¡¯t altering the operation of a printing machine be a breeze for them?

    He immediately performed a chest salute and smiled, ¡°You truly are the savior of the stone te printing technology. I propose that this new printing press be named the ¡®King¡¯s Printing Press¡¯!¡±

    Afterward, as Joseph observed the royal workshop bustling and too busy for him to assist, he returned to his sleeping quarters, knowing it was time to start preparing the content for the publication.

    He summoned his clerk and gave him a brief outline, instructing him to write a novel based on it.

    The clerk took the order and did not return until it was dark.

    Reading the manuscript, Joseph felt speechless¡ªthe sentences were smooth and the argument was coherent, but the character portrayal was stiff, with no sense of immersion.

    He sighed. The gentleman¡¯s expertise was in drafting formal documents. It seemed that hiring professional writers was necessary for novel writing after all.

    He had no choice but to instruct Eman to find several authors as soon as possible.

    Eman was highly efficient. The next day, right after Joseph finished his breakfast, four authors of varying ages and appearances appeared before him.

    Of course, this was also because these authors originally resided in the Pce of Versailles.

    After the greetings, Eman began introducing them to Joseph one by one: ¡°Your Highness, this is a renowned Parisian man of letters, Earl Bomasha.¡±

    Joseph was surprised: ¡°Bomasha? ¡®The Marriage of Figaro¡¯?¡±

    The old man with gray hair and thick nearsighted sses immediately bowed slightly:

    ¡°I am extremely honored that Your Highness has read my y.¡±

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat amused; he had just been looking for a few ghostwriters, and Eman had directly brought him literary giants.

    He hurriedly praised the great writer in earnest.

    Eman then continued with the introductions, ¡°This is Viscount Saint Pierre¡­

    ¡°This is Barret¡­¡±

    Not one was an ordinary person; all were notable figures in the French literary scene.

    Joseph felt numb, but since everyone was already there, he decided to impose on the writers to y the role of ghostwriter.

    He turned to the four masters, smiled, and said, ¡°I need someone to help me write the stories I¡¯ve conceived into novels.

    ¡°After the novels are published, the manuscript fees will be yours to keep, and I will pay an additional two livres for every 500 words. What do you think?¡±

    Regardless of what they thought internally, the writers all owed the Crown Prince the courtesy, so they bowed and nodded, ¡°It would be an honor to serve Your Highness.¡±

    However, they were all quite curious as to how many stories the Crown Prince had that necessitated the hiring of four people.

    Joseph wasted no time, promptly taking everyone to the study, organizing in his mind some of the most thrilling stories from his past life, selecting a few, and then began to assign the tasks.

    ¡°Viscount Saint Pierre, the story you will be writing is about a young man named¡­¡±

    Joseph almost blurted out that familiar name but quickly thought to better tailor it to the French taste, and thus, he revised, ¡°A young man named Hurter Xiao and his story of growth.¡±

    Saint Pierre took notes with a hint of disinterest, doubting that a thirteen-year-old Crown Prince coulde up with any fascinating stories.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph continued, ¡°Hurter Xiao was born into a family of alchemists.

    ¡°As soon as he was born, he possessed extraordinary alchemy talents that far surpassed those of his family¡¯s generation.

    ¡°However, at the age of twelve, he identally put on a ring, and after that, everything changed.

    ¡°His alchemy abilities began to regress. Three yearster, during the alchemy test, he was barely assessed as ¡®Alchemist Third Grade.¡¯ His family members also began to mock and discriminate against him.¡±

    Saint Pierre couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°That¡¯s truly unfortunate. What was the problem with that ring?¡±

    ¡°I will exin thatter,¡± Joseph teased, continuing, ¡°The hardest thing for Hurter Xiao to ept was that his fianc¨¦e, a genius girl from the Alchemist Knight Order named Elizabeth, one day came to his house and proposed to terminate their engagement in front of all his family members.

    ¡°Because she felt his talents were too inferior to match her own.

    ¡°Hurter Xiao suffered a great insult and argued adamantly. To avoid damaging her family¡¯s reputation due to breaking off the engagement, Elizabeth put forward a proposal: Topete in alchemy with Hurter Xiao in three years, and if he lost, the engagement would be void.

    ¡°Hurter Xiao bravely epted the challenge and dered with irond conviction, ¡®Thirty years on the east of the Seine River, thirty years on the west! Do not insult a young man for his poverty!¡¯

    ¡°After this engagement fiasco ended, Hurter Xiao suddenly discovered the secret of his ring¡­¡±

    Saint Pierre was already captivated by the story and impatiently asked, ¡°Your Highness, what happened next?¡±

    Joseph smiled slightly, ¡°Please write down these parts first, and then I will tell you what happens next.¡±

    Saint Pierre nodded reluctantly, then eximed, ¡°Your Highness, this is a most fascinating tale! I will do my utmost to write a narrative worthy of it. Oh, by the way, what is the name of the novel?¡±

    Joseph pondered briefly and responded, ¡°Let¡¯s call it ¡®Breaking Through the Azure Sky.¡¯

    Viscount Barret, who was standing nearby, eagerly approached once Saint Pierre left, hoping to hear a sensational story as well.

    Joseph cut straight to the chase, ¡°You will write about ady¡¯s story.

    ¡°Her name is Cleis. One morning, she wakes up with an especially painful headache, only to realize she is lying on her desk. The notebook open beside her has a sentence written on it, ¡®Everyone will die, including me¡¯¡­¡±

 Chapter 72 - 72 Shameless (Vote for Monthly Pass)

    Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Shameless (Vote for Monthly Pass)

    Joseph spoke with a ghostly tone, ¡°After that, she saw the gun, surrounded by bloodstains, and in the mirror, her own reflection with a ghastly, burnt-edge wound on the head. Yes, it was clearly caused by a bullet hit.¡±

    Barret¡¯s eyes widened instantly, ¡°Good Lord, this is unbelievable! She actually survived?!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Joseph said, ¡°and furthermore, she discovered she possessed divine power and could float in an endless grey mist¡­¡±

    ¡°How marvelous! What¡¯s the name of the novel?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®The Master of Besties.''¡±

    ¡­

    After Barret left, Joseph continued to the next author, ¡°The story you are going to write is about a nobleman who was locked in the Bastille due to mental illness.

    ¡°This young man, named Fer Lee, imed that when he closed his eyes, he would enter a magical world.

    ¡°In that world, there was an evil wizard who captured many deformed or sickly young boys and girls to brew an Elixir of Immortality. And Fer Lee was one of those captured¡­¡±

    ¡­

    When Joseph turned his attention to Bomasha, this most famous old writer in all of France looked somewhat impatient, ¡°Oh, your Highness, what about my story?¡±

    Joseph immediately thought of his most revered online fiction writer from his past life¡ªTianhaishan. Every one of his books would rapidly be popr throughout the country, nearly a step away from the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he was also extremely handsome, the dream lover of nine hundred million girls.

    Joseph was so familiar with every one of Tianhaishan¡¯s books that he blurted out, ¡°This novel is called ¡®Madam, Please Stop¡¯¡­¡±

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The day passed quickly. At twilight, Joseph received four manuscripts.

    It was no wonder Bomasha and his peers were famed writers in France; their novels were extremely vivid. Whether it was character portrayal or plot description, their writing exuded an air of masterfulness, making for an intoxicating read.

    However, Joseph found that each person¡¯s submission was only four pages long, at most around two thousand words.

    He had to subtly suggest that the great authors could write a bit more each day.

    Bomasha and the others looked at each other. They were fascinated with their stories, so much so that they had skipped lunch. This was already more than double their normal output of words.

    And yet, the Crown Prince seemed to think it was not enough!

    After they returned, they each summoned their disciples or writer friends to help, not so much to earn the extra few livres. These great writers were not short of money, they mainly wanted to write faster in order to hear the rest of the story from the Crown Prince as soon as possible.

    On Joseph¡¯s side, he sent someone to deliver the manuscripts to the ¡®Paris Commercial News¡¯ newspaper overnight, asking Denico to print them as soon as possible.

    The next day as dawn broke, Denico brought a proof copy and hurried to the Pce of Versailles to report the first publication situation after the redesign to Joseph.

    Joseph briefly flipped through the two newspapers.

    One was the ¡®Paris Commercial News.¡¯ The overall style was still based on the theme of ¡®freedom and ideals,¡¯ covering market trends and business insights. What was different was that one whole side of the second page was dedicated to a novel called ¡®Breaking the Firmament.¡¯ The third page was an exnation of the content of the new taxw.

    The other was the newly published ¡®News and Pictures Reports¡¯¡ªthe publishing license could be processed by noon. Of course, that was the speed exclusive to the Crown Prince. Normally, applying for a license would take at least two months at best.

    ¡®News and Pictures Reports¡¯ was less polite, with a front-page title ¡°Delving into the Deep Reasons Why the New Tax Law Continuously Fails to Register.¡± The second page was ¡®The Master of Besties.¡¯ The other pages mostly rted to the taxw and also interspersed with hot news from around France.

    As for the pictures, as lithographic printing had not yet been introduced, they only included previously engraved basetes of Parisianndscapes. In the future, they would publish arge number of news illustrations. But in this era without photographs, they could only hire artists to draw illustrations.

    Joseph was quite satisfied with Denico¡¯s work; indeed, it was a family that had been in the newspaper business for three generations.

    Once these two newspapers appeared in the hands of the Parisian people, the Great Noble Group would no longer be able to monopolize the channels of public opinion.

    Upon seeing the Crown Prince had finished reviewing the proof copies, Denico immediately reported, ¡°Your Highness, as per your instructions, both newspapers are priced at 3 livres for a month¡¯s subscription.

    ¡°I feel I must remind you, we will be incurring a serious loss at this price.¡±

    Most of the daily newspapers at the time cost between 6 and 8 livres a month, and the weekly publications ranged from 1 livre and 10 sous to 2 livres.

    The ¡°Paris Commercial News¡± and ¡°News & Picture Paper¡± both being dailies, 3 livres was definitely a selling price at a loss.

    Joseph nodded indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s sell it at that price. Once we get lithographic printing sorted out, the cost should drop below 3 livres per month.¡±

    In fact, even if they operated at a loss, he did not mind¡ªonce the newspapers¡¯ cirction surged, they could definitely turn around their losses just from advertisement revenue.

    Seeing his firm conviction, Denico could only continue to report the next item of business, ¡°Your Highness, as for the ¡®newsboys¡¯ you mentioned before, I¡¯ve managed to recruit over 40.¡±

    He hesitated for a moment, cautiously saying, ¡°I feel that not many people might be willing to buy newspapers on the streets of Paris.¡±

    Newsboys were exactly the new sales strategy for newspapers that Joseph had in mind.

    At present, the newspaper industry across European countries mainly used a model of subscription in advance, followed by ¡°newspaper deliverymen¡± delivering to the hands of customers.

    The newsboys thatter generations would find so familiar had not yet appeared.

    One of the main reasons that had constrained retail newspaper sales was the expensive price. An average newspaper cost 4 to 6 sous, while the daily wage for an ordinary craftsman was only 5 to 10 sous. Very few people would impulsively buy a newspaper.

    Now, Joseph had pressed the price of a newspaper down to 2 sous, with ns to drop it further to 1 sous, or even lower in the future. At that price, many people could afford it.

    Joseph was well aware that street retail was the best channel for newspaper sales!

    Newsboys shouting out the highlights of the newspapers could easily attract the interest of passers-by who would readily buy a copy. Moreover, the newsboys could also sell other items on the side, using their profits to offset the cost of the newspapers.

    As for ¡°employing childbor¡±¡­

    That concept didn¡¯t even exist at this time.

    In every European country at the moment, it wasmon to see children as young as seven or eight working in the workshops. They were an important economic pir for their families.

    Selling newspapers, a rtively easy and well-paid job, would probably soon have people vying for it.

    After instructing Denico on a few more matters, the newspaper manager took his leave and returned to Paris.

    What they didn¡¯t yet know was that by then, the two newspapers had already stirred up quite a storm in Paris.

    On the streets of Paris, someone heard a child waving a newspaper and shouting:

    ¡°Get your paper! 2 sous a copy! Read thetest novel¡ªAlchemy Youth dumped by his fianc¨¦e! Can he gain justice after three years?¡±

    The man, who had just received his pay yesterday, bought a copy out of curiosity. He immediately became engrossed in the enthralling story on the second page, reading as he walked until he bumped into a tree and realized he had taken the wrong path.

 Chapter 73: Using the Newspaper as a Sword

    Chapter 73: Using the Newspaper as a Sword

    The frenzy of newspaper sales yed out all over Paris.

    Most of those newsboys originally couldn¡¯t find anything to do, so they tried their luck at the Paris Commercial News Agency, only to find that the sales were exceptionally good.

    As per the agreement, for every 10 newspapers they sold, they would receive a wage of 6 deniers. Just after noon, the luckier newsboys had already sold 50 papers, earning several times more than they would in a workshop!

    The story of Hurter Xiao¡¯s broken engagement, as well as Cleis¡¯s survival after being shot, had be widely known in just one morning.

    Many people, itching with curiosity, heard others discussing an intriguing tale with great enthusiasm, yet had no idea what it was about.

    As they hesitated over whether to spend money on a subscription, they heard that newspapers were being sold on the streets outside, and promptly bought a copy.

    The most fashion-forward high societydies had already started arranging their salons, with topics like ¡°The Undying Cleis¡± or ¡°The Alchemist¡¯s Family.¡± They keenly sensed that these stories would be the most fashionable topics and were determined to get ahead.

    By that evening, even Parisians¡¯ greetings included the phrase¡ª¡±Have you read that novel?¡±

    No wonder, entertainment in the 18th century was very monotonous. Novels and ys were just a handful and most people had long tired of them. They could only pass the time by gossiping about nobility scandals.

    Those thrilling forms honed by countless authors inter generations were utterly soul-shaking for readers of this era, addictive at first nce!

    For Parisians starved of mental stimtion, the novels¡¯ thrilling moments, constant build-ups, and cliffhangers made them irresistible.

    The next day, as people were still discussing the plot of yesterday¡¯s novel, they were astonished to find new chapters in today¡¯s newspaper!

    Some of yesterday¡¯s mysteries were unveiled, but even more suspense was left behind, keeping the story as exciting as ever¡ªwho could resist not reading it?

    Meals could be skipped, but this newspaper was a must-buy!

    People even fought over thest copy of the newspaper in the hands of the newsboys¡­

    Just past 3 p.m., the storerooms of the Paris Commercial News and the ¡°News and Pictures Newspaper¡± had beenpletely emptied.

    Denico, looking at the several dozens of newsboys anxiously awaiting their papers, felt as if he were dreaming.

    He knew the Crown Prince¡¯s incredibly fascinating novel would boost newspaper sales, but he never anticipated this astonishing volume.

    Good heavens! Each type of newspaper had printed a full 7,000 copies, and all were sold out!

    You should know, there were just over half a million people in Paris, and the previously best-selling Paris News sold less than 3,000 copies. And now, thebined sales of these two papers had surpassed five times that of Paris News!

    His hands started to tremble, and he immediately rushed into the printing workshop, shouting at the printers:

    ¡°Print more! Immediately print 1,000 more copies!! At your fastest speed!!!¡±

    Just then, a manager from the newspaper office hurried over, excitedly gesturing toward the office:

    ¡°Mr. Denico, pleasee quickly! The Eau de Elegance Perfumery, Onitol Iron Tool Shop, among others¡ªseveral well-known shops are here to discuss advertising.¡±

    Denico, with amanding wave of his hand, dered:

    ¡°Have them wait. I¡¯ll deal with the reprinting first and then head over.¡±

    He certainly had the right to be imperious¡ªwith a cirction exceeding 14,000 copies, there was no worry about finding advertisers.

    As the Paris Commercial News Agency¡¯s papers sold hotly, many readers, after enjoying the novel, also nced at the articles on the taxw bill in the newspaper.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In the streets and alleys, people had begun chatting about thew:

    ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s high time those noble lords started paying more taxes!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw it,¡± added Joseph, ¡°the extra taxes are all on the nobility. Why should we poor folks pay more taxes than the nobility?¡±

    ¡°The town hall is always saying there¡¯s no funding. Why don¡¯t they ask the nobility for it?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, the High Court keeps rejecting the taxws, isn¡¯t it because those judges are nobility themselves!¡±

    ¡°No wonder they always talk about defending the rights of the court. Turns out it¡¯s the right to not pay taxes!¡±

    ¡°Exactly¡­.¡±

    For a time, the concerted efforts of the Duke of Orleans and the entire Paris press to create an unfavorable opinion on the legition had abruptly taken a turn.

    In fact, Joseph hadn¡¯t gone all-in on the war of public opinion yet; he still had two novel manuscripts at hand, reserved for pamphlets.

    Indeed, he had no intention of relying solely on newspapers for the battle of public opinion¡ªthat would be at a disadvantage.

    Since war had been dered, there was no point in maintaining pointless gentlemanly decorum. Pamphlets, though lowbrow and filled with rumors, attracted attention through sensationalism and were scorned by mainstream society. Yet, their audience was vast.

    Now that the literacy rate in France had surpassed 60%, many who couldn¡¯t afford newspapers turned to pamphlets for entertainment. It¡¯s fair to say that pamphlets dominated the lower-end of the market.

    Naturally, Joseph would not miss exploiting this propaganda tool.

    However, it was difficult for the audience of pamphlets to make regr and continuous purchases, which could affect the readability of serialized novels. Therefore, he nned to publish a pamphlet every week, containing a week¡¯s worth of novel chapters.

    When tens of thousands of pamphlets appeared on the streets of Paris, that would be the trueunch of his all-out offensive.

    ¡­

    At the routine ball in the Pce of Versailles, a group of nobledies cast envious nces at Princess Therese,ining about how she kept monopolizing the Crown Prince.

    The young men, on the other hand, looked helplessly at Joseph, hoping one of the kinddies would ¡°kidnap¡± the Crown Prince, giving them a chance to get close to Her Highness.

    Of course, this was Joseph unterally using his sister as a ¡°shield¡±¡ªhe had a bit of a psychological shadow about dancing¡­.

    Therese, havinge to terms with the rumors over the past few days, was now chatting idly with Joseph:

    ¡°I heard that your invention, ¡®the Crown Prince¡¯s Blessing,¡¯ is quite miraculous. I¡¯ve been taking it recently. But, so far, it doesn¡¯t seem to have any effect¡­¡±

    Joseph immediately expressed his concern, ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Do you have a fever?¡±

    Therese shook her head: ¡°No fever. It¡¯s just that I often feel dizzy and weak, and I get short of breath. I fainted a few months ago. The doctors couldn¡¯t find the cause. Doctor Baptiste suggested I rest in Meudon Castle.¡±

    Joseph¡¯s face was a picture of exasperation: These are not symptoms that Salicin is meant to treat, what are you taking such medicines for?

    ¡°You mustn¡¯t just take any medicine because it¡¯s said to be miraculous. You should follow the doctor¡¯s orders.¡±

    Therese nodded seriously: ¡°It¡¯s Doctor Baptiste who told me to take it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Joseph touched his forehead then asked: ¡°Are you taking any other medications?¡±

    Therese mentioned several names of herbal remedies.

    Observing her pale face, Joseph thought to himself: The symptoms she described sound like severe anemia. Girls her age seem prone to it. But it¡¯s not clear whether this is iron-deficiency anemia or pathological.

    Therese added: ¡°Besides taking medicine, I also receive bloodletting therapy every half a month.¡±

    Joseph¡¯s face turned utterly dark: ¡°You would be better off firing your doctor.¡±

 Chapter 74: The King is the Best Craftsman

    Chapter 74: The King is the Best Craftsman

    Her own sister¡¯s vitality was incredibly tenacious! Joseph marveled in his heart, suffering from anemia and still needing to be bled twice a month, yet she had managed to survive until now¡­

    Therese, however, asked in confusion, ¡°Why is that, Mr. Baptiste? What did he do wrong?¡±

    ¡°He never did anything right¡­¡±

    Joseph suddenly thought of the news Dr. Lamark had sent a couple of days ago, saying that tocopherol had been sessfully extracted, and his heart stirred.

    He originally nned to use Vitamin E, which is tocopherol, to make cosmetics. However, it also seemed to have the effect of treating pathological anemia and could boost immunity.

    It would be perfect for Therese to take.

    Combined with some iron supplementation, it should be able to greatly improve her anemia.

    As for the iron supplements, he could have Dr. Lamark help synthesize some ferrous sulfate.

    This was simply done by heating iron with dilute sulfuric acid, then filtering out the precipitate, making production very simple.

    He earnestly cautioned Therese,

    ¡°Never let yourself be bled again, it seriously harms your health. Besides, I have made a potion that should help alleviate your condition. I¡¯ll have someone deliver it to you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Really? You have such a potion?¡± Therese showed a look of surprise.

    In fact, she had long been reluctant to be bled. No girl would want to have permanent scars on her arm.

    Joseph nodded.

    ¡°Oh, dear Joseph, you really are a genius!¡±

    While Therese was speaking, she suddenly felt dizzy, excused herself from the crowd, and, supported by her maid, left the ballroom to rest.

    As Joseph pondered over the dosage of Vitamin E and ferrous sulfate for his sister, it urred to him, why not sell these as health supplements at the Paris Angel¡¯s shop?

    Vitamin E also had anti-aging properties and regted the female menstrual cycle. Combined with ferrous sulfate for blood supplementation, it would be the perfect ¡°Woman¡¯s Friend¡±!

    This product would certainly drive thedies of high society crazy.

    He thought of a certain famous oral liquid from the future and his eyes sparked with the light of livres as he murmured to himself,

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it ¡®Ladies¡¯ Joy Oral Liquid¡¯!¡±

    The young noblewomen around him, who could hardly contain their excitement, saw that the princess had finally left and immediately crowded around the Crown Prince, trying various methods to attract his attention, either by striking poses or with bashful nces.

    Joseph, feeling overwhelmed, was about to seek help from Perna when he saw a woman in her thirties carrying wine and pastries walking towards him.

    He casually picked up a ss of wine. Thedy curtsied to him, smiling and said,

    ¡°Your Highness, may I have a few minutes of your time?¡±

    Next to him, Eman quickly whispered a reminder,

    ¡°Your Highness, this is Lady Eric.¡±

    It was only then that Joseph realized she was not a maid, and he bowed slightly to her,

    ¡°Do you need something?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The fluttering and chattering youngdies around him saw the ¡°old auntie¡± act with such rapid response and seize the opportunity, and they all looked at her with eyes filled with envy and anger.

    Lady Eric, oblivious to their stares, spoke to Joseph,

    ¡°Your Highness, as you know, myte husband had a business partner. He admires you greatly.¡±

    Lady Eric handed an envelope to Joseph,

    ¡°This may be somewhat presumptuous, but he would like to discuss some matters with you. Oh, of course, whether to meet him is for you to decide. However, he also said that you definitely would not regret meeting him.¡±

    Joseph opened the envelope and saw inside a theatre ticket.

    Lady Eric leaned in closer and whispered,

    ¡°Your Highness, this is from Mr. Hartley, the British Ambassador, for you.¡±

    The British Ambassador? Joseph narrowed his eyes slightly. What does he want with me?

    He suddenly remembered the Eden Treaty between Ennd and France that Dupont had mentioned before and thought to himself, Regardless of what the British want, it would be good to make contact and see what they¡¯re after.

    So he raised the envelope to Lady Eric with a smile and said,

    ¡°Please tell him I will go.¡±

    Having endured until the end of the ball, Joseph returned to his sleeping quarters, exhausted, only to find the King¡¯s attendant waiting at his door.

    ¡°Crown Prince, Your Highness,¡± the King¡¯s attendant bowed, ¡°His Majesty the King invites you to his workshop. He has a surprise for you.¡±

    Joseph immediately followed him to the Royal Workshop. He hadn¡¯t even had the chance to bow to Louis XVI before thetter excitedly dragged him in front of a dark iron machine.

    Joseph could tell it was a printing press.

    Louis XVI gestured to a te-maker at his side. The craftsman nodded immediately, securing the etched stone te in the middle of the press, then fetched a few sheets of paper to ce on the iron rack above. After he brushed on the ink, he pulled down the long lever firmly to make the impression.

    When he lifted the handle, the paper had transformed into andscape painting of the Pce of Versailles.

    The craftsman did not stop there; he removed the printed painting and pulled the handle again, producing another one.

    He continued to print like this, producing five paintings in session before he paused to apply more ink and add paper. The whole process took just over a minute!

    Louis XVI watched Joseph with pride, seemingly waiting for a whirlwind of praise.

    ¡°Dear father, you¡¯ve alreadypleted the improvements to the lithographic press?¡± Joseph eximed in delight, ¡°And in just three days¡­¡±

    The craftsman beside them, noticing that the Crown Prince was unaware of the full achievement, carefully ventured,

    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty has invented the automatic feeder.¡±

    He pointed to something that looked like a rake on the paper-loading iron rack:

    ¡°Previously, we had to reset the paper after each print, aligning it each time. Now, it can print five copies in sequence, speeding up the process multiple times over!¡±

    Joseph¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Louis XVI, thinking to himself that the holder of the new guillotine patent was indeed well-deserved of his repute!

    Not only had he adapted the printing press for a stone base, but he had also greatly improved its efficiency!

    This meant that the time and cost of printing could be significantly reduced.

    ¡°Other than to express my admiration and praises for you, I can think of no other words,¡± Joseph said with exaggerated reverence, touching his chest in a bow to Louis XVI, ¡°You truly are the most impressive king I have ever seen!¡±

    In his heart, he added a caveat: regarding mechanical innovations.

    Louis XVI rubbed his hands together proudly and said with a smile:

    ¡°If the spring is further improved, we could print 10 to 20 copies at a time.¡±

    He began to exin his invention with the familiarity of an expert:

    ¡°Look here, when you pull down the lever, it moves the paper, and then pushes it forward¡­¡±

    As Joseph watched those intricate mechanical devices, an idea sparked within him. Perhaps there was no need to wait for the craftsmen at Charleville Arsenal; he could start developing the next generation of rifles right now.

    The King was the finest craftsman of all; it would be a waste not to make full use of his skills!

    He enquired about the situation of the te-makers and learned they had already mastered the making of stone printing tes. He then summoned Eman to call the guards prepared for them and ordered them to escort the craftsmen back to the Paris Commercial News Agency immediately.

    Louis XVI sent his own assistant, the renowned lockmaster Mr. Ferrnt, along with them to the agency to help with the overhaul of the printing machines.

    Once all the craftsmen had left, Joseph quickly approached Louis XVI and said in an enticing tone:

    ¡°Dear father, I have a very ingenious rifle design proposal, which can only be crafted by someone with exceptional skill.

    ¡°Would you be interested in giving it a try?¡±

    Louis XVI¡¯s eyes instantly lit up¡­

 Chapter 75 - 75 Disruptive Weapon

    Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Disruptive Weapon

    Joseph briefly exined, ¡°This gun will adopt an entirely new ignition mechanism. The loading speed and power will be significantly improved over the current Flintlock Gun, and it will also have better resistance to rain and a lower misfire rate.¡±

    Louis XVI¡¯s eyes shone even brighter. Even those who didn¡¯t understand military affairs could tell that this new gun would have a revolutionary impact on warfare!

    In fact, he was quite aware that all over France, people were talking behind his back, calling him ¡°inept¡± and ¡°not dedicated to his duties.¡±

    He too wished to be a king revered and worshiped by his subjects like the Sun King, but running a country sometimes really depended on one¡¯s natural talent.

    And he just happened tock that talent.

    But gun-making was his forte¡ªbecause of his familiarity with precision mechanics, many gunsmiths of the era came from the Watchmaker¡¯s Guild.

    He was a master craftsman certified by both the Locksmith Guild and the Watchmaker¡¯s Guild.

    Before, even if he made the finest locks, no one would sincerely praise him for it.

    But guns were different! They were a nation¡¯s military pir!

    If the new guns he developed could help French soldiers sweep through enemy forces, who would still call him a useless king?!

    Joseph had a guard bring in a Flintlock Gun and pointed to the firing mechanism at the rear of the gun:

    ¡°The current Flintlock Gun uses a piece of flint on the gun¡¯s mechanism to strike a steel te, creating sparks that ignite the gunpowder in the chamber, which then ignites the firing powder in the barrel and shoots the bullet.¡±

    Louis XVI nodded; he often went hunting and was quite familiar with this.

    Joseph removed the flint from the gun¡¯s mechanism and continued:

    ¡°A few years ago, the British synthesized something called ¡®Fulminate Mercury¡¯ that explodes upon impact. If we fix the Fulminate Mercury to the rear side of the barrel and use the gun¡¯s mechanism to strike it, it will directly ignite the firing charge.¡±

    Louis XVI frowned and said:

    ¡°But how can we fix the Fulminate Mercury? And since it explodes on impact, it¡¯s not safe for the soldiers to carry¡ªif they identally fall, they might lose their lives.¡±

    Joseph smiled slightly:

    ¡°That¡¯s also why the British haven¡¯t been able to use Fulminate Mercury to make weapons until now.¡±

    Louis XVI looked at him with anticipation, knowing that his son must havee up with a solution.

    ¡°I call it a ¡®Percussion Cap,''¡± said Joseph, picking up a piece of paper he had used for printing and tearing off a small piece, folding it into a bowl the size of a green bean, ¡°this represents a copper shell.¡±

    He pinched some wax: ¡°This represents the Fulminate Mercury.¡±

    He pressed the wax firmly into the paper bowl:

    ¡°A Percussion Cap is thenplete. The copper shell can block the external impact force so that the Fulminate Mercury won¡¯t explode easily.

    ¡°If we put the Percussion Cap into a cartridge bag padded with cotton, it would be even safer.¡±

    Louis XVI asked in surprise:

    ¡°But how would the gun ignite it?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Because copper is malleable,¡± Joseph said, taking a small hammer and striking the bottom of the paper bowl, ¡°if the gun¡¯s mechanism is made hammer-shaped and the spring is strong enough, the gun¡¯s mechanism will be able to tten the bottom of the Percussion Cap, setting off the Fulminate Mercury inside.¡±

    Louis XVI picked up the Flintlock Gun and pondered aloud:

    ¡°So, the priming chamber can be removed, and we can just make a hole here in the barrel, stuff the Percussion Cap in, pull back the gun¡¯s mechanism, and it fires.¡±

    Joseph was taken aback, indeed a master, he even beat him to the answer!

    He nodded and said, ¡°Making a hole is not conducive to removing the percussion cap after firing. It would be better to fit a hollow cylinder on the rear side of the barrel. The cap would be pressed onto the cylinder. When fired, the me will travel through the hollow into the barrel, and the cap can be easily pinched off after firing.¡±

    Louis XVI¡¯s expression became increasingly excited.

    With a flintlock gun, thetter half of the firing sequence was: removing the gunpowder pack, pouring the powder into the priming chamber, packing it down, pulling back the firing mechanism, and firing.

    With a cap, all one needed to do was pull back the firing mechanism, ce the cap on, and it would fire.

    It was at least two to three seconds faster than the flintlock gun!

    Don¡¯t underestimate these two or three seconds. Half a second on the battlefield could decide life or death. A seasoned soldier who has trained for years might only load his gun three seconds faster than a new recruit.

    Furthermore, the caplock gun didn¡¯t have the leakage hole of the priming chamber. The propelling force of the gunpowder could fully act on the projectile. The power would certainly be much greater than that of the flintlock gun.

    He looked at Joseph with pride and affection in his eyes:

    ¡°My dear son, how did youe up with such a brilliant idea? Oh, I guess God must have kissed your head.¡±

    Joseph thought to himself that it was, of course, from a military forum. He smiled and said:

    ¡°Thank the Lord.¡±

    He took paper and pen, drew out the structure of the percussion cap gun from memory, and handed it to Louis XVI:

    ¡°This is roughly how it looks, but the specific dimensions and proportions, as well as issues withponent processes, will have to be solved by our great King.¡±

    Louis XVI puffed out his chest with boundless enthusiasm:

    ¡°Rest assured! Together, father and son, we shall create a firearm that will astonish all of Europe!¡±

    Leaving the Royal Workshop, Joseph couldn¡¯t help but sigh to himself. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of asking the King for help with weapon development earlier?

    In terms of equipment, this ce had the mostplete and high-quality tools and instruments in all of France.

    In terms of expertise, Louis XVI and his assistants were the very best.

    What was more important was that with the King working on research and development, there was absolutely no concern about technological leaks. If this were a munitions factory project, at least a hundred guards would have to be posted to prevent any spying.

    He then thought that there would be more and more matters involving technological confidentiality in the future. It would be prudent to hasten the introduction of a patentw.

    Furthermore, once the caplock guns were developed, the corresponding fulminate mercury processing and firearm manufacturing would have to catch up rapidly to achieve mass production.

    This new type of gun would not just be a simple weapon; it would also be an instrument for him to exert influence over the military. So it would be best for his own arsenal to handle the production¡­

    Lost in thought, Joseph had returned to his quarters. He tiredly unbuttoned his coat, his hand brushing against the envelope Lady Eric had given him that night.

    He casually pulled out the theater tickets from the envelope, noting that the y was scheduled for performance at the Com¨¦die-Fran?aise in four days.

    When he flipped the ticket over, he froze¡ªthe name of the y was ¡°Refining the Vault of Heaven,¡± which had just started serialization a few days ago!

    Only then did he remember that yesterday, Denico reported that a theater wanted to buy the rights to perform the serialized novel from the newspaper. Joseph hadn¡¯t paid much attention at the time and let Denico handle it entirely. Who could have thought it would premiere in just four days?

    The novel had only been serialized for three days in total. How eager must those troupes be?

    And they would have had at most a week to adapt and rehearse. How did they manage it?

    In the following days, Joseph first visited Lamark¡¯s pharmaceutical workshop to discuss the processing of ferrous sulfate.

    Then, he arranged the promotion and sales of Paris Angel Company¡¯s new product, ¡°Lady¡¯s Delight Oral Solution,¡± and asionally visited the Royal Workshop to check on the King¡¯s progress.

    Four days passed quickly. That afternoon, Joseph¡¯s carriage stopped at the corner of Rue de Richelieu. The entrance to the Com¨¦die-Fran?aise was overflowing with people, packed tight as can be.

 Chapter 76 - 76 Whos Fooling Whom

    Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Who¡¯s Fooling Whom

    Joseph naturally did not jostle with the regr audience, but instead entered the theater directly through the VIP entrance, escorted by the guards.

    His seat was in a luxurious box on the third floor facing the stage. It was very spacious, able to amodate 12 people. However, at this moment, he was the only one sitting there.

    As the audience gradually took their seats, the surrounding music began, and the stage curtain slowly opened.

    On stage, the set was a light grey castle.

    Inside the castle, a blonde youth wearing a blue double-breasted coat was inscribing runes on a conical ss bottle. Colorful mists immediately started churning inside the bottle.

    An elderly man in a long robe in front of him nced at it and said with an indifferent voice,

    ¡°Thanks to the gift of the elements. My dear Hurter Xiao, I regret that you have only achieved Alchemist Third Grade.¡±

    Mocking voices immediately arose around him:

    ¡°Oh, has my hearing deceived me? Our genius has only reached level three?¡±

    ¡°He must have been spurned by the elements, without any progress for years¡­¡±

    ¡°I never imagined that a genius would fall so quickly¡­¡±

    Joseph did not expect that aside from some exaggerated expressions, the actors were actually quite good; he was engrossed in the performance when he heard someone knocking at the door of the box.

    Eman nced outside and whispered to Joseph, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s the British Ambassador.¡±

    ¡°Please let him in.¡±

    Subsequently, the door to the box opened, and a middle-aged man in a grey-ck robe with very thin lips took off his hat and bowed to Joseph, ¡°Respected Crown Prince, I did not expect to meet you here; I am quite fortunate.

    ¡°You may not recognize me; my name is David Hartley, the current British Ambassador to France. Of course, I am here today in a personal capacity to visit you.¡±

    Joseph nodded to him, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ambassador. Please have a seat.¡±

    Hartley sat down in the back corner of the box, a position invisible from the other boxes. As an ambassador, it was quite improper for him to meet privately with the Crown Prince of France; it could even cause a diplomatic dispute if word got out.

    ¡°Respected Crown Prince, I often hear people praising you,¡± Hartley said with a smile, ¡°The ¡®Child Blessed by God¡¯s¡¯ talents astonish the world, his boundless kindness, and full of wisdom¡­¡±

    After a long round of ttery, the British Ambassador then continued, ¡°Your Highness, as you know, I have always advocated firmly developing the traditional friendship between Ennd and France¡­¡±

    Joseph¡¯s eyelid twitched, thinking, do Ennd and France even have a traditional friendship? Are you referring to the kind that¡¯s always plotting to dig each other¡¯s ancestral graves?

    Hartley, a seasoned politician, spoke sincerely, ¡°However, due to the instigations of some ambitious individuals, there have been many frictions between our two countries in the past. It¡¯s quite regrettable.

    ¡°Even now, there are many who do not wish to see our friendship.¡±

    He nced at Joseph, probing, ¡°So, I believe we should work even harder to promote this precious friendship. What do you think?¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph, not knowing what he was getting at, humored him, ¡°Yes, long live the friendship between Ennd and France.¡±

    Hartley brightened up, having not considered the thirteen-year-old boy before him to be cunning, thought to himself: This Crown Prince is indeed pro-British, the intelligence is correct.

    He rambled on about the vast prospects of Anglo-French cooperation, then switched topics, ¡°Your Highness, actually, I have always had a proposal that would be beneficial for both our countries.¡±

    Joseph posed with an interested look, ¡°Oh? Please borate.¡±

    Hartley sat up straight, ¡°I heard, Your Highness, that you were strongly against the wastage of funds on the construction ofrge warships. I highly agree with this view.¡±

    Joseph¡¯s gaze sharpened. This was a matter discussed in the Cab meetings. How could the British have gotten news of it? It seemed he needed to thoroughly investigate the issue of internal spies.

    Hartley continued, ¡°In fact, in Ennd as well, there are some fellows incessantly advocating for the building of warships, squandering tax revenue. I believe these funds need not be wasted. If everyone stops the mad rush to build warships, the mutual threats will consequently disappear.

    ¡°So, I propose we could promote the signing of a treaty to restrict the scale of shipbuilding among nations.

    ¡°For example, the warshipsunched by Ennd each year should not exceed 5000 tons, and France should not exceed 2000 tons. Oh, you know, Ennd¡¯s maritime trade is vast, and we need more ships.

    ¡°Of course, countries like Spain and the Nethends should also join in signing this treaty¡­¡±

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help but frown. Do they really think I¡¯m a child to be fooled?

    History had proven, through the bloody lessons of Napoleon and German Emperor William II, that if the maind countries of Europe didn¡¯t have powerful fleets, they would inevitably be blockaded to death.

    He had ordered a halt to the production of sailing warships in the navy merely to avoid wastage. He hadn¡¯t expected the British to misinterpret it as giving up on challenging the British Navy.

    Seeing Hartley continuing to prattle on, he interrupted him immediately, steering the conversation in the direction he wanted:

    ¡°Ambassador, a shipbuilding treaty seems a bit distant. Why don¡¯t we start by discussing the existing treaties, instead?¡±

    ¡°The existing ones?¡±

    ¡°For instance, the Eden Treaty.¡±

    Hartley immediately became alert, ¡°Your Highness, I believe this treaty is veryprehensive and reasonable, and there¡¯s nothing worth discussing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, very reasonable, but there¡¯s still room for improvement,¡± Joseph said with a smile. ¡°Actually, France¡¯s industrial manufacturing capacity is quite weak. We can¡¯t produce many essential goods ourselves, and the inexpensive, high-quality British products are exactly what we need.

    ¡°But as you know, the tariffs set by the Eden Treaty are still too high, making these products expensive. The French people would have to spend much more money as a result.¡±

    Hartley was taken aback. This wasn¡¯t quite right. Normally, the French would desperately want to raise tariffs to protect their own industry. Yet the Crown Prince of France thought they were too high¡­

    He¡¯s indeed pro-British, no mistaking it!

    Hartley asked cautiously, ¡°What would be your suggestion, then?¡±

    Joseph spoke with a sense of righteousness, ¡°I think we should continue the negotiations of the Eden Treaty and further reduce tariffs! That truly aligns with the interests of our two countries.¡±

    Hartley showed a smile, ¡°Could you borate?¡±

    ¡°First, the tariffs on industrial products including textiles, steel, and paper manufacturing should be halved at least.¡± Joseph nced at the British Ambassador¡¯s expression and added, ¡°To reflect our mutual equality, Britain should also reduce its tariffs on French industrial products simultaneously.¡±

    Hartley nodded, ¡°Equality, yes, you¡¯re right, it has to reflect equality.¡±

    The current industrial scale and technology of Britain were far ahead of France; they had no fear ofpetition from French industrial products. In his opinion, even if the import tariffs on British industrial products were reduced to zero, it would not have any effect.

    Seeing Hartley struggling to contain his excitement, Joseph knew it was time to reel him in: ¡°But as you know, if I want to push for treaty negotiations, I must first plug the mouths of those domestic fellows. They constantlyin about ¡®damaging French interests.¡¯

    ¡°So, I want to try an alternate approach. For instance, we could initially raise the tariffs on French industrial products to 25%, then gradually decrease them over seven years to reach 5%. This way, having secured short-term benefits, they will be less resistant.¡±

    Currently, the Eden Treaty prescribes that the tariffs on French industrial products are between 12-15%. Following this model, they would be able to reach the current level in just three years.

 Chapter 77: The Revolt

    Chapter 77: The Revolt

    Hartley silently calcted in his heart: ording to this method, France¡¯s tariffs would drop below 10% in less than five years. France¡¯s industry would never be able to turn over a new leaf!

    Once the tariffs were reduced to 5%, France would almost be like Ennd¡¯s colonies, a dumping ground for goods.

    He suppressed his excitement, hid his trembling hands behind his back, and said, ¡°I will report this to Congress. However, I personally believe that your suggestion is very beneficial!¡±

    Joseph also breathed a sigh of relief: If the tariffs stayed at the current level, France¡¯s industries would soon be overwhelmed by English goods.

    A 25% tariff would allow the workshops to catch their breath. Once he had a political base, he would start to push for France¡¯s Industrial Revolution.

    With the technology and concepts from ater era, if he couldn¡¯t surpass Ennd in industry within seven years, he might as well buy a block of cheese and use it to knock himself out.

    Once Francepleted an enhanced version of the Industrial Revolution, then it would be France that dumped goods into a tariff-weakened Ennd!

    Having bamboozled the industrial aspect, Joseph was ready to collect his interest: ¡°Mr. Ambassador, France has made substantial tariff concessions in industry. So, in terms of agricultural products, shouldn¡¯t Ennd also make a gesture?¡±

    Hartley immediately nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s no problem, wine tariffs are still negotiable.¡±

    In thest trade negotiations, what the French people were most concerned about was the export of wine, actually exchanging much of their industrial goods market for Ennd¡¯s wine market.

    Joseph smiled and said, ¡°In fact, in addition to wine, we have some beer workshops in Normandy, and I think there are some spirits as well. The tariffs on these beverages would be best reduced to below 10%.

    ¡°Oh yes, luxury goods, there are also luxury goods. Perhaps you¡¯ve heard that I have some luxury goods industries; if you could amodate them, I would be most grateful¡­¡±

    Hartley pondered briefly then nodded: ¡°I will definitely convey your thoughts to Congress.¡±

    The quality of French beer was quite average, and spirits had even less sales volume, so they couldpletely open the English market to them. The luxury goods market wasn¡¯t toorge either. Compared to the huge profits in industrial goods, these were mere trifles.

    ¡°I¡¯m d we could reach a consensus,¡± said Joseph, ¡°We must both work to expedite the resumption of trade negotiations.¡±

    Then Hartley recalled another concern: ¡°Your Highness, what you just mentioned, are these your own thoughts, or do they represent¡­¡±

    ¡°Only my opinion. However, I believe that they will also be the terms presented by the French negotiating delegation.¡±

    Hartley nodded, lifted the ss on the table, and signaled to Joseph: ¡°To the flourishing trade between Ennd and France!¡±

    But inwardly he thought: With just the Crown Prince¡¯s political influence, it would be difficult to control the content of the negotiations entirely. I must suggest to Congress to mobilize Ennd¡¯s resources in France to help him achieve this.

    Even if it couldn¡¯t be agreed upon in the short term, as long as the Crown Prince of France had such intentions, a new treaty would sooner orter be signed.

    Joseph raised his ss to clink with his gently, just as they heard Hurter Xiao on stage loudly proim: ¡°Thirty years east of the Seine, thirty years west of the Seine! One should not mock a young man for his poverty!¡±

    The passionate words made all the audience stand up, apud vigorously, and even moved some to tears.

    ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb your enjoyment of the wonderful y,¡± said Hartley, rising to his feet, bowing, and taking his leave.

    In his mind, he was already calcting: if all the negotiation terms mentioned by the Crown Prince of France could be met, he might be able to contend for the position of the next Prime Minister as a distinguished contributor.

    And as for his predetermined objectives for this trip, the sales of shipbuilding treaties, those were long forgotten.

    ¡­

    The next day.

    In the east hall meeting room of the Pce of Versailles, the first Cab meeting after the tax legition had been rejected by the High Court was about to be convened.

    Joseph walked into the golden entrance of the hall and tucked away the several pages of the report he was holding.

    It was an investigation report just delivered by Fouche. It mentioned that they had found Gizo¡¯s mistress, a woman named Anna.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    With Gizo¡¯s arrest, Anna had be impoverished. Eventually, under the inducement of a spy from the Police Affairs Department, she revealed that Gizo and Similion had discussed disrupting the Saint Antoine District to cause trouble for the Crown Prince at her ce.

    The key point was that in the conversation between Gizo and Similion, it was mentioned that if anything went wrong, a ¡°high-up¡± would help clean up.

    After Gizo¡¯s arrest, Anna had visited him. Gizo had asked her to seek out Paris Municipal Commissioner Levebelle, saying he would find a way to help him.

    Although there was no concrete evidence, it was basically certain that the person behind Gizo was Levebelle.

    And Levebelle¡¯s political faction belonged to the Duke of Orleans¡¯s camp. He himself had no conflicts of interest with Joseph. Thus, it could be deduced that the mastermind behind the scenes was the Duke of Orleans!

    Furthermore, Fouche had discovered that before Joseph took on the role of Assistant Finance Minister, the Duke of Orleans had attended a banquet hosted by the Banking Guild and openly asked the banks to dy the government¡¯s loan of 6 million livres as much as possible.

    Since many people attended the banquet, this news was not difficult to obtain.

    Thus, all the trouble was brewed by the Duke of Orleans.

    Joseph¡¯s eyes were cold. He must find a way to eradicate this scourge; otherwise, he couldn¡¯t tell what kind of mischief he would create for himself in the future!

    Soon, Queen Mary arrived in the conference hall. Everyone bowed respectfully. The Cab meeting officially began.

    Brian, as the Chief Minister, was about to deliver the customary summary of important matters that had urred recently, but he saw Justice Minister Somiare and the Duke of Orleans exchange a nce, and then Somiare suddenly stood up, raising his voice:

    ¡°Archbishop Brianne, at this moment, the most critical issue for France is advancing the tax legition. I think everyone must be waiting for you to introduce the progress of this matter.¡±

    Brian¡¯s expression immediately darkened. The High Court¡¯s rejection of the legition wasmon knowledge, and the Justice Minister¡¯s pointed question here was clearly a challenge and an insult to him.

    Suppressing his anger, he responded in a deep voice, ¡°The High Court has refused to register it. However, I have revised the provisions of the legition and will submit it to the High Court again.¡±

    Somiare smiled, ¡°The legition you previously proposed heavily targeted all the nobility, which is the reason it was rejected. How do you n to adjust it this time? Target the military, or go directly after the Royal Family?¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    Somiare continued, ¡°As far as I know, the High Court has reached a consensus to refuse to cooperate with you. In other words, any legition you submit in the future will surely be rejected.¡±

    As he spoke, he turned toward Queen Mary, raising his voice, ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, I believe that for the sake of the financial stability of France, we should rece the Finance Minister to ensure the tax legition can be passed as soon as possible.¡±

    Before the Queen could say anything, Foreign Minister Vilran stood up and ced his hand over his heart, ¡°I agree with Count de Simeon¡¯s suggestion. The nation¡¯s finances are on the verge of copse, and Archbishop Brianne should take responsibility for this.¡±

 Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The Great Offensive and Defensive Battle

    Somiare bowed to Queen Mary, "Your Majesty, I have also received word from the Duke of Seville, Count Seyrelier, Marquis de Saint-Veran..."

    He listed over ten names in one breath, all of which belonged to very influential nobility.

    "...to convey their suggestion that Archbishop Brian resign from his position."

    Vilran nced at Brian and said, "Nowadays, all over Paris, discussions are rife about issues such as Archbishop Briancking knowledge in finance and his financial policies being outdated."

    Queen Mary had not expected so many people to want Brian to step down and hesitated, saying,

    "The tax bill matters are veryplicated, perhaps we should give Archbishop Brian more time..."

    The Duke of Orleans had long been plotting to topple Brian and certainly wouldn''t give him the opportunity to catch his breath.

    He cleared his throat, stood up, and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen, some friends in the banking industry have told me that due to the Finance Minister''s assistant abruptly disrupting the loan cooperation with two banks not long ago, it caused the banks to suffer serious losses.

    "Lately, the entire banking industry has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the national financial policies."

    He deliberately med the actions of Joseph on Brian to target him. However, this was somewhat eptable since Brian was the highest responsible person in the financial system and should be responsible for any finance-rted issues.

    Somiare cooperated by disying a shocked expression, saying, "This situation sounds very serious."

    "It is indeed," pretended the Duke of Orleans with a worried look, "My friends have revealed that the Banking Guild might boycott Archbishop Brian, which would severely impact the government''s ability to obtain loans."

    He looked at Queen Mary, "Your Majesty, as you know, without the support of bank loans, we will not be able to pay the government debt, meaning a default on national bonds."

    In fact, this was entirely an exaggeration. For banking capital, lending to the government was the best deal; not only was the interest high, but also there was hardly any concern about not being able to collect the loans. Ravel Bank and Labod Bank had lost the business of lending to the government, causing their revenues to plummet, and they were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

    However, Queen Mary started to feel uneasy, and with a frown, she asked, "What can be done about this? Is there any room for recovery?"

    "Perhaps..." The Duke of Orleans "thought hard" for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said, "There is one person who can deal with the current situation."

    The Queen eagerly asked, "Who is he?"

    "You know him too, Mr. Necker," said the Duke of Orleans, "He has always been well-connected with the banking industry and possesses extensive experience in financial management. I believe that he is the most suitable candidate for Finance Minister at the moment."

    Vilran and Somiare immediately nodded in a mimicry of agreement, "Mr. Necker indeed has the capability to solve these problems."

    "I too think he is the only one fit to be Finance Minister."

    Queen Mary watched the three of them, all feigning concern for the nation and its people, and waxing lyrical with great passion, and she too sighed inwardly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In fact, she was quite dissatisfied with Brian''s handling of the financial system after taking over¡ªthere was no reduction in the huge national debt. The tax bill had been underway for over half a year with no progress. Now, to make matters worse, the banking industry had been offended...

    Initially, she wanted Brian for Finance Minister because he was the speaker of the "Assembly of Notables", which representedrge nobility at the time, and by drawing him in, it was beneficial for the Assembly to support the new tax bill.

    Unfortunately, no sooner had Brian shown an attitude of support for the Royal Family than he was abandoned by the Assembly of Notables. It could be said that politically, he was almost without value.

    If recing him could facilitate the advancement of the tax bill and also obtain the support of the banking industry, it would indeed be worth considering.

    Moreover, Mr. Necker had once served as Finance Minister. Although he was dismissed for unterally disclosing the expenditures of the Royal Family, he was indeed very professional in financial management.

    Thinking of this, Queen Mary looked up at the other ministers, "Then, what are your opinions on this matter?"

    Joseph had been caught off guard by the sudden attack from the Justice Minister and Duke of Orleans, among others, but he finally understood¡ªthey were trying to get rid of Brian to elevate Necker.

    Historically, Necker did rece Brian as Finance Minister, just a few monthster than now. It can be said that it was precisely by using this man as Finance Minister that Louis XVI''sst hope of survival was buried.

    Simply put, Necker represented the interests of capitalists, more specifically the interests of banking capital!

    How could he possibly serve the Royal Family with wholehearted sincerity?

    It was during his tenure as Finance Minister that the French Government''s scale of borrowing from banks rapidly expanded by several times.

    Even though the subsequent Finance Minister, Carolina, tried to avoid high-interest loans, by then France''s finances had already be dependent on borrowing, a situation that was beyond salvation.

    In addition, he had made public the Royal Family''s expenditures, provoking fierce criticism from all over France over the Royal Family''s enormous spending. In reality, arge part of this was government expenditure on repurchasing noblends and the like.

    The actual expenses of the Royal Family were essentially covered by the King''s own estates and industries, and the King often had to use his private wealth to fill gaps in the treasury.

    Joseph''s eyes narrowed slightly; he absolutely could not allow the Duke of Orleans to have his way!

    His own taxation legition was just beginning to take shape, and he needed Brian''s cooperation at this time. He had to protect him, which was also a strike against Necker.

    He immediately stood up and said, "In fact, Archbishop Brienne has been very effective in advancing the tax legition.

    "One can go to Paris and see, many people believe that the nobility should paynd tax and the like, and they are very supportive of the new tax legition."

    Although he was somewhat exaggerating, simr public opinion had indeed begun to appear inrge numbers.

    Somiare looked over at him, "Crown Prince, as far as I am aware, there are still many who are skeptical about the tax legition."

    Josephughed dismissively, "But that number will continue to decrease."

    As the cirction of his two newspapers continued to rise, public opinion would inevitably lean towards supporting the bill. Moreover, the content of the bill did not affect most people and could improve government finances, giving them no reason not to support it.

    "No, Your Highness, the tax legition has been opposed for a long time, people will not just suddenly¡­"

    Joseph did not want to get entangled in these minor issues with him. The other party was clearly prepared, and if he got into a discussion of the details, that would fall into their pace.

    Joseph immediately raised his hand to interrupt him, turning to Queen Mary, "Your Majesty, the Archbishop Brienne has long had a detailed n in ce to promote the tax legition and has already begun implementing it.

    "Here, I can assure everyone very confidently that within at most two months, the tax legition will certainly pass through registration at the High Court."

    All present were taken aback, not expecting Brian to be so confident.

    Brian was alsopletely bewildered, as he didn''t know about this n himself, but he quickly realized the Crown Prince was helping him.

 Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Declaration of War

    Daussumial and Vilran immediately looked towards the Duke of Orleans¡ªthey had madeprehensive ns but did not anticipate such a situation.

    ording to the usual pattern of political strife, under their sudden attack, the unprepared Archbishop Brienne could only react in two possible ways:

    One, he admits defeat, and announces his resignation directly.

    Two, he offers specious excuses and waits for the Cab meeting to end before looking for political leverage to break the predicament.

    However, their side was well prepared. When the time came, they would mobilize more of the Great Noble Group and unite with the banking industry to put pressure on Queen Mary. In the end, Archbishop Brienne was still fated to be dismissed.

    Yet, who knew Archbishop Brienne would counterattack on the spot!

    The Duke of Orleans furrowed his brow and said coldly, "Archbishop Brienne, you were at your wit''s end with advancing the tax bill before. Howe you are so confident all of a sudden?

    "France''s financial situation is extremely severe. If you still cannot get the bill passed after two months..."

    Archbishop Brienne nced at Joseph with the corner of his eye and, seeing his affirmative look, steeled his heart and dered loudly, "Duke of Orleans, how do you know that my previous attempts were not tests for the High Court? And the rejection of the bill is also part of my overall n."

    He was already a veteran in the political arena, capable of spouting truth and falsehoods with ease.

    He then looked towards Queen Mary, and said with a determined expression, "Your Majesty, if the tax bill is still not registered after two months, please exile me to Corsica!"

    Exiling erroneous high-ranking officials was a tradition in France, usually to remote towns like Lorraine or Perpignan, but being exiled to an ind outside the maind was a much more severe punishment.

    In fact, Archbishop Brienne had anticipated his dismissal sooner orter, and was prepared to ept it resignedly, but for some reason, he had a premonition at that instant that the Crown Prince really could get the bill passed!

    He was not willing to see his political career end just like that, so he made a choice on the spot¡ªtrust in the Crown Prince and take this political gamble!

    Seeing a hint of hesitation in Queen Mary''s eyes, the Duke of Orleans immediately raised his voice, "There''s no need to waste another two months. Mr. Necker should be brought in to rescue France''s finances right now!"

    Joseph smiled faintly and asked, "Allow me to ask, Duke of Orleans, is Mr. Necker certain he can get the tax bill passed within two months?"

    The Duke of Orleans faltered, as he himself was one of the masterminds behind blocking the tax bill, and thus could only shake his head, "Probably not..."

    Joseph immediately turned to Queen Mary, "Your Majesty, if Mr. Necker cannot aplish this, then what reason do we have not to give Archbishop Brienne, who is confident, a chance?"

    Orleans urgently said, "Your Majesty, Archbishop Brienne will only continue to worsen the financial situation!"

    Joseph immediately responded, "Only by getting the tax bill passed can the financial situation be improved. And Mr. Necker is powerless in this matter."

    Actually, he also knew that collecting a bit more tax from the nobility was almost negligible for France''s finances. But the passage or failure of this bill was a significant symbol of the power struggle between the monarchy and the Great Noble Group! Whoever lost would face a significant setback on the political battlefield.

    Thus, this bill must pass!

    Queen Mary, seeing the two men at loggerheads, rubbed her brow wearily. The burden of these national affairs was indeed too heavy for her as a woman.

    Her gaze shifted back and forth between Joseph and the Duke of Orleans. While she felt that the former seemed to make more sense, thetter was a seasoned minister with vast political experience, whose opinion might be more worth considering.

    She then recalled Archbishop Brienne''s confident demeanor, seemingly holding a winning ticket, but she also had to consider the attitudes of the "Assembly of Notables," those great nobles, and the banking industry...

    She could only feel various factors in her head plunging into chaos, uncertain whom to listen to for the time being.

    After a long while, Queen Mary looked to the other cab ministers for help, "May I ask what are your opinions on this matter?"

    The neutral cab ministers did not want to rashly take sides and remained silent, heads down. The Minister of the Interior, Mono, opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

    Seeing no one speaking up, the Queen nced at the Duke of Orleans and Brian and finally ced her hands weakly crossed on the conference table in front of her, murmuring, "Then, regarding whether Archbishop Brienne should continue to be in charge of financial affairs until two monthster, I sincerely ask you to make a fair judgment for themon benefit of all of France."

    "I have decided to adjourn for the time being and continue the cab meeting tomorrow to resolve this issue with a cab decision."

    What she referred to as "decision" was a collective vote by the cab ministers for the matters that were difficult to decide.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After making her announcement, as if she had exhausted all her energy, she gestured to adjourn and was the first to walk towards the golden door with the help of her maids.

    Joseph frowned inadvertently, not expecting the Queen tock decisiveness and courage, actually passing the problem to her ministers.

    The Duke of Orleans watched Brian with a smug look and, without saying anything, led his group out of the meeting hall.

    Both sides had dered war; there was no room forpromise, and what followed were political maneuvers and deal-making.

    ...

    Joseph and Brian went to the office of the Finance Minister together.

    After closing the door, Brian immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your assistance. You have saved me, as well as the finances of France."

    Then he eagerly asked his most pressing question, "Please, you must tell me the truth, are you really confident that you can get the bill passed?"

    Joseph knew that their interests were aligned, so there was no worry about Brian leaking secrets, and immediately nodded, "Rest assured, I am indeed confident.

    "The ''Assembly of Notables'' may seem like a difficult political beast to confront, but in fact, it has two fatal weaknesses.

    "First, its interior is not an extremely united whole but abination of the Great Noble Group and the Capitalist Nobility...you can simply understand these as the nouveaux riches who have rapidly umted wealth. We can divide them and break them apart.

    "Secondly, it relies too heavily on the High Court. Without the support of the High Court, they are just a bunch of ordinary nobles with no authority. And since the High Court is inherently corrupt, there are plenty of vulnerabilities to attack."

    Brian nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, "Your analysis is very insightful but we only have two months¡­"

    Joseph immediately smiled, "Please be assured. I now have enough interests and methods to divide the ''Assembly of Notables'' in my hands, as well as the public opinion tools to subdue the High Court. Along with your political capital, as long as we manage it properly, it won''t take two months to get the bill passed."

    A light shed in Brian''s eyes, and it was not until this moment that he finally believed he had bet correctly!

    As they were talking, Eman''s voice came through, "Your Highness, Count Mono has arrived."

    Brian and Joseph exchanged looks, then called out loudly, "Come in, please, the door is unlocked."

    The door was pushed open, and the Minister of the Interior, Mono, entered with a serious expression.

 Chapter 80: Chapter 80 Political Deals

    Count Mono bowed to Joseph and Archbishop Brienne, saying earnestly, "The Cab''s decision this time rtes to the future financial path; how we decide, I fear, will be taken with utmost caution by all."

    Archbishop Brienne immediately showed a smile, "Count Mono, I heard your child is going to be 15 soon, quite exceptional."

    He extended both hands towards Mono, "This may be somewhat presumptuous, but I believe he is indeed a fine candidate to inherit your title."

    Mono''s eyes lit up at once, "You mean, you have a way to help him...?"

    He was past his sixtieth year, his legitimate wife and only son had both died of illness, and although he had several illegitimate children, ording to Frenchw, bastards could not inherit the family estate.

    Archbishop Brienne nodded at him, "This will take a considerable amount of time, but I believe there are some means to achieve it. I can promise you that."

    Mono immediately grasped his hand, excitedly saying,

    "Archbishop Brienne, you have always been the Finance Minister I respect the most! This will never change."

    He originally had some acquaintance with Archbishop Brienne, andter formed some bonds with Joseph.

    This time, with the Crown Prince firmly on Brienne''s side, he had roughly determined his own stance, but the politicalpensation he was due couldn''t be less.

    And Brienne was also quite frank with his rewards. After all, arranging for a Count''s bastard to inherit a title was not easy, and without Archbishop Brienne''s Church background, and his power as Chief Minister, it was almost impossible to aplish.

    Of course, Mono also took a great political risk, but he also calcted very clearly that even if Brienne fell, he would still gain a favor from the Crown Prince and wouldn''t lose everything.

    Archbishop Brienne likewise bowed in thanks, "Thank you for your trust! Count Mono, you will always have my friendship."

    Havingpleted the exchange of benefits, Mono immediately began to offer strategies and efforts to the team:

    "Archbishop Brienne, regarding tomorrow''s decision, do you feel confident?"

    Archbishop Brienne responded truthfully, "Currently, only His Highness and you have confirmed your support for me."

    Mono pondered, "ording to custom, military men generally do not get involved in such matters.

    "As for the Duke of Orleans, he has the Justice Minister and the Foreign Minister, also three people. So..."

    Brienne continued, "The position of Count Nico Herve will thus be particrly important."

    He was talking about the current Registry Minister, a minister who usually had the least presence in the Cab but had now be the center of the storm.

    Mono lowered his head, analyzing, "The Duke of Orleans should already be on his way to win him over by now."

    Joseph looked at him, "What do you think, can the Duke of Orleanse up with as a bargaining chip?"

    After some thought, Mono said, "It should be money, arge sum of money, or something like an estate. As you know, the Duke of Orleans is very wealthy."

    Joseph asked again, "Can you tell me about Count Nico Herve''s situation?"

    "Well, he once was an advisor to His Majesty the King andter, on the rmendation of Viscount Carolina, became the Registry Minister. However, he doesn''t have much of a record, and behind his back, everyone calls him ''Invisible Nico Herve''..."

    As he finished, a smile appeared on Joseph''s face, "I think, I might have a talk with him."

    ...

    As twilight approached, Nico Herve respectfully followed by the side of the Crown Prince, walking slowly along the cobblestone path on the edge of the Versailles Pce Square.

    He was well aware of the current situation, just waiting for the offers from both sides to roll in.

    However, he had originally thought Brian woulde to find him, yet it was the Crown Prince who arrived.

    "Trade negotiations?" Nico Herve appeared extremely surprised, "Your Highness, are you saying you want me to preside over the trade negotiations?"

    Joseph nodded, "Yes, before long, we will be reopening negotiations for the ''Eden Treaty'' with Ennd."

    Nico Herve asked in confusion, "But ... what does this have to do with me? Such negotiations are usually the responsibility of the Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister."

    Josephughed, "That''s not necessarily the case. The Finance Minister is in charge of drafting the specific terms, while another person is responsible for coordinating andmunicating with the British.

    "You see, after today''s Cab meeting, it has be quite difficult for Vilran to work with Archbishop Brian. And since the Finance Minister must be involved in the negotiations, we will have to choose someone else to team up with Archbishop Brian. Like you, for instance."

    Upon hearing this, Nico Herve''s heart stirred. Presiding over negotiations with the British could give him political capital that he could never gain by conducting tens of thousands of censuses.

    The most significant aplishment of the celebrated Count of Vergena was facilitating the Franco-American Alliance, followed by signing the ''Eden Treaty''.

    Could he also have the chance to achieve the prestige of Count Vergena!

    At this thought, he suddenly hesitated and said with some reservation, "But Your Highness, I have no experience in this area ..."

    Joseph immediately replied, "That is easy, all you need to do is maintain the dignity of France in front of the Englishmen.

    "I know you possess exceptional abilities; it''s just that you haven''t had the opportunity to showcase them.

    "If you can demonstrate your diplomatic skills during these negotiations for everyone to see, you could even have the chance to take over as Foreign Minister."

    Nico Herve''s breathing grew a bit rapid, not simply because the position of Foreign Minister held greater authority, but more so because he had long since grown weary of the registration system¡ªwithout any eye-catching opportunities, the uniform documents and data, and even being mockingly referred to as ''transparent''.

    To be Foreign Minister, however, meant to have the world as your stage, where you could dance freely among different nations, enjoying such careless and heroic abandon!

    He looked at Joseph and asked earnestly, "Your Highness, are you certain that the trade agreement will be renegotiated?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Absolutely certain. You can inquire about the relevant situation from the British ambassador to France."

    "Then, will Archbishop Brian be presiding over the negotiations with me?"

    "What I have conveyed is precisely the Archbishop''s own intention."

    Joseph maintained his smile throughout. When he heard from Count Mono that Nico Herve came from a very wealthy background but had alwayscked presence in the Cab and was quite dissatisfied with it, he knew exactly what to offer in trade.

    Indeed, Nico Herve paused, turned back, and gestured over his chest, "Your Highness, you will have the vote you seek."

    Joseph nodded in satisfaction, then added, "Count Nico Herve, there''s onest thing I would like to remind you. If Archbishop Brie resigns as Finance Minister, then it will be Necker and Vilran presiding over the trade negotiations."

    Nico Herve immediately said with a determined tone, "Yes, Your Highness, I will make sure such a thing does not happen!"

    Compared to the allure of the position of Foreign Minister, the several hundred thousand livres promised to him by the Duke of Orleans were utterly insignificant!

    After parting ways with Nico Herve, Joseph headed towards the Pce of Versailles, musing to himself that politics was like haggling among market vendors¡ªsome made offers, others made counteroffers, and in the end, the highest bidder won.

    There were also those who understood the psychology of the buyers well enough to ask for the moon.

    Or if you were strong enough, you simply forced a sale.

    But in the end, it was all still a trade.

 Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Traitor

    ```

    At 9 in the morning, the conference hall in the east wing of the Pce of Versailles was once again convened to decide the destiny of France.

    "So, let us begin the Cab resolution," Queen Mary surveyed the attendees on both sides of the expansive conference table. "Gentlemen, those who agree with Count de Simeon''s proposal and believe that Archbishop Brienne should resign immediately, please show your support."

    The Duke of Orleans immediately revealed a smug smile and slowly raised his right hand. He was utterly confident in toppling Brian¡ªthe day before, he had promised Nico Herve a full three hundred thousand livres, an enormous sum that was sure to tempt the "transparent minister."

    Somiare and Vilran also raised their hands one after the other.

    A moment of silence fell upon the hall.

    The Duke of Orleans nced at Nico Herve, signaling with his eyes that it was time for him to take action.

    But there was no response.

    The Duke of Orleans frowned, coughed softly, and whispered, "Ahem, Earl Nico."

    Nico Herve, however, kept his gaze focused intently on the queen at the head of the conference table, as if he had heard nothing.

    Queen Mary once again looked around and asked, "Anyone else?"

    Seeing Nico Herve remaining as unmoving as a stone sculpture, the Duke of Orleans finally realized there was a problem and red at him furiously, as if his gaze could pierce through Nico''s chest.

    Queen Mary, with her hands braced on the table, stood up and announced loudly, "ording to the Cab''s decision, Archbishop Brienne will continue to serve as the Finance Minister for the next two months."

    She then turned to Brian, nodding in acknowledgment, "I hope you bring us good news in two months. If not, I trust you will remember your promise."

    The queen turned and left.

    The Duke of Orleans, seething with rage, turned around the conference table, wanting to confront the Minister of Civil Registry sitting on the other side, only to see thetter had already left through the golden doors without looking back, as if they had never met the previous night.

    He dashed out of the conference hall but did not chase after Nico. Instead, he quickly exited the Pce of Versailles, hopped onto his carriage, and gnashed his teeth in anger, "Nico, the damned traitor!

    "As for you, Brian, you''re just wasting another two months. That bill will never pass!"

    ...

    Royal Pce.

    Huge crystal chandeliers illuminated the grand hall, over fifty meters in length.

    In the oil paintings on the wall, the old Duke of Orleans looked proudly towards the middle-aged man on the tform in front of him, as if he were reporting to the Regent.

    "We must do something!" shouted the middle-aged man with curly white hairpiece and a face marred by e scars, gesticting furiously with both hands, "Let''s all write to his Majesty the King. Demanding Brian steps down immediately..."

    The hall was filled with dozens of nobles, either standing or sitting, all echoing loudly:

    "Yes! Brian has betrayed everyone here; he shall be punished!"

    "How dare they expect us to pay the same taxes as thosemoners, it''s an insult!"

    Anyone who had attended the Assembly of Notables earlier in the year would recognize that the participants were members of the Assembly, the most influential nobles.

    By the arched window on the west side, a man nearly forty, with a broad face and a double chin, whispered to the person beside him, "We just had a gathering like this ten days ago, why another one?"

    The noble next to him replied, "Count Mirabeau, are you not aware of the Cab meeting from a couple of days ago?"

    ```

    "I heard that Count Somiareunched a motion to dismiss Archbishop Brienne, but it failed."

    The noblemanughed, "Although he wasn''t dismissed, Queen Mary has demanded that he get the tax legition registered within two months, or else she will exile him to Corsica."

    Mirabeau nodded slightly, previously, Finance Minister Carolina had been exiled for not sessfully pushing the tax legition, and if Brienne were to fail as well, it would be a deration to all the nobility that the High Court had the power to regte the authority of the Royal Family.

    He also revealed a smile, "This gathering will unite us even more, and in two months, we will ultimately prevail."

    At this moment, in a room on the second floor, the Duke of Orleans nced down at the bustling hall and then turned, raising his ss with a smile, "Look, gentlemen, everyone is on our side."

    Those before him also raised their sses, one said, "Correcting the mistakes of the Royal Family is the duty of the High Court."

    "I''ve seen that bill, it''s filled with absurdities. I believe no judge would ever allow it to be registered."

    "That''s right. But even if Archbishop Brienne makes significant changes to the uses, we can''t let the bill pass."

    "Exactly, this time it''s outright provocation to the High Court!"

    The Duke of Orleansughed and nodded, enthusiastically clinking sses with a few others.

    These men were the most powerful judges of the High Court; any legition that wished to be registered would need their approval.

    With themitments from the judges and the support of the great nobles in the hall, even if Brienne were incredibly capable, he would have to roll obediently off to Corsica in two months.

    "Oh, by the way, I''ve also prepared some surprises for everyone." The Duke of Orleans indicated towards several tightly closed doors to the side, his expression insinuating, "I hope you''ll like them."

    The judges exchanged nces, responding with knowing smiles.

    They knew these were activities the Duke of Orleans provided for his esteemed guests. The ones inside those rooms weren''t ordinary performers but carefully selected beauties; although reportedly of dubious origins, they were indeed rarely seen in this world.

    The men nodded their thanks to the Duke of Orleans, then picked up mummy powder that had already been prepared on a nearby table, each chose a room, and entered with licentiousughter.

    The pharaohs of ancient Egypt could not possibly have dreamed that their bodies, so meticulously prepared for resurrection, would be ground into powder thousands of yearster and consumed as aphrodisiacs.

    ...

    Paris Commercial News Agency.

    In a warehouse over ten meters wide, the smell of ink and a faint scent of mold permeated the air. More than a dozen workers, dressed in coarse gray-yellow clothes with cracked faces and hands, were busy using ropes to bundle books into stacks, then arranging them neatly on wooden nks.

    The piles of books in the warehouse stood over two meters high, filling half the space.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Suddenly, the door was pushed open. A handsome young man in a luxurious dark blue coat and an otter fur tricorn hat walked in.

    The workers, sensing his very high status, stopped their tasks and nervously stepped back, bowing their heads.

    The young man greeted with a smile, "Please continue with your work, don''t mind me..."

    As he spoke, a foreman wearing a felt cap and dressed in a ck leather jerkin and trousers, carrying a wooden club, suddenly came from the other side and hit the closest worker with a stick, "Laziness! It''s not time to rest yet, do you all want a beating?"

    After taking a few steps and about to strike another worker, the foreman looked up and saw the noble young man and the arriving manager Denico, who had just entered the warehouse, and immediately understood what was happening.

    He hastily bowed, "Your lordship, I hope I didn''t offend you.

    "Mr. Denico, you''ve arrived."

    The youth was Joseph. He snatched the foreman''s club, threw it on the ground, and said coldly, "Next time, if you hit someone without understanding the situation, you''ll be out of a job! This time you''re fined three days'' pay."

 Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Freedom Fighter

    ```

    Denico hurried over and shouted at the bewildered overseer, "What are you standing there for? Apologize immediately! This is the owner of our newspaper."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Yes, yes," the overseer stammered, taking several steps back and bowing repeatedly, "I''m extremely sorry."

    Joseph gestured to the workers around, "You should be apologizing to them."

    "Ah, right." The overseer turned and bowed his head to the group of poorly dressed people, "I''m sorry..."

    Denico frowned and shook his head as a sign, "Just go."

    The overseer hurriedly backed out of the storeroom and, in doing so, stepped on a string used to tie up bundles of books, almost falling over.

    The workers cast grateful nces at Joseph. One of the bolder ones even bowed and said, "Thank you, sir, you are truly a kind and good man."

    Joseph noticed their cracked skin and ordered Denico, "Mr. Denico, please buy somenolin for everyone to use for free, and make sure no one gets frostbite.

    "Also, during the coldest month of each year, give everyone an extra week''s wages as a cold-weather subsidy."

    Denico nodded quickly, "Yes, I''ll remember that."

    The workers could hardly believe their ears, feeling that this young noble boss was simply an angel in human form, not only stopping the overseer from hitting people at will but also being so generous to everyone.

    These simple workers weren''t eloquent, so they silently got back to work. However, their hands moved noticeably faster than before, and when binding and arranging the booklets, they did so with greater care.

    Joseph continued walking through the gaps between piles of books, casually picking up a booklet. It was evident from the grayish-yellow, coarse paper that it was of the lowest quality, with crude printing, and only crudely stitched together in the middle with some nt fiber to prevent it from falling apart.

    However, the booklet had 16 pages, including five illustrations.

    He looked towards the mountain-like pile of books and asked, "Mr. Denico, how many copies were printed this time?"

    Denico eagerly stepped forward, "Your Highness, we printed 30,000 copies of each of the two types of booklets, which should be enough for sales in Paris and the surrounding towns."

    Joseph nodded, "What was the cost for one of these booklets?"

    "Because it has more pages, it costs 1 sou and 5 deniers," Denico added. "Your invention of that lithography is truly miraculous. Without it, the cost would definitely exceed 3 sous."

    In fact, if the old copperte printing method had been used, no booklet would dare to include five illustrations¡ªengraving the coppertes alone would have increased the cost of the booklet several times over.

    It could be said that the bookletsunched by Paris Commercial News this time were definitely the most luxurious standard in the booklet industry.

    Without a second thought, Joseph said, "Then sell them at cost price."

    "Yes, Your Highness," Denico had gotten used to his boss''s extravagance. Last time, if it weren''t for the shops eager to advertise, they would have lost money on the newspapers.

    Joseph opened the booklet in his hand; the first few pages were light-hearted novels. In the middle, there was an article titled "How Much Money Have the Judges of the High Court Embezzled?"

    There were four such articles interspersed within the light-hearted text in total.

    Joseph briefly skimmed through and found that the quality of several articles was indeed somewhat unsatisfactory. The writing was tedious, it didn''t stir up the reader''s anger, nor was it very resonant.

    He couldn''t help but frown slightly, "The articles need to have more inmmatory content."

    Denico nodded awkwardly, "Yes, I will do my utmost."

    Joseph knew that it wasn''t Denico''s fault; the Paris Commercial News had been a small cirction newspaper before, and the editorial capacity was just as it was.

    ```

    He thought for a moment, then pointed at the booklet in his hand and said, "We can start by making some improvements to the headlines.

    ''For example, this ''How Much Money Have the High Court Judges Really Embezzled?'' can be changed to ''Fury! They say ''If you have no money, get lost; you don''t deserve to win''.

    ''And this one, ''The Truth About Magistrate Wezignia''s Handling of the Leon Inheritance Case,'' could be ''Shocking! A Widow, Two Men, and the Untold Story Between Them and Magistrate Wezignia''.

    ''''The Effects of the Unregistered Tax Laws on the National Finances'' bes ''Terrifying! They are Stealing France''s Money, and We Don''t Even Know''..."

    Denico''s eyes suddenly went round as saucers.

    These titles seemed to have a tiny bit of relevance to the content of the articles, but it seemed that wasn''t quite right either.

    However, the main point was that these headlines were too tantalizing; anyone who saw them would definitely be unable to resist reading the articles that followed!

    He sighed inwardly: If the Crown Prince were to be a journalist, with his knack for crafting headlines alone, he would be fiercely sought after by all the major newspapers.

    As Joseph was speaking, he saw a newspaper executive signaling to Denico from afar. Thetter hurriedly said to Joseph:

    "Your Highness, the guest you were waiting for has arrived."

    Joseph nodded and went with Denico to the newspaper office.

    A middle-aged man with disheveled hair and deep nasbial folds was already waiting there.

    When he saw them enter, he quickly stood up to greet Denico and said, "I''m delighted to meet you, Mr. Denico. Thank you for publishing my article. May I know why you have summoned me?"

    Denico immediately followed Joseph''s instructions and introduced the man, "Mr. Xavier, this is Mr. Mara."

    He then pointed to Joseph, who wore a tricorn hat: "Mr. Mara, this gentleman is the owner of our newspaper, Mr. Xavier.

    "Oh, it was his idea to publish your article."

    Mara hastily bowed to Joseph, saying, "Thank you very much, Mr. Xavier. You are truly young and talented, having led the Paris Commercial News to such sess."

    Joseph smiled and returned the gesture, gesturing to a chair beside them: "Mr. Mara, please take a seat."

    Yes, his main purpose foring to the newspaper office today was to meet Mara¡ªthis historically notorious Jacobin leader, who with a mere signature could have three thousand heads rolling.

    Mara''s article analyzing the taxws had been rejected everywhere, and had finally been sent to the Paris Commercial News.

    Denico, who was in need of such pieces at the time, had published it straight away.

    And when Joseph saw Mara''s famous name in his own newspaper, he had an epiphany and asked Denico to arrange a meeting.

    Joseph was fully aware that although Mara appeared to be just a journalist with a sharp pen, in reality, his influence was enormous, with extensive connections and huge sway among themon people. If handled correctly, Mara might y a significant role in the game between himself and the High Court.

    However, given Mara''s extreme animosity toward the Royal Family, Joseph had to choose to meet him in a different guise.

    After Mara had taken a seat, Denico made the excuse that there was an issue in the storeroom and left.

    Joseph looked at Mara and smiled, saying, "I have always admired you, Mr. Mara. You are a true Freedom Fighter."

    Mara clearly took pride in this title and immediately returned thepliment, "It is my honor to fight for justice and rights for the people of France."

 Chapter 83: On-shelf Address

    Dear esteemed readers, good evening!

    I''m reporting to you as the author: this book will go live at midnight on December 1st, 2023.

    The autumn breeze of October, like a golden paintbrush, rendered the splendid Pce of Versailles within the pages, and at that moment, "I Was the Crown Prince in France" embarked on a new chapter.

    The frost and snow of November resembled a grueling journey that taught me persistence and patience in the ongoing writing process, striving to satisfy you all.

    As for December... never mind, I''m not going to try to sound European anymore; it''s too exhausting.

    I''ll just speak inly.

    "I Was the Crown Prince in France" began to take shape in June when I came across a book about modern European history. After reading it, I immediately developed a keen interest in the history of the French Revolution, convinced that the era of rapid and dramatic changes brought forth many interesting stories and sigh-inducing characters.

    Thus, I was struck by a strong impulse to create, hoping to write fascinating stories. For this purpose, I started to search through various historical documents and materials. It was only when I started looking did I realize the difficulty¡ªmany of the historical recordscked Chinese trantions, and numerous historical figures had various transliterated names.

    I even made aical mistake initially, thinking they were two different people, only toter find out it was the same individual with different transliterations of their name.

    After more than three months of searching, I felt I had gathered quiteprehensive material and finally began to write this book. As I wrote, I realized that some segments of the outlines I had initially designed still needed further refinement to truly capture the essence.

    Even though I wrote slowly, the unwavering support of gifts, monthly passes, and rmendation tickets from you, dear readers, has warmed my heart and moved me deeply.

    Through all the stumbling over the past month, we''re finally approaching theunch date, and I am quite emotional. This is the third book I''ve managed to bring tounch, like my third child. Although it surely has ws, I still love it dearly. I hope you too will fall in love with it.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    In the end, what I want to say is thank you to my two editors who picked up my work, Brother Green Bean and Brother Peni. I was quite worried that my book, being a niche topic, would have a difficult time passing review. But to my surprise, both editors picked it up and have helped me a lot. I truly hope the subscription numbers will live up to their good opinion.

    Also, I want to thank the four helmsmen of the book: Adorably Average Caesar, R-ind, Uncle Cai Ning, and This Isn''t Good, for their generous donations, along with all the book friends and supporters for their love and support for the book.

    I beg you all, on ount of the little author who skipped dinner tonight to keep typing away, to contribute a first subscription to the book! Because it really means the world to me, I love you all!

 Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Public Opinion Boomerang

    Joseph said somewhat excitedly,

    "I have read many of your articles and always wondered why, as a freedom fighter, you never attacked the filthiest, most corrupt, and darkest ce in Paris. It was not until I saw that article of yours that I realized I had wronged you."

    Marat blinked in confusion and asked,

    "By the filthiest and darkest ce, what do you mean?"

    Joseph clenched his fist and said,

    "Of course, the High Court! It''s full of money and power trades, constantly creating unjust cases. The judges treat the suffering of the victims as a means to wealth, making it the source of all the misery of the Parisian people!"

    He didn''t nder the High Court at allter records show that the High Court at that time was one of the most corrupt ces in France, without question!

    Due to the gradual hereditary nature of judgeships, coupled with the increasing power of the judges, the oue ofwsuitspletely turned into apetition of bribing the judges.

    So much so that many of the lower ss, when they had issues, would rather seek help from gangs to resolve them, rather than go to court.

    It wasn''t until Napoleon came to power and vigorously reformed the judiciary that the court began to clean up a bit.

    Marat furrowed his brows. His sources were very reliable, so he naturally knew about the dirty dealings within the High Court.

    Compared with the High Court, the bureaucrats in other departments were as pure as underage girls.

    Joseph continued,

    "Your article was excellent, denouncing the High Court''s shameless obstruction of the taxw and revealing their dirty dealings with the nobility!"

    Marat felt somewhat ashamed upon hearing this. His own article had merely mentioned that thew was beneficial to national finances and that the court had no sufficient reason to reject it, and that three consecutive refusals indicated something fishy was happening.

    But it was far from the "denunciation" Mr. Xavier mentioned.

    Joseph sounded as if he was making a speech,

    "Since the High Court holds the right to review publications, no newspaper has dared to expose their ugliness, but I''ve decided to dere war on them!

    "Even if my newspaper is banned, even if I end up behind bars, I will have no regrets! At least the respected Mr. Marat fought alongside me!"

    Listening to his impassioned deration, Marat suddenly felt like nothing more than a coward.

    Because subconsciously knowing that writing about the High Court would be difficult to pass the review for publication, he involuntarily avoided this topic, and countless atrocities and injustices were buried beneath lies due to his timidity.

    The young Mr. Xavier is the true fighter!

    Joseph, seeing the expression on Marat''s face, thought to himself that the sess or failure of his n hung in the bnce. He took a deep breath and said,

    "Mr. Marat, I know all of this is extremely dangerous, and if you choose to step back, I''dpletely understand. But I will continue the fight for the people of France to the very end!"

    Marat felt a surge of blood rush to his head. He stood up abruptly, clenched his fists tightly, and dered earnestly,

    "I will fight with you, expose the crimes of the High Court! To return justice and dignity to the people!"

    ...

    In the western suburbs of Paris, at the headquarters of the Police Affairs Department.

    Apanied by Fouche and other high-level officials of the Police Affairs Department, Joseph swiftly walked past roomsbeled "Intelligence Team," "Action Team," "Resource Team," and entered the chief''s office at the end of the corridor.

    The Police Affairs Department had developed quickly. Fouche had just given him a brief report. The entire Police Affairs Department now had more than four hundred "police officers," with informants spread throughout Paris.

    Important departments such as city halls, courts, and embassies had already establishedplete intelligenceworks that collected and summarized information on schedule every day.

    In terms of intelligence-gathering capability, even the Secret Police, with seven or eight times more personnel, wouldn''t dare im to outperform the Police Affairs Department.

    Joseph sat down at the desk, praised Fouche and others for their excellent work, and then began assigning tasks:

    "The Police Affairs Department must, within a month, investigate the corruption and criminal behavior of the High Court''s magistrates and key officials!"

    In fact, he could have had someone instruct Fouche to do these things, but as it concerned his political future, he decided it was better to personally visit the Police Affairs Department to show its importance.

    "Also, the Duke of Seville, Count Seyrelier..." He looked at the note in his hand and read off more than a dozen names, all of whom were the great nobles mentioned by Somiare in the Cab meeting as supporters for the dismissal of Brian.

    "These people must be thoroughly investigated. Whether it''s seducing women or tax evasion, or even injuring servants, investigate everything you can find!"

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    Joseph then read out a series of street blocks and door numbers, directing to Fouche,

    "This is Marat''s address."

    Fouche asked, puzzled,

    "Is that the Jean-Paul Marat? The stubborn anti-Royal Family member?"

    Joseph nodded,

    "For now, he''s ''one of us.'' You can have your people actively be his informant, passing him the dirt on the High Court that they find."

    He had just sessfully guided Marat, the "piranha," towards the High Court. To get the piranha to bite more fiercely, the prey needed to show some wounds.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ...

    Paris High Court.

    In the magistrates'' lounge on the second floor, Magistrate Vergniaud violently threw a bunch of newspapers in front of an official, angrily saying,

    "What the hell are you doing? How could you let such a thing pass news review!"

    The official carefully picked up the newspaper, unfolded it, and saw that it was a copy of the Paris Commercial News, with the front-page headline ringly reading "The Dangers Brought by the Hereditary Nature of High Court Judges."

    He frowned, then nced at the following "News and Pictures Paper," whose front page was titled "Discussion on the Scope of the High Court''s Authority."

    He hurriedly defended himself,

    "Count Vergniaud, there aren''t any problems with these articles. I examined them carefully yesterday. Although there are some implications or misleading content..."

    The judge with the hooked nose next to Vergniaud frowned and said,

    "Are you sure?"

    The officer responsible for news censorship stammered,

    "Perhaps, I can ask them to change a headline."

    Vergniaud''s face darkened as he said,

    "Your censorship standards could be stricter!"

    The officer immediately bowed and responded,

    "Yes, my lord, I''ll make sure articles like these don''t appear again."

    Vergniaud turned to the judge beside him,

    "Let''s just have Rene bring some people to this newspaper office and find some pretext to shut it down."

    "You''re right, I''ll go order him to do so immediately."

    Two hourster, more than thirty publishing police armed with clubs and shields surrounded the front and back doors of the Paris Commercial News Agency.

    Although called "police," the publishing police were not managed by the Police Headquarters but were dispatched by the courts like bailiffs.

    Leading the publishing police, Rene took a few people and marched into the agency, grabbed a worker, and demanded loudly,

    "Who is in charge here?"

    The worker pointed tremblingly towards Denico''s office. Rene pushed him aside and barged into the office, pointing at Denico hemanded,

    "You''re in charge here? Get everyone to gather on that empty ground over there immediately. I want to conduct a thorough inspection!"

    However, before Denico could reply, Rene heard a series of whistlesing from outside the agency.

    Rene turned to look and saw more than a dozen police officers in blue uniforms apanied by the sound of whistles, running into the premises in formation.

    He approached, puzzled, and tipping his hat in salutation to the leading police officer, asked,

    "Excuse me, are you here to apprehend criminals?"

    The police officer gave him a nce and said coldly,

    "What are you doing?"

    Rene presented the court''s documents,

    "This agency might have contraband. I am here to search on orders!"

    But the leading police officer ignored him and said,

    "Have your men leave the agency immediately."

    Rene blinked and raised the court''s documents again,

    "I''m executing orders, please let us..."

    The leading police officer gestured with his hand and the police officers behind him immediately formed two lines. The front row pointed their riot forks at the publishing police, while the back row cocked their fire guns.

    Rene, staring at the dark muzzles, recoiled slightly but still blustered boldly,

    "What do you intend to do?!"

    The leading police officer smiled,

    "My task is to prevent any outsider from interfering with the agency''s operations. Please leave at once!"

    Rene still wanted to resist but noticed another team of police arriving, surrounding the publishing police at the door.

    His publishing police, who usually handled searches for prohibited books and closures of agencies, didn''t dare to go up against the public order police and obediently huddled together.

    Rene hastily nodded,

    "Alright, alright, we''re leaving."

    Then, he led his dozens of subordinates out of the agency, their tails between their legs.

    Joseph had anticipated that the High Court would resort to dirty tricks against the agency and had alerted Besancon beforehand.

    Thetter had directly set up a police booth opposite the agency and doubled the number of patrol officers in the nearby streets, making sure they protected the normal operation of the agency.

    After Rene returned and reported the situation, being scolded by his superior, he had no choice but to bring even more publishing police back to the agency, only to find the police already positioned outside with guns, barring even close ess to the main entrance.

    The next day, several articles from Paris Commercial News and Journal des D¨¦bats had indeed failed the review, forcing them to hastily fill the spaces with innocuous articles.

    That same afternoon, numerous pamphlets featured those censored articles, apanied by amentary titled "The High Court Trampling on the Freedom of Press."

    The front-page headline of another pamphlet read, "Shocking! Publishing Police Violently Raid! Their Unbelievable Purpose..."

    The main content of both pamphlets was thrilling, appealing literature and, priced very cheaply, quickly sold tens of thousands of copies, spread throughout Paris''s streets and alleys.

    Two dayster, as the contents of the pamphlets fermented, journalists and individuals from the publishing industry began appearing in front of the High Court to protest, demanding non-interference with publishing freedom, insisting that the Paris Commercial News articles contained no banned content and should pass the review.

    Other journalists started giving street speeches condemning the High Court for employing violence against an unproblematic agency.

    The people of Paris had long been dissatisfied with the corrupt High Court, and many gathered around the speakers, enthusiastically discussing and cheering loudly.

    Although by regtion, Paris prohibited unapproved public speaking, the police of Paris had received orders to turn a blind eye to speeches involving the High Court and not to interfere.

 Chapter 85: Chapter 84 Skills Derived from Genes

    Paris, Saint-Germain District.

    In a luxurious vi on the east side of Saint-Germain Boulevard, a salon was being held.

    The hostess, Lady Valville, listened to the philosophical words of the guests, asionally pping her hands gently in delight.

    The servants brought tters of snacks and fruits to each guest''s table and refilled empty wine sses with expensive wine.

    After several young guests had made lively opening remarks, a middle-aged man with disheveled hair stood up. Before he even spoke, he was greeted with a round of cheers:

    "Mr. Mara, we have been waiting to hear your esteemed opinion!"

    "The highlight of today has arrived."

    "Mr. Mara, your article was written so well, I''ve read it several times!"

    "Everyone be quiet, let Mr. Mara speak¡­"

    Mr. Mara smiled and gestured to the crowd with his hand on his chest, then raised his right hand and said in a loud voice:

    "Today, I want to talk about the most corrupt, darkest ce in Paris, which is the High Court!

    "You all must have heard, just two days ago, they actually dispatched the publishing police to harass the Paris Commercial News office for no reason, even attempting to shut it down!

    "Those madmen, filthy maggots! Using their censorship power, they kept many articles revealing the truth from being published in the Paris Commercial News; they are the enemies of freedom!

    "Those hypocritical judges think that newspapers and publications are ythings to be manipted at will, thinking they can control the thoughts of the people¡­"

    His speech was harsh and incisive, and his tone and demeanor were highly infectious. As far as inciting emotion went, his ability was off the charts.

    The dozens of people sitting around him voiced their agreement from time to time and responded with enthusiastic apuse.

    They were all influential journalists in Paris, and Mr. Mara was the most authoritative opinion leader in this circle.

    After Mr. Mara set the tone with a brilliant speech, the entire salon revolved around criticizing the High Court. Lady Valville, with a face full of admiration, urged several recorders to make sure to jot down every detail of the speeches.

    Mr. Mara picked up the wine in front of him, gave a thumbs-up gesture to the journalist who was speaking, and then turned to the young journalist on his right with wild hair and sharp eyes, saying in a low voice:

    "Viscount Demn, my old friend, we haven''t seen each other in a long time, have we?"

    Demn nodded respectfully:

    "Yes, it has been more than half a year since I''ve seen you. I''ve always wanted to visit you, but I was afraid of disturbing you."

    Mr. Mara said with a smile:

    "You know I am always happy to see you. By the way, I remember you once served as a judge at the High Court for a few years, didn''t you?"

    Demn''s face reddened with anger:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Yes, that is true. Just as you said, that is a filthy ce, and I truly could not endure it, so I resigned and became a journalist. Every time I see my father, he scolds me for this."

    Mr. Mara lowered his voice slightly:

    "Then you must know quite a bit about those corrupt judges, right?"

    Demn said:

    "I know a lot. I even have some evidence still in my possession."

    M''s eyes lit up suddenly, and he said solemnly,

    "We must, like warriors, bravely expose the crimes of those scoundrels to the people!"

    Demn nodded seriously:

    "I, I''ll listen to you! Right, I also know, know a few friends who have worked at the court, they, they must also want to do, do something!"

    ...

    Just one dayter, arge number of manuscripts were sent from Demn''s apartment to various newspapers in Paris.

    Unlike those manuscripts that analyzed the pros and cons of the court system or criticized the court''s interference with press freedom, this time the manuscripts contained real cases.

    Cases of High Court judges'' corruption and bribery that led to countless tragedies.

    Not only were the cases described clearly, but the writing was extremely inmmatory, clearly the work of an expert.

    Naturally, such material would not dare be published in newspapers, but the teams that produced pamphlets treated it like a treasured gift, beginning to type and print throughout the night.

    Of course, there were bold newspapers, like a tabloid called the "Paris Morning Post," that published these cases directly without censorship.

    The next morning, tens of thousands of pamphlets containing the dirty deeds of the High Court judges started circting through Paris.

    Real cases resonated with readers much more easily than any theoretical or policy analysis, especially the tragic fate of the victims in the cases, which infuriated countless Parisians.

    The protesting skills embedded in the genes of the French people were instantly activated. Before long, under the leadership of some journalists, hundreds of citizens gathered spontaneously outside the High Court, incessantly cursing and protesting loudly. The more daring threw mud and excrement over the court''s walls.

    After half a day, when the citizens realized the police were only patrolling outside the High Court and not bothering with the protesting crowd, they joined in droves, and the numbers swelled exponentially.

    The women formed a "logistics team," distributing bread and water to everyone, which even brought the homeless into the protest.

    Street speeches became more frequent, and the speakers could even receive prepared speechesing directly from M, definitely full of inmmatory material¡ªprompting the audience to cry out in agitation.

    At the corner of Sevigne Street, a man dressed in a dark gray overcoat shook his head in distress, saying something to the fat man beside him.

    From nearby came a fervent voice that caught their attention, "¡­the so-called justice and morality of those judges are nothing but silver coins! Miss Angers'' fortune was shamelessly awarded to that viin, while she was driven out of her home in the cold snow¡­"

    They nced at a few policemen chatting not far away and curiously squeezed into the crowd around the speaker.

    The speech continued, "But even so, ording to that perverse verdict, she still owes that viin a huge sum of money! Do you know her fate? At the age of twenty-three, she died from exhaustion in theundry room of a workhouse, her body covered with frostbite¡­"

    The man in the gray overcoat felt a surge of rage in his chest; he pinched the script in his pocket and said to the fat man,

    "I''ve decided, I''ll stage this y when I get back!"

    The fat man too was filled with outrage, nodding vigorously,

    "Shall we perform next Wednesday at the Comedy Theatre of France?"

    "No!" the man in the gray overcoat said, "Free street performances, we need to show it to more people, and I''ll cover the costs!"

    He was the leader of the troupe that had coborated with the Paris Commercial News, staging "Breaking Sky."

    He had just gone to the newspaper to discuss subsequent novel adaptations for the stage when Denico handed him a script¡ªthe story of an Ottoman judge epting bribes, which was actually an allusion to the Paris High Court.

    He had originally not wanted to take the y, knowing he could be troubled by the censorship department at any time, but the speech just now made him decide to be a warrior!

    Moreover, performing in this y meant securing a contract with the Paris Commercial News for novel adaptations for the next year.

 Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Meeting (Added for R_Island Boss)

    Police Affairs Department, Intelligence Team''s office.

    Fouche, with a dark face, coldly stared with his dead fish eyes at several intelligence team leaders in front of him, his voice hoarse, "Disgrace! This is simply a disgrace!"

    The members of the Intelligence Team bowed their heads in aggrievement, not daring to respond at all.

    Fouche paused after every word, "I''m giving you another 10 days. If you can''te up with anything useful by then, I''ll find a few journalists to take your ces! Do you understand?!"

    "Yes, we understand!" the group said in unison.

    They were genuinely helpless¡ªthey had gone to great lengths to find a mere hint of dirt on the judges of the High Court and had gleefully passed it to M via a "mole". Unexpectedly, M had smiled and handed the "mole" a booklet. Their "big discovery" had already been printed in it, and was much more detailed than what they had found. By the next day, the whole of Paris had known about it.

    They couldn''t fathom how these journalists, who were not even in the professional intelligence field, could obtain information faster than them...

    The group could only quietly resolve to procure such significant intelligence that would astound these journalists and redeem their previous shame!

    Fouche huffed and puffed as he left. The intelligence team leaders immediately began to whisper amongst themselves:

    "I''ve got a hook on Vergniaud''s maid and also Dibor''s mistress. What about you?"

    "My people have cracked Vergniaud''s family safe and we''ve infiltrated two agents, but there hasn''t been a chance to act..."

    "I''ve copied all those judges'' letters. Do any of you want to see?"

    "My informant can enter the archives of the High Court. If all else fails, shall we just steal all the records?"

    ...

    Paris High Court.

    In the conference hall, Magistrate Wezignia''s speech was repeatedly interrupted by the noise of protesters outside. He angrily rushed to the window and yelled down, "Can''t you keep it down? You uncultured bunch!"

    Some incredibly strong protester immediately hurled a fist-sized clod of earth that nearly flew into the third-floor window.

    Wezignia, taken aback, quickly retreated back to the conference table and, with a dark face, bellowed, "What are those police doing? Why haven''t they arrested the rioters yet?!"

    A mncholic-eyed judge sitting to the left covered his ears with his hands, saying, "Those pamphlets are the key. It''s them inciting hatred towards the High Court. Without those, the crowd will disperse quickly."

    Wezignia nodded slowly but was very puzzled as he said, "Viscount Dibor, aren''t those types of pamphlets mostly under the control of that person in the Royal Pce? Why would they target the High Court?"

    "Who knows?" Dibor replied, "Perhaps we need to go and find out from him."

    The eagle-nosed judge beside them spoke in a grave tone, "You go to the Royal Pce. I''m going to Police Headquarters! These damned police, they just know how to ck off. I''m about to be driven mad by this rabble!"

    Soon, a few carriages, amidst the jeers from the protesting crowd, awkwardly squeezed out of the High Court and went off in two different directions.

    ...

    In the study of the Royal Pce, the Duke of Orleans looked at the two middle-aged men in front of him and asked, "So, what do you think?"

    Just moments before, a judge from the High Court had left aftermenting the recent oppressive public opinion against the court and urging him toe up with a solution.

    He too was aware that there were pamphlets in cirction that were out of his control, and it was time to strike back. Therefore, he immediately summoned the two most formidable writers at his disposal to discuss a counterstrategy.

    The man with the high nose bridge, who bore a resemnce to an Italian, flipped through the booklet in his hands and hesitated, "Your Grace, to be frank, these novels are quite captivating... I mean, the unenlightenedmon folk would find them quite interesting."

    The handsome man with blue eyes added, "And they''re very cheaply priced. I''ve heard they sell for just 1 livre and 5 deniers. You see, they evene with 5 illustrations."

    "So," the Duke of Orleans nodded, "I need you to write something more interesting as soon as possible to overshadow these booklets.

    "As for the price, you needn''t worry."

    As an old hand at manipting public opinion, he was well aware that the cost of a 16-page booklet with 5 illustrations was between 5 and 6 livres. But to take back control of the public discourse, he could only sell it for 1 livre and 5 deniers.

    Moreover, judging by the scale of those booklets'' cirction, at least tens of thousands must have been sold. That meant, to match the same sales volume, he would have to suffer a loss of three to four thousand livres a day.

    The Duke of Orleans furrowed his brow; he could afford the money, but who was behind this, willing to lose so much to go against the High Court?

    Could it be Brian?

    He revealed a sneer, thinking to challenge me with public opinion tactics? Let''s see them try!

    ...

    Vergniaud hurriedly arrived at the town hall and made a beeline for the Police Headquarters but was informed by a clerk that the Director of Police Services had gone to Brittany to purchase police equipment.

    Brittany was far on the west coast of France, and a round trip would take at least a fortnight.

    Vergniaud asked helplessly, "What about the Assistant Director of Police?"

    The clerk replied respectfully, "He''s gone to Brittany as well."

    Vergniaud angered, "Who''s in charge here now?!"

    "The Director... didn''t say..."

    Vergniaud felt stifled but had no choice but to return to his carriage, preparing to visit the Police Commissioner of the Louvre District.

    However, upon his arrival at the Louvre District police station, he learned that "Commissioner Alden, along with all the principal officers, has gone for training at the Paris Police Academy."

    The next day, Vergniaud, travel-weary, made his way to the Paris Police Headquarters, only to find out that Alden had gone to the training ground opened by the academy in the southern suburbs, more than ten kilometers away.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    In this manner, he circled around looking for Alden for three days but never managed to catch him.

    Finally, he nned to request some police force from the nearby Saint-Germain District to disperse the protesters outside the High Court. But the Saint-Germain District Police Commissioner expressed willingness to help, only if he had a cross-district authorization from the Director of Police...

    Mirabeau looked out of the carriage window as the scenery flew past, subconsciously caressing his cane, his brow involuntarily furrowing.

    To tell the truth, he was truly reluctant to partake in today''s meeting¡ªhe had already received news about the previous Cab meeting and was well aware that the Crown Prince was now aligned with Brian. Having attended a gathering denouncing Brian just a few days earlier, what could he possibly have to discuss with the Crown Prince?

    Yet Mr. Dupont insisted that the meeting was of utmost importance and repeatedly requested his presence.

    Although his rtionship with Dupont was rather ordinary, Dupont was a significant financier behind several politicians he was on good terms with and was also the president of the French Chamber of Commerce. As he himself operated numerous workshops and shops with a lot of business relying on the Chamber of Commerce, he couldn''t simply snub Dupont''s face.

    A child blessed by God, he mused with a chuckle and a shake of his head, no matter how exceptionally gifted, was still just a thirteen-year-old child. Was Brian nning to use his status to negotiate terms with him?

 Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Who is the Friend? (Extra for Septembers Patron)

    The carriage jostled for quite a while, finallying to a stop after entering arge workshop in Saint Antoine Town.

    Count Mirabeau stepped out and immediately smelled a pungent chemical odor.

    He looked up and saw in the distance a row of "cooking pots" bigger than millstones, emitting yellow-white fumes that enshrouded half of the workshop.

    In front of the shed was a huge square pool with several sticks hanging above it, and it seemed there were also wooden ts crisscrossing between them.

    More than a dozen workers, their arms swollen from the chemicals, were working together to lift something out of the pool and carefully ced it atop a wooden rack that stood taller than a person, before returning to the pool to start stirring again.

    Mirabeau held his nose and frowned, thinking, what was the Crown Prince thinking? To arrange a meeting in a paper mill...

    As he grumbled to himself, he saw a middle-aged man with arge nose, wearing a ck coat, approaching him with a warm greeting, touching his chest, "Oh, Count Mirabeau, I''m delighted to see you here. Although the smell is a bit unpleasant, I believe you''lle to like this ce shortly."

    Mirabeau, with a radiant smile, tipped his hat in return, "I am also delighted to see you, Mr. Dupont."

    He took a few steps forward and lowered his voice, "And him?"

    Dupont led him around therge pool, pointing towards a rack enveloped in mist, "His Highness has been waiting for you for quite some time."

    Only then did Mirabeau see the figure standing on the wooden rack taller than a person, a young man whose attire stood out clearly from those around him.

    He smirked and with his plump legs, strode quickly forward, bowing to the youth, "It''s an honor to see you, Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."

    Dupont hurriedly introduced them from the side, "Your Highness, this is Count Mirabeau."

    Joseph turned to look at Mirabeau¡ªone of the creators of the French National Assembly during the great covenant era and currently a heavy-hitting politician in the Assembly of Notables, a leader among the Capitalist Nobility. He was also a key figure in dealing with the High Court.

    He jumped down from the rack and tipped his hat to Mirabeau:

    "Ah, wonderful, you''ve finally arrived, Count Mirabeau."

    The workers, kept at a distance by guards in in clothes, did not hear the conversation among the three.

    Curious, Mirabeau inquired, "Your Highness, what are you doing here?"

    "Studying paper-making," Joseph replied with a smile. "Would you like to take a look?"

    Mirabeau spread his hands, "Oh, you had me ride a carriage for most of the day to this remote ce, just for paper-making?"

    "Um, that''s indeed one of the topics we need to discuss," Joseph stated.

    "You see, I have no interest in paper-making," said Mirabeau with a smile, then continued, "Why don''t you tell me straight, did youe on behalf of Archbishop Brienne?"

    "Certainly not, he doesn''t know I''m seeking you out," stated Joseph seriously. "I am here to befriend you."

    Mirabeau nodded eagerly, "Yes, you are my most esteemed friend."

    He then changed the subject, "Of course, the Duke of Orleans, the Duke of Seville, they are also my friends, so I can''t..."

    "No, you are mistaken, they are your enemies."

    "Ah?" Mirabeau was taken aback, thinking this was a rather poor attempt at alliance-building, and quickly shook his head, "No, no, we have a good rtionship."

    Joseph continued at a leisurely pace, "They are Old Nobility. And you are a Capitalist Noble. You are natural enemies!"

    "What, Capitalist Nobility?"

    Joseph exined, "The so-called Old Nobility are those withrge tracks ofnd and estates, whose main sources of iee from grains and ground rent.

    "Whereas the Capitalist Nobility, like you, have most of their assets in industries or trade, earning profits as their ie."

    Mirabeau nodded, it seemed he had heard simr theories before, "But we are still friends."

    "The conflict between you lies in thebor force, in the needs for the environment!" Joseph asserted, "The Old Nobility need thebor force to work the fields, they want everywhere to be estates, and just a few cities for their enjoyment will do.

    "And the Capitalist Nobility needsbor to enter their workshops or to navigate their merchant ships, hoping for as many cities as possible. A few manors producing enough food will suffice."

    "Your conflict with the Old Nobility is irreconcble. They obstruct your growth, while you aim to destroy the Old Nobility''s paradise!"

    Mirabeau was taken aback once more, shaking his head subconsciously, "No..."

    Joseph said with a smile, "I know you''re now allied, seeking to gain more power."

    Mirabeau was startled and hurriedly waved his hands, "No, that''s not it!"

    Joseph, still smiling, cut him off, "Let''s say, hypothetically, you overthrew the Royal Family, which of course is impossible. Just suppose for a moment, what do you think would happen next?"

    "What?"

    "A fight to the death between the new and old nobility. To the bitter end!"

    Joseph thought to himself: I''ve read history. After the Great Command, you massacred the old nobility without leaving a trace.

    Mirabeau fell silent. Carefully reasoning in his heart, he found it to be exactly as the Crown Prince had said¡ªif the King were gone, both sides would certainly fall into deadly conflict until onepletely lost its power and influence.

    Seeing his expression start to waver, Joseph began to insert his own agenda, "The Royal Family will always need the nobility to help manage the country. To the Royal Family, the new and old nobility are merely different in their approach to development."

    Mirabeau, somewhat frightened, muttered, "I really don''t understand what you''re talking about?"

    Joseph continued, "Only the Royal Family can help you remove the obstacles facing the Capitalist Nobility!"

    Joseph thought, of course, you could also rely on the bourgeois revolution to remove them, but could I tell you that?

    "Ah?"

    "For instance, the Royal Family could introduce the Company Law."

    "It includes defining who represents thepany, oh, meaning the one who can exercise thepany''s power."

    "How to establish, dismantle, or mergepanies..."

    "And howpany shares are issued, allocated, and transferred..."

    "The scope and liability ofpany debts..."

    A series of modern corporate concepts, which left Mirabeau wide-eyed¡ªthese weremon knowledge inter times, but during the early days of the Industrial Revolution, they were extremely valuable experiences.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As a representative of the Capitalist Nobility, Mirabeau ced great emphasis on the development of the industrial sector and was very aware of the issues France faced in this regard. One could say that with such legition now, the productivity of French workshops would see a significant increase!

    Joseph nced at his expression and continued, "There''s also the Patent Law."

    "Let''s say, you design an efficient machine or very popr fashion, and before you''ve made much money, someone else has copied it.

    "Gradually, everyone bes reluctant to innovate, instead desperately driving down the costs of old industries, until nobody makes money in the end.

    "But if there were Patent Law, after you applied for a patent for some invention, others would only be able to use it by paying you, or else face heavy penalties..."

    Mirabeau''s eyes suddenly lit up¡ªthat was exactly what he needed!

    He was very keen to invest in improving the technology in his workshops, but had always held back out of fear that others would benefit instead.

    If there were Patent Law, he would be able to quickly enhance hispetitive edge, even surpass those damned British!

    Joseph kept throwing bait, "By the way, there''s also the Financial Law, Contract Law, and so on..."

    After he had introduced the implications of thesews, he looked at Mirabeau, "Do you think, the Old Nobility would support the emergence of thesews?"

    Without waiting for Mirabeau to answer, he preempted, "They won''t!

    "Only with the Royal Family''s initiative could thesews take shape swiftly, helping the industries of France to rapidly develop!"

 Chapter 88: Chapter 87 Switching Positions

    Joseph saw that Mirabeau had fallen into deep thought and knew that the groundwork had been sufficientlyid, so he began to get to the point, "Let''s talk again about the tax legition."

    Mirabeau became immediately alert upon hearing this, "Your Highness, you know that the nobles are united in their attitude towards the bill."

    Joseph spoke seriously, "Actually, on this matter, you have been used by the Old Nobility!"

    Mirabeauughed and gestured dismissively, "Your Highness, how could that be?"

    Joseph casually picked up a small stick for picking impurities out of paper pulp and said, "If I may ask impertinently, how muchnd do you own?"

    "Ah?" Mirabeau was somewhat surprised but still answered, "Over ten hectares in Paris and another forty in Reims."

    Joseph nodded, "Do you know how muchnd the Duke of Orleans owns?"

    "That, I''m not quite certain about, but at least four or five thousand hectares, I would guess."

    "And the estates?"

    "Perhaps around a dozen?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "That''s just it. The most core part of the tax legition is thend tax."

    Joseph raised the stick in his hand, "For instance, this represents the scale of thend you own; thend tax has almost no impact on you."

    He pointed toward a paper-drying rack support, which was twice a man''s height and as thick as a child''s waist, "And that''s the scale ofnd owned by the Duke of Orleans and the Old Nobility like him; thend tax is essentially paid by them. That''s the reason they fiercely oppose the taxw."

    "But you and the Capitalist Nobility like you are also being dragged along with them, opposing the bill together and exerting considerable effort, yet you''re only safeguarding their interests."

    Mirabeau paused for a moment, knowing the Crown Prince wasn''t wrong, but he immediately retorted, "The stamp tax, the legition also introduces a stamp tax, which has a significant impact on industry andmerce."

    The so-called stamp tax is a tax levied when signing contracts or applying for documents.

    Joseph said with a smile, "As one of the leaders of the Assembly of Notables, you must have read the text of the bill, the rate for the stamp tax is very low. In actuality, the main purpose of the stamp tax is to have the government act as a notary to the contract."

    During thest amendment of the bill, he had already reduced the rate of the stamp tax, precisely to win over the Capitalist Nobility.

    Seeing Mirabeau still hesitating, Dupont couldn''t help but say, "Count Mirabeau, it''s quite clear that the tax legition is beneficial to the nation''s finances,,we have no need to oppose it.

    "Moreover, His Highness has promised that once the bill is passed, he will restart the negotiations for the ''Treaty of Eden'' and significantly raise the tariffs."

    Dupont was highly opposed to the ''Treaty of Eden.'' Therefore, as soon as Joseph told him it was possible to amend the treaty, he immediately reached an agreement with the Crown Prince.

    Although he didn''t have much political influence, he could affect Capitalist Nobles like Mirabeau, so he facilitated this meeting.

    Mirabeau immediately looked at Joseph, "Are you sure the British will ept?"

    Joseph nodded, "I''ve already spoken with the British Ambassador. France''s industrial tariffs will be raised to 25%, and Ennd''s liquor tariffs will be reduced to below 10%."

    Mirabeau''s pupils contracted, "That''s impossible! How did you persuade the British?"

    "We can discuss this slowlyter on, but I can assure you, the new treaty will definitely be signed. Of course, if you are not reassured, you can inquire about the situation from the British side."

    As a heavyweight in the political arena, Mirabeau certainly had his own channels of obtaining news from Ennd.

    Mirabeau finally began to waver.

    He was well aware that, given the current levels of tariffs, France''s industry would not survive two years beforepletely copsing.

    By then, his own industries would inevitably suffer as well.

    If he could secure the renewal of the "Eden Treaty," oh, and the implementation of the "Company Law," "Patent Law," and the like, previously mentioned by the Crown Prince, with a tax bill that had little impact on him¡ªthat would definitely be a very worthwhile deal!

    He bowed to Joseph and said, "Your Highness, this matter will involve many people. I need to go back and discuss it with Viscount Dico, Viscount Peillier, and the others."

    The individuals he mentioned were representatives of the Capitalist Nobility in the Assembly of Notables. Considering the conditionsid out by the Crown Prince just now, he felt quite confident that he could persuade them to switch their stance.

    "Of course, I look forward to your response,"

    Joseph nodded with a smile and then gestured towards the pulp pool at his side, "Now that we''re done with serious matters, we can finally talk about papermaking."

    Mirabeau was a bit slow to react, "You mean, papermaking?"

    "Yes," Joseph said, "I mentioned it when you first came here."

    "But..."

    Joseph led him to the huge "cooking pots" and said to the workers standing by, "Please tell Count Mirabeau what is being cooked in this pot?"

    The worker immediately bowed respectfully and said, "It''s wood, sir."

    "Wood?" Mirabeau looked at Joseph in surprise, "I thought you said we were going to make paper?"

    Joseph nodded, "This is the first step in papermaking. Once the wood is boiled down, we can make paper. Of course, it''s with a new technique I''ve created."

    Mirabeau said in disbelief, "You can make paper out of wood?!"

    He had some understanding of papermaking. Typically, the raw materials for making paper were scraps of cloth, x, and at most, a blend of some tree bark fibers.

    "Yes, willow and pine," Joseph gestured outside the workshop, "just cut down this morning."

    He turned to ask a nearby worker, "How long has this pot been boiling?"

    The worker nced at his watch and replied, "Six and a half hours, sir."

    "It should be about done..." Joseph wasn''t certain either, as he had only seen the wood papermaking process in a documentary, so he instructed the workers, "Please pour out the wood pulp and carry out the filtering and bleaching. Oh, using the old method will do."

    "Yes, sir," theyplied.

    Seven or eight workers gathered around, lifting the huge pot onto a stand, opened the lid, and poured the boiling yellow liquid into a square stone trough.

    Mirabeau watched the liquid with astonishment, unable to believe that wood could be boiled down to this state.

    The workers began to remove debris from the water with various tools, and one of them carefully added a small bottle of chlorine bleach, dripping it slowly into the trough while constantly stirring.

    Then the workers added arge amount of water to the pulp pool, stirred, filtered, and engaged in a series ofplex processes, busy for more than half an hour.

    Before the pulp hadpletely cooled, another group of workers surrounded with square "sieves," carefully soaked the bottoms with the pulp, and then gently lifted them with a shaking motion.

    When Mirabeau saw the thin "film" on the bottom of the "sieve," his heart skipped several beats¡ªif this method could really produce paper, it was undoubtedly a revolutionary technology!

    Compared to the usual papermaking materials like scraps of cloth and x, wood was practically free, and the cost of paper would significantly decrease.

    This also meant that this brand-new papermaking technology would dominate Europe''s paper market!

 Chapter 89: Chapter 88 Consensus of the Paper Mill (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

    The papermaker carefully lifted the paper-forming frame, which is the "sieve," and ced it on a rack surrounded by several furnaces to increase the temperature.

    After more than half an hour, a craftsman removed the paper-forming frame and carefully peeled off the paper on top, respectfully presenting it to Joseph, "Master, take a look, it''s already dry."

    Under normal drying processes, it would take at least half a day; the use of high heat to speed up drying was purely for demonstration to Mirabeau.

    Joseph rubbed the paper in his hands, which was crisp and quite thick, with uneven texture inside; one could say its quality was rather poor. But it was undoubtedly a sheet of paper¡ªmade from wood.

    He passed the paper to Mirabeau with a touch of regret, "The craftsmen and I are first-timers with this new technology, so the quality of the product isn''t too good."

    However, he was not in a hurry since papermakingrgely depends on experience.

    How much additive to use, the time and temperature for boiling the wood, the use of bleaching agents, and the technique of drying¡ªthese all require repeated experimentation to find the optimal solution that produces a qualified paper sheet.

    But with the correct technical theory, it''s only a matter of time before a mature process is figured out.

    Mirabeau excitedly examined the paper in his hands, fully aware of what this meant¡ªthe French paper market alone was worth millions of livres.

    If exported to all of Europe, the market was at the very least at the ten-million level!

    And predictably, the papermaking techniques of any European country were far more expensivepared to wood-based paper, meaning there was no stopping the dumping of wood paper.

    Joseph, seeing his exhrated expression, smiled and said, "Using my method, we could reduce the paper production cost to one-seventh of the current paper prices. Of course, we don''t have to go that low, selling at two-thirds of the market price would be fine, leaving us arger profit."

    Mirabeau keenly caught the word "we" and looked at the Crown Prince with great anticipation.

    Joseph deliberately let him "suffer" for a few seconds before saying, "As you can see, rolling out this new technology on arge scale requires a significant capital investment, as well as a lot of energy. I couldn''t do this alone.

    "So, I would like to invite you, and of course, your friends, to invest together and build arge number of paper mills at the fastest speed and take over the market. And this papermaking technology will be my share in this partnership."

    "That would be wonderful!" Mirabeau''s eyes sparkled with joy as he pondered, caressing the head of his cane, "So, how much of a share do you wish to hold?"

    "20%," Joseph replied. As the paper technology was meant to rally and divide the Assembly of Notables, he did not want too much of a stake.

    Mirabeau understood the Crown Prince was conceding profits and immediately beamed, "You are far too generous! I believe we can set a time for Viscount Dico, Viscount Peillier, and others to discuss this papermaking investment. Oh, and the tax legition."

    Joseph nodded with a smile, "I fully endorse your proposal."

    After they set the time and ce for their meeting, Mirabeau couldn''t wait to return to Paris, eager to meet with a few of his political allies.

    Once inside the carriage, his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to ask, "Your Highness, can you tell me how those woods are cooked into liquid?"

    "You need to add some chemicals," Joseph replied with a smile as he helped close the carriage door.

    Of course, he wouldn''t reveal just yet that it involved the addition of sulfites. After all, knowledge can be simple when shared, but without guidance, it might take half a century before wood-based paper technology emerged.

    The next day.

    Apanied by three noblemen, Mirabeau arrived at Joseph''s paper mill¡ªto prevent any leaks, Joseph had already purchased this small workshop.

    "Your Highness, this is Viscount Dico. This one is ¡­"

    Following Mirabeau''s introduction, the three people bowed to Joseph in session.

    Soon after, another carriage arrived. Archbishop Brienne stepped down from the carriage.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    And so, in a dpidated and simple workshop, the Crown Prince sat on the paper drying rack, the Chief Minister and Count Mirabeau sat on a cart used for transporting paper, and the others stood leaning against the shed, beginning a discussion crucial to the future of France.

    However, the negotiation process went very smoothly.

    Brian promised to push forward the implementation of the "Company Law," "Patent Law," and other legitions together with the Crown Prince. He would also lower the tax rates for certain stamp duties.

    Joseph reiterated hismitment to restart Anglo-French trade negotiations within two months and to resign the "Eden Treaty" at the previously discussed tariff rates.

    Mirabeau and the others assured that they would persuade their peers in the Assembly of Notables to support the tax bill. Since the maniptive forces behind the High Court were the great nobles of the Assembly, this meant their spokespersons in court would no longer obstruct the tax legition.

    What everyone spent the most time on and showed the most enthusiasm for, however, was the discussion about establishing a papermakingpany.

    The final agreement was that the five people present, excluding Joseph, would contribute a total of 3.6 million livres to build arge papermaking workshop in Saint Antoine Town, Lyon, and Bordeaux respectively, reaching the production capacity to satisfy all of France''s paper needs within half a year.

    Afterward, depending on the situation, they would invest more to expand production and start exporting until they could dominate the European market.

    Joseph would provide the technology, holding a 20% stake, while the others would divide the remaining 80% ording to their investments.

    However, to amodate the numerous papermaking workshops in France, Joseph specifically requested that thepany must provide pulp to other workshops to allow them to carry out downstream processing and maintain their livelihood.

    After all affairs were discussed, everyone was very pleased.

    Brian was the first to rise and take his leave. Half an hourter, Mirabeau and the others also left.

    ...

    On the street opposite the Paris High Court, a wooden tform about six or seven meters square had been erected.

    The tform was surrounded by dark grey curtains. Around two or three hundred people crowded below it, watching the performance on stage with rapt attention.

    When the actor ying Judge Osman, the big viin, died howling after mistakenly eating a poisoned cake out of greed, the audience erupted into thunderous cheers.

    Someone turned and pointed toward the distant High Court, shouting:

    "Do you see? This is the end of shameless, greedy officials!"

    "You should meet the same fate!"

    "You bunch of rats, maggots, dare youe out?"

    Inside the conference hall on the third floor of the High Court, several judges hearing the end of the y''s music breathed a sigh of relief and redirected their attention back to the conference table.

    With a disdainful expression, Vergniaud tossed the stack of documents in front of him forward and snorted, "There''s nothing to consider! No matter how Brienne changes it, this thing will never get registered!"

    What he had thrown out was the new tax bill that Brienne had just submitted that morning.

    Dibor looked at another judge beside him, who had a pointy chin and always wore a surprised expression at the corners of his eyes. They exchanged nces, and he slowly opened his own copy of the bill, calmly saying, "I think we should discuss it a bit, maybe we wille to a different conclusion, no?"

 Chapter 90: Chapter 89: Stumbling Block

    "What do you wish to discuss?" Magistrate Wezignia turned his head, looking at Dibor with surprise and suspicion, "As for this bill, not even remonstrance is necessary, the conclusion can only be non-registration!"

    Dibor gestured toward the dense crowd of protesters outside the window, "Mr. President, please listen to their voices. Perhaps it''s time we made some changes in this matter."

    The judge sitting opposite him, with dark circles upying half his face, rubbed his bloodshot eyes and yawned as he nodded, "I suppose, this matter must be settled one way or another... Adjusting the uses of the bill could be negotiable."

    He had hardly sleptst night, for every so often, someone had thrown stones at his vi, shattering several panes of ss, and frightening the women and children of his house into tears all night long.

    And on his way to the High Court this morning, the rooftops lining the streets were filled with citizens who cursed and threw tiles at his carriage, injuring the coachman''s hands.

    Now, he could not care less about any bills, he just hoped that the riotous crowd would disperse soon to bring peace to his household.

    So, after Dibor initiated the discussion, he immediately had the mind to second the motion.

    Another judge, short of stature, nodded subconsciously.

    The judge with a hooked nose beside Wezignia frowned, "You want us to heed those lowlifes outside, and then make all decent people ufortable?"

    "If the bill is beneficial, then decent people should not be put in a difficult position," said the judge, who always had an expression of surprise, giving Dibor a knowing look.

    Thetter closed the bill in front of him and looked around at everyone, "If nobody wishes to discuss the uses of the bill, then let''s vote on it directly."

    Wezignia''s gaze swept over the two men''s faces, and he said coldly, "Do you know what you are saying? Rejecting this bill is the consensus of all nobility, there''s no need for a vote!"

    "It is not a consensus," Dibor shook his head, "I ask that the sitting officials cast their votes."

    The so-called "sitting officials" are the core judges of the High Court''s internal legitive body, currently six in number, with a great deal of authority to decide most of the Court''s affairs in their meetings.

    As Dibor spoke, he raised his hand first, "I believe the tax bill can be registered."

    The perpetually surprised judge followed suit, raising his hand, "I agree as well."

    The judge with dark circles hesitated, remembering how the High Court had almost be a symbol of sin and corruption, and when even the skillful women refused to serve him the day before, he too slowly raised his hand.

    The defection of three sitting officials immediately changed the direction of the wind in the conference room.

    The short judge, also gued by the protesters, stole a nce around and was about to raise his hand when he saw Wezignia stand up abruptly, eximing loudly, "I will not allow this bill to go through registration!"

    He pointed at the "dark circles," "Count Vadier, who supported your bing a magistrate? Are you going to betray them?!"

    He then looked at the shortest judge, "Viscount Ol, I must remind you of the Duke of Aiguillon''s stance on the bill!"

    As President of the High Court, Wezignia held considerable sway; his few words frightened Judge Ol so much that he trembled and hastily retracted his hand.

    Judge Vadier, on the other hand, found himself in a struggle, his right hand moving back and forth undecidedly.

    Dibor also stood up, protesting, "I object! Count Wezignia, you are threatening voting freedom!"

    Wezignia, finally seeing Vadier rest his raised hand back on the table, ignored Dibor and with a darkened face, waved his hand dismissively, "That''s it for today, the meeting is adjourned."

    ...

    The Royal Pce.

    The Duke of Orleans frowned as he looked at the thin pamphlet in his hand, shaking his head, he said, "Viscount Lacroix, this is too little; you need to give me at least a 3,000-word manuscript to boost sales."

    Standing before him, Lacroix''s face was etched with distress, "Your Grace, I am truly incapable. This is already what I managed to produce without sleeping all night."

    He nced sideways at the man who resembled an Italian, "Mr. Brisso didn''t even submit a draft ..."

    The Duke of Orleans grabbed a thick pamphlet nearby, his voice filled with anger, "But their stories exceed 7,000 words! At this rate, who will buy ours?!"

    Lacroix and Brisso were also extremely frustrated; they were considered outstanding novelists of their time.

    Especially Lacroix, who had once swept Paris with his book "Dangerous Liaisons," prompting countless French writers to add "Danger" or "Rtions" to their titles to ride on his poprity.

    For the Duke of Orleans''s pamphlet series, he had prepared an exciting novel.

    But his writing speed quickly fell behind, at his regr pace, writing 3,000 words of story was his limit in a week. And now the Duke of Orleans was asking him toplete this amount in just three days, which was simply impossible!

    He couldn''tprehend how someone under the pen name "Silkworm and Potato," along with "Octopus in the Water," could easily produce over 7,000 words every three days! Do they not need to conceive ideas?!

    Over the past few days, Lacroix began to doubt his own writing talent for the first time.

    As for Brisso, he had already given up struggling and was preparing to change careers ...

    The Duke of Orleans knew that he had lost control of public opinion; the ever-growing number of protesters outside the High Court was proof.

    And he was utterly powerless to counteract.

    Just as he was riddled with annoyance, the butler knocked on the door and reported, "My lord, Mr. Alexis has arrived, saying he has important matters."

    The Duke of Orleans was somewhat surprised; Alexis was Magistrate Vergniaud''s confidant. What could be the matter from the High Court?

    After he listened to Alexis in the study, he was immediately shocked¡ªsomeone had voted in favor of the taxw bill being registered! This was sheer madness!

    The High Court, once seen as the bastion against royal power, had cracks appearing in it!

    He hurriedly ordered the butler to invite the members of the Assembly of Notables to meet at the Royal Pce.

    ...

    Pce of Versailles.

    Joseph carefully read the unmarked letter he had opened.

    The content of the letter was brief, detailing today''s voting process at the High Court on the taxw bill. Though it nearly passed, in the end, it was forcibly suppressed by Count Vergniaud leveraging his authority as the President of the Court.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The letter ended with their intentions to continue seeking a solution.

    Joseph furrowed his brows, he had not expected that despite having the upper hand, the Nobility Group would no longer care about face, resorting to a president''s position to stubbornly stall the bill.

    But with the presidential election still two years away, Joseph did not have that much time.

    His fingers lightly tapped the desktop as he quickly pondered the situation; thus, it was essential to remove Vergniaud, this stumbling block.

 Chapter 91: Chapter 90 Unable to Accuse

    Joseph calcted the time, and there was only one month left until the deadline for the taxw to be registered. To bring down the President of the High Court in such a short period, unconventional methods were necessary.

    When it came to "unconventional methods," he immediately thought of the Police Affairs Department, and gestured to Eman, "Please send someone to fetch Fouche..."

    He suddenly remembered that he still had to attend a tacticalmand lecture at the police academy today, "No, prepare the carriage, I''ll go there myself."

    Three carriages departed from the Pce of Versailles one after another, and several hourster, they entered Paris City.

    As soon as the carriage crossed the Seine River, Joseph could see from afar arge wooden sign about the height of two people at the east end of the bridge, with a huge oil painting on it.

    In the painting, an elegantly dressed noblewoman held a small ss bottle as she sat in a warm and refined home, her face exuding happiness and contentment.

    At the top of the painting wererge letters ¡ª No gifts for Christmas this year, if giving gifts, give the joy of a noblewoman!

    Beneath it was a line of smaller text ¡ª Noblewoman''s Joy Tonic Christmas extravaganza, free exquisite gift box with purchase.

    Further down the road, two mboyantly dressed young people waved leaflets and shouted, "Buy Paris Angel Cosmetics, spend 50 livres and get a voucher for 20% off Noblewoman''s Joy Tonic."

    Joseph nodded silently to himself, Manager Brent was indeed earning his sry. Although the marketing idea was his own, for someone from the 18th century to understand it so thoroughly and to implement it was certainly a genius in business.

    It was worth considering giving him a bonus.

    Before long, the carriage entered the Police Affairs Department.

    Joseph walked straight into the office and asked Fouche, "What kind of leverage do we have on Vergniaud?"

    The head of intelligence was obviously well-prepared and replied without hesitation, "His first year as a judge in Paris, he epted a bribe to rule in favor of the uncles in the inheritance case of the Antoine brothers.

    "The following year, in a case where a noble''s carriage struck someone, he ruled that the victim had deliberately spooked the horses and only awarded 50 livres inpensation. He likely took money for that decision too.

    "In that same year, during the Camilley murder case, evidence unfavorable to the killer mysteriously disappeared from the court''s evidence room, and the killer was acquitted. It''s said that the killer''s uncle gave the judge 8,000 livres."

    "Two yearster, in the Maan Street murder case, the noble whomitted the murder bribed..."

    He went on for a while, causing Joseph''s brows to furrow tightly. Since bing a judge, Vergniaud seemed to have been continuously epting bribes and creating miscarriages of justice, never stopping.

    Joseph interrupted Fouche, "So you''re telling me I could have someone arrest him right now?"

    "That..." Fouche shook his head, "I''m afraid that''s not possible."

    "Why? What he''s done is enough to hang him ten times over!"

    Fouche replied awkwardly, "These cases are at most sparsely documented, or simply conveyed to me by Mr. Mara; we haven''t found any solid evidence."

    Joseph frowned at this news but soon came to terms with it¡ªVergniaud was a yer of thew himself and would certainly be very careful to destroy evidence.

    He reached out to Fouche, "Bring me this man''s file, let''s see if there''s anything we can use."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Soon, a stack almost half a meter high of files wasid out on the desk in front of Joseph; evidently, the Police Affairs Department had also been working hard recently.

    Joseph picked up the file on top and flipped it open; it contained the basic information of Vergniaud:

    "Henri Francois M de Vergniaud, 56 years old, 5.5 French feet tall, weight...

    "At the age of 33, he inherited the position of his father, who served as a judge in Grenoble, and was elected as the local judge."

    It''s amazing how judges of the time could perfectlybine hereditary and elective systems, being elected to inherit positions from their fathers.

    "Six yearster, he was transferred to Paris High Court. At the age of 51, he was elected President of the High Court...

    "Personal wealth...

    "Interests...

    "Favorite food...

    "Frequently visited ces..."

    It listed almost every trivial detail. It could be said that not even Vergniaud''s parents or his wife could know him this well.

    Joseph picked up the next dossier, which detailed the social rtions of the President of the High Court:

    "Political allies: Duke of Aiguillon, Count Seyrelier...

    "Political opponents...

    "Close friends: Darcy, judge at the Paris High Court, 49 years old...

    "Valjean, Assistant Commissioner of Caen Municipality, 51 years old...

    "...

    "Ordinary friends...

    "Enemies..."

    The following documents described the situation inside Vergniaud''s household, including detailed information about theyout of his house and his chauffeur, gardener, chef, maids, and so on.

    What surprised Joseph the most was a special note on the dossier stating that both of Vergniaud''s chambermaids had been "taken care of" by theds sent by Fouche.

    Now, these two girls werepletely submissive to their respective handsome, romantic, and wealthy boyfriends. They could even find out how many times Vergniaud yawned each day from them.

    Joseph held his forehead and forced a smile, thinking that Fouche was going a bit mad, not hesitating to seduce young girls just to gather a bit of intelligence...

    He put down the document in his hand and picked up a stack of letters, discovering that all of these were Vergniaud''s private correspondence from recent years.

    Fouche, seeking recognition, said, "Your Highness, half of these were supplied by the ck Room, and the rest were copied directly from Vergniaud''s study."

    The "ck Room" he referred to was the Secret Police''s postal espionage service, tasked with "reviewing" various letters and being the most efficient department within the Secret Police. However, the ck Room still couldn''tpare to Fouche''s "maid" strategy, as the letters from the study were most likely obtained by them.

    Joseph inquired, "Is there any usable evidence in these letters?"

    Fouche shook his head: "Any that could be used to incriminate him have probably been destroyed."

    Joseph helplessly opened thest document, which was also the one with the most content, documenting all the cases handled by Vergniaud.

    Fouche added, "Your Highness, all these were taken directly from the High Court''s archive, absolutely reliable."

    Joseph nodded, beginning to browse through them.

    The first one was a property division case, nearing the end of its trial.

    The second was a rape and murder case, which had only begun trial more than ten days ago.

    The case was roughly about a minor noble named Runashe who, suddenly overwhelmed by lust, abducted a 15-year-oldmoner girl into his oil painting shop and assaulted her.

    During the ordeal, the girl''s 9-year-old brother followed the clues to the door and cried out for help loudly.

    Out of desperation, Runashe dragged the boy inside and killed him. Fearing that the matter would be exposed, he killed the girl as well and threw her body into the Seine River.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Since several of the victim''s belongings were found in Runashe''s shop and neighbors had seen the boy enter the oil painting shop, Runashe was quickly arrested and prosecuted.

    Joseph sighed, feeling pity for the brother and sister. ording to the case files, this case had already been heard once in court but had not yet been sentenced.

 Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Uncle Is Here!

    Joseph reviewed the cases handled by Vergniaud from start to finish and discussed at length with Fouche and others, yet he discovered that there really was no angle to work from.

    Some cases, if thoroughly investigated, might yield some clues, but it would certainly take a considerable amount of time.

    As everyone was at a loss, Eman approached and whispered, "Your Highness, if we don''t depart now, we''re going to miss the ss at the police academy."

    Joseph rubbed his temples, realizing that finding a grip on Vergniaud would not be quick or easy, so he might as well go to hismand ss.

    He got up and walked toward the exit, then thought better of it, turned back, and called Fouche over to discuss further on the way.

    Fouche hurriedly gathered up a stack of documents about Vergniaud from the desk and quickly followed, but he had only taken a few steps when the letters in the files suddenly scattered everywhere.

    Fouche awkwardly set down the files and called for those around to help pick up the letters.

    Joseph, looking at the hundred or so letters on the floor, gestured, "Let''s go, there''s no need to pick them up, there''s no useful evidence anyway..."

    He sighed, shaking his head irritably, "If only there were a few letters detailing his crimes."

    As he spoke, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, feeling as if he''d grasped a bit of inspiration.

    If he didn''t have any evidence, could he possibly find a way to make Vergniaud unwittingly write something incriminating?

    He rapidly went through the documents he had just reviewed in his mind, suddenly turned around, and pulled out a few from beside Fouche, spreading them on the table.

    One of them was Valjean''s file, and then he looked at the information of Runashe''s father, the perpetrator of the recent murder case.

    Although the two men had nothing to do with each other, they had one thing inmon¡ªthey were both from Caen.

    Joseph pondered with his head bowed, perhaps he could use this small leverage to move forward like this... and then lead the situation like that...

    Then, even if Vergniaud was ever so careful, he would still inevitably fall into the trap!

    He picked up the details of Vergniaud''s maid again, asked Fouche excitedly, "Is there anyone in the Police Affairs Department who specializes in imitating others'' handwriting?"

    Fouche nodded, "Several, Your Highness."

    "Good, call them here now," Joseph then pointed to the letters on the floor, "Find Valjean''s letters."

    "Ah? Valjean?" Fouche reacted, remembering the man was Vergniaud''s close friend, and hurriedly began searching on the ground.

    Shortly, he held up a letter, "Your Highness, here it is!"

    Several handwriting experts arrived one after another at the office, and under Joseph''s direction, they imitated the handwriting of Vergniaud and Valjean in a few paragraphs, using their letters for reference.

    Joseph selected the two most convincing imitators and then had all of Valjean''s letters gathered and handed them over to the professional intelligence personnel to analyze if there was any coded message or the like.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With the preparationsplete, Joseph said to Fouche, "Assign a few capable people to leave for Caen immediately."

    "Caen?"

    Joseph nodded, "Go and investigate Valjean''s situation in detail, then arrange things like this..."

    After he gave all his instructions, Fouche clearly had an epiphany, his face brightening, and he nodded continuously, "Yes, I''ll get right on it!"

    Joseph then discussed the detailed ns with Fouche, ensuring that all aspects were considered. Only then did he leave the Police Affairs Department feeling much lighter, heading towards the police school.

    Only by then, the tactics andmand ss had certainly already ended.

    ...

    Several dayster.

    On the Left Bank of Paris, in a small vi on Mufuta Street.

    An aristocratic couple in their forties sat in chairs, furrowing their brows in distress, each lost in their thoughts, asionally letting out a sigh.

    A stew, bread, and vegetable corn soup wereid out on the table in front of them, but the food had already gone cold without a bite taken.

    A knock on the door startled them. The maid hurried to open the door a crack and asked, "May I ask who you''re looking for?"

    "Is this the home of Viscount Monteli?"

    "I''m here."

    The man inside stood up wearily and went to greet the neer, frowning at the stranger in front of him, "Excuse me, may I ask who you are?"

    "It''s me, Sylvan," the visitor said enthusiastically, hugging Viscount Monteli''s shoulders and giving them a pat. As thetter still looked confused, the visitor smiled, pointing to himself and said, "Lange, don''t you remember? Your cousin."

    "Cousin?" Viscount Monteli was utterly befuddled.

    Mr. Lange seemed a bit displeased as he thrust the gift he was holding into Monteli''s hands and stepped back, "My mother, your Aunt Anrelique, does that ring a bell?"

    Monteli suddenly realized, nodding repeatedly, "How is Aunt Anrelique? Oh, dear cousin, how did you find your way here?"

    The so-called Lange was naturally not his cousin at all, but a secret agent from the Police Affairs Department.

    The Police Affairs Department had recently visited Monteli''s hometown of Caen and made thorough preparations, specifically choosing one of his distant rtives as a point of entry.

    Lange took out a copy of the "Caen News" from a week ago, unfolded it, and showed it to Monteli, "I saw the news about little nephew Runashe. Oh, it''s really... such a shame."

    The newspaper carried the news of the "Runashe Murder Case," recently taken over by Magistrate Vergniaud.

    Lady Monteli also came over, her eyes reddened as she covered her face, "God, even Caen knows about this now..."

    Lange hurriedly said, "Mother saw the news too and immediately instructed me to help you. So I hurried over.

    "Oh, right, how is the case going? Has it been judged yet?"

    Viscount Monteli shook his head, "Not yet. But the presiding judge doesn''t want to see me, and I think... there might be no hope left."

    Lange smiled, patting him, "I''m here for exactly that reason."

    "You? You have a way?"

    Lange nodded, "The master I currently serve has some connection with that judge. I''ll go and make some arrangements for you.

    "Of course, it might require a sum of money, a substantial amount."

    The Montelis were so excited they almost knelt before him, repeatedly saying, "We will find a way with the money. Anything but a hanging, we''ll take anything. Please!"

    Lange pulled them to sit down in their chairs and asked, "Please tell me the details of the case again."

    After a long while, Viscount Monteli finally recounted the case in a rambling manner, and Lange asked some more details, then stood up and said:

    "Alright, I''ll head to the High Court now. Wait for my good news."

    Forty minutester, Lange''s carriage stopped outside the side entrance of the Paris High Court.

    He nced at the dense crowd of protesters in front of him, shook his head helplessly, and squeezed through the crowd to get inside.

    Before long, in thergest office on the third floor of the High Court, he finally met his target¡ªMagistrate Wezignia.

 Chapter 93: Chapter 92: Dig a Hole, a Big One!

    Lange appeared very restrained as he greeted Vergniaud and introduced himself before handing over a letter to the chief justice.

    After confirming that the seal on the envelope was intact, Vergniaud slowly opened it, casually inquiring about the situation on Valjean''s end.

    The Police Affairs Department already had a clear grasp of these matters, so Lange naturally flowed with his responses.

    Only then did Vergniaud take out his sses to start reading the letter.

    In the letter, Valjean began by recalling some past events between the two and then mentioned that Lange, who brought this letter, was his most loyal servant and could be fully trusted.

    It had been three or four years since Vergniaud hadst seen Valjean, but he vaguely remembered a servant named Lange at his good friend''s side.

    He continued reading further.

    In the letter, Valjean conveyed that one of his cousins, namely Viscount Monteli, had be entangled in awsuit. Valjean had only learned about the case from the newspapers recently and discovered that the presiding judge was an old friend of his, prompting him to ask for a favor.

    As he was not feeling welltely, he sent his servant to Paris to handle thewsuit first but would visit his old friend as soon as the weather warmed up.

    Then he expressed his hope that Vergniaud could be as lenient as possible in his sentence for Runashe. As for the expenses involved in making arrangements, the Monteli Family had already prepared everything and would certainly not put the old friend in a tough spot.

    Yes, on Vergniaud''s end, Monteli''s rtive had changed to Valjean.

    Vergniaud put the letter away and said to Lange, "I will certainly help with Victor''s issue. However, that young man has gone too far, and with witnesses, he must at least face whipping and over thirty years of imprisonment."

    Lange nodded, then nervously rubbed his hands together and said, "Earl, actually, my master means that it would be best if the verdict could be not guilty¡­"

    Vergniaud was about to shake his head when Lange''s next sentence made his eyelids twitch, "Viscount Monteli is willing to pay thirty-five thousand livres."

    After a moment of silence, Vergniaud sighed and said, "The matter with the witnesses is not easy to handle¡­"

    "We will find a way," Lange said.

    Suddenly, Vergniaud turned and waved his hand, "Go back for now, I will give you an answer in a few days."

    That very afternoon, when Vergniaud returned home, he immediately wrote a letter, sealed it with wax, and then summoned his trusted servant Bruno to deliver it to Caen as quickly as possible, to be given to Viscount Valjean.

    Before Bruno could mount the carriage, Vergniaud''s "zier" ryed the news to the Police Affairs Department officers who had been waiting outside the vi.

    Vergniaud''s trusted servant traveled nonstop for two days and finally arrived in Caen.

    This small city had only one main road leading to Paris. At this time, the street vendors on either side of the road were huddled up,ckluster in attracting business.

    Bruno consulted a map, got out of the carriage, and walked to the nearest vendor to ask where Viscount Valjean''s house was.

    Valjean, being the "Deputy Mayor" of Caen, was known to everyone. After receiving five deniers, the vendor eagerly pointed him in the right direction.

    Bruno resumed his journey and after nearing the city center, got out of the carriage again to stop a young man for directions.

    Just as the young man was about to respond, he saw a fight break out nearby, quickly approaching them, and he immediately turned and walked away.

    Bruno looked around, grabbed a middle-aged man passing by, and inquired about the location of Viscount Valjean''s house, receiving the same answer as from the vendor.

    By the time Bruno reached the Valjean family''s vi, it was twilight.

    A manservant warmly ushered him into the house, while he observed the Valjean family''s coat of arms on the walls and staircase railings, nodding to himself in approval.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Then, he saw the Viscount Valjean, wrapped up tightly because he was ill, nodding at him from the second floor.

    Bruno hastily handed the master''s letter to the manservant, who then went upstairs to deliver it to Valjean.

    About half an hourter, Bruno received a reply from Viscount Valjean and immediately set off back to Paris under the cover of night.

    However, he failed to notice that the gardener and other servants in the mansion were identical to the peddlers he had seen on the main road entering Caen.

    And the maid who served him tea was actually one of the people involved in the fight downtown, only now in women''s clothes¡ªthe Police Affairs Department really was short on female spies, so he had to y the role.

    As for the "Valjean" who greeted him, under the dim light and from such a distance, with a bit of makeup, even Valjean''s own mother probably wouldn''t have been able to tell the difference.

    The true whereabouts of the Valjean household was actually still some kilometers away¡­

    Once Bruno returned to Paris and handed over the reply to Vergniaud, dering that he had seen Viscount Valjean and even had tea at his home.

    This couldn''t be med on his ipetence. In this age of severely underdevelopedmunication, it was indeed difficult to verify the identity of someone in a distant city within a short period. Even if he had gone straight to the city hall, the Police Affairs Department had long since nted someone there, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the "Viscount Valjean" from a distance.

    By then, Vergniaud no longer had any doubts, immediately had Lange summoned, and informed him that he could arrange for Runashe''s acquittal, but due to the magnitude of the case, it would cost 40,000 livres.

    Lange agreed straight away, though he hoped the trial wouldmence soon because Viscount Valjean''s young nephew, that is, Runashe, who had lived a life of luxury since childhood, couldn''t bear the torment of prison.

    Vergniaud, of course, readily agreed.

    After Lange returned to Viscount Monteli''s house to report the news, he found a doctor, and on the pretense that the eyewitness of the Runashe case often got drunk and beat his wife, he paid the doctor to provide a certificate that the witness had mental issues.

    The Montelis mortgaged their vi and painting shop, and after scraping together funds, could only muster a little over 30,000 livres. With no other choice, Lange "dug into his own pockets" and supplemented them with 6,500 livres.

    With everything ready, Lange repeatedly instructed their "cousin" that, as rtives of the used, they must avoid excessive contact with the judge, and then he led them outside Vergniaud''s vi.

    Viscount Monteli handed the bank notes to the judge Vergniaud''s servant and saw the Grand Judge nodding to him from a window, which finally set his heavy heart at ease.

    Lange then visited Vergniaud''s home that evening on behalf of his master to express sincere thanks and requested Vergniaud to write a letter of reply, confirming his sessfulpletion of the mission.

    Vergniaud, having just made 40,000 livres, was in high spirits and at once wrote three pages, mostly expressing to an old friend the great effort he had put into the case, suggesting he remember this favor, while alsomending the manservant.

    Lange then left with the letter.

    A few dayster, another messenger from Valjean delivered a letter of gratitude from his master to Vergniaud.

    The Grand Judge read the letter once and immediately burned it, reminding the messenger to tell Valjean to burn all recent correspondence.

    He had been involved in too many cases of miscarriage of justice to not understand the importance of destroying evidence.

    Five dayster, Runashe''s case was reopened in court.

    First, the eyewitness was proved to have mental issues, invalidating his testimony.

    Then it was discovered that the so-called relics found in Runashe''s home did not belong to the victim¡ªthis was, of course, the result of Vergniaud tampering with evidence in the evidence room.

 Chapter 94: Chapter 93: Public Trial (Extra for Boss This is Not Good)

    In the courtroom, the youngwyer defending the victims listened with a smile as the judge distorted right and wrong, yet he never uttered a word.

    Soon, amidst the wails of the murdered siblings'' parents, Vergniaud raised his gavel and dered, "The court pronounces that Runashe is not guilty of the murder charge and is hereby acquitted."

    Just as his gavel was about to strike, the youngwyer suddenly stood up and shouted, "This is an illegal judgment! You are trampling on thew!"

    Vergniaud shook his head¡ªhe had seen many such unruly young people before. With a contemptuous smile, he waved to the bailiffs, "Get this guy out! What''s his name? He will be charged with contempt of court afterward."

    Thewyer stood his ground and said, "My name is Danton! Georges Jacques Danton, go ahead and charge me!"

    He then held up several sheets of paper over his head, "But first, Mister Judge, you need to exin what these letters are all about!"

    "Letters? What letters?" Vergniaud looked at the pages and felt they seemed familiar. Suddenly his face turned pale; those appeared to be the letters he had written to Valjean! How did they end up in thiswyer''s hands?!

    The letters had naturally been provided to thewyer by the Police Affairs Department.

    Not long ago, Joseph happened to hear Fouche mention that thewyer for the victims in the "Runashe Case" was named Danton. He immediately had someone check with the High Court''s registered attorneys and learned there was only one named "Jacques Danton."

    Which is to say, this youngwyer waster the leader of the Jacobins.

    In history, Danton was fiercely opposed to evil and possessed extraordinary oratorical skills, easily capable of inciting a riot of thousands.

    So Joseph decided then and there to entrust the task of dealing with Vergniaud to him. Faced with such an egregiously wicked case, Danton would surely make a significant uproar.

    At the trial, Danton leaped onto the bench of the public gallery and loudly read the parts of Vergniaud''s letter that could serve as evidence: "My dear old friend, I saw your servant. But I need to confirm one more time, do you really want me to intervene in Runashe''s case?

    "As for that money, it''s all for greasing the wheels. You know, just the evidence room alone will cost us ten thousand livres, after all, destroying evidence is a grave crime¡­

    "I don''t know how they n to deal with that witness, but I swear to you, as long as that damned carpenter keeps his mouth shut, I will be able to acquit your nephew¡­

    "Poor Runashe must have had his fill of the damp and moldy prison. Oh, he was originally going to stay there until death, even end up on the gallows. But rest assured, after the next session, I will have him released¡­"

    "Bailiffs! Stop him!" Vergniaud pointed at Danton, screaming like a madman, "He''s lying!"

    The few bailiffs in the courtroom had yet to react, and Vergniaud, impatient, stepped on a chair and leaped out from behind the judge''s bench, eyes red, lunging toward Danton.

    But thetter agilely dashed between the court''s tables and chairs, continuing to read the letter as he did so.

    By the time he finished reading the key parts, he had already run to the courtroom door. He pushed away the bailiff guarding it and dashed out.

    Outside the High Court, over a thousand citizens had already gathered, many more than the usual protesters, summoned by the likes of M and Demn, all to coordinate with the trial.

    Danton rushed to the iron railings of the courthouse and shouted, "That shameless and despicable man has insulted thew before everyone! He acquitted a murderer!"

    Angry roars immediately erupted from the crowd, "Hang the killer!"

    "Hang the corrupt judge too!"

    "Execution! It must be execution!"

    Danton gestured for silence and raised the letters in his hand, "I have evidence of that judge''s corruption and will ensure he receives the punishment he deserves!"

    A few bailiffs wanted to stop Danton, but under the threat of the thousand-strong crowd, they trembled and dared not approach.

    In fact, just ten paces away, more than thirty policemen stood ready. If the bailiffs made a move, they would instantly rush in to rescue Danton.

    Danton continued to shout, "To prevent those people from destroying the evidence, I suggest we hold a public trial right here!"

    The crowd immediately erupted again:

    "Public trial!"

    "Right here, let us watch the trial!"

    "The judge who let the killer go,e out!"

    And so, the angry mob yelled throughout the entire day, their numbers growing steadily.

    It wasn''t until twilight when Chief Minister Brian appeared, publicly promising that the Royal Court of Justice would take charge and hold a public trial for Vergniaud''s bribery case in the square outside the High Court, that people gradually dispersed.

    At eleven o''clock at night, once Vergniaud had his subordinates confirm multiple times that there were no longer any protesters outside the court, did he slip out the back door, disguised in a coachman''s clothes.

    However, what he didn''t know was that the Police Affairs Department had been watching him from the shadows all the while.

    Vergniaud''s carriage had just passed two streets when he heard someone shout, "The judge who colluded with the killer is right here!"

    "Come quickly, everyone, Vergniaud is here!"

    Torches quickly lit up around them, and M, leading hundreds of people, rushed up to pull Vergniaud out of the carriage and beat him mercilessly without a word.

    In the corner, dozens of police officers felt it was about enough and hurriedly appeared, whistling to part the crowd¡ªafter all, they couldn''t really beat the criminal to death or there would be no one to stand trial.

    But the Vergniaud on the ground had already been beaten beyond recognition, convulsing as hey in a pool of blood.

    Two dayster, a judge sent by the Royal Court of Justice conducted a public trial for Vergniaud at the High Court''s entrance.

    The Royal Court of Justice, under the control of the King, still had significant authority before the reign of Louis XIV; over time, its power gradually shifted to the High Court, and it becamergely ceremonial.

    The judges could hardly believe that they would have the chance to preside over a real case.

    However, under the watchful eyes of thousands of angry citizens, no one dared to question their qualifications to try the case.

    Vergniaud, with one leg broken, was wrapped in bandages andy to one side, asionally letting out pained moans.

    Danton handed the letters to the judge, also iming that there were more in Vergniaud''s home.

    The judge immediately ordered a search of Vergniaud''s house, and they quickly found "Valjean''s" letters in his study.

    The correspondence from both sides mutually corroborated each other, further solidifying the fact that Vergniaud took bribes to absolve Runashe.

    Vergniaud lying on the nk could notprehend how these letters, which he was sure he had burned, could appear in his home.

    In fact, two copies of "Valjean''s" letters had been written¡ªone for Vergniaud to burn, and the other quietly ced in his study by her maid.

    Shortly afterwards, the Monteli family was also called to testify. Under the evidence and the angry gaze of countless people, the couple quickly admitted to bribing the judge.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    And the Royal Court of Justice publicly pronounced its judgment, finding Vergniaud guilty of bribery, cover-ups, and destruction of evidence, sentencing him to fifty years in prison. Given Vergniaud''s poor conduct, the court announced that all the cases he had previously overseen would be sent back for retrial.

    The thousands of citizens watching erupted into a thunderous cheer at once, but Danton, M, and others were not ted. The verdict they wanted had only one form: execution.

 Chapter 95: Chapter 94 "Kick Someone When Theyre Down

    Several judges of the Royal Court of Justice immediately stepped aside, allowing Count Vadier, the presiding judge of the High Court, toe 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 dere.

    Vadier, even quicker to raise his hand than the ite 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 billid 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 nning, the situation where noble power expanded and royal power receded had beenpletely reversed from this point onward.

    Pce of Versailles.

    In thefortable 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, immediatelyvishing praise on Brian. She was effusive in herpliments.

    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¡ªno ruler could possibly be unruffled byrge-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 Pce 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 nced 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."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    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 M.

    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 dered innocent was ordered to be rearrested. And Vergniaud faced a slew of new charges: epting 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.

 Chapter 96: Chapter 95: Finding You a Father

    After the verdict of the Royal Court of Justice was announced, a court official came out to show the decree signed by His Majesty the King¡ªthat the Royal Court of Justice would be in charge of all trials involving Vergniaud.

    The crowd immediately erupted into cheers again:

    "Judicial power! The Royal Court of Justice has full jurisdiction now!"

    "Long live the King!"

    "Long live France!"

    "God bless the people of France!"

    "Punish the shameless judges harshly!"

    The judges of the High Court watched all this from the building behind them. Had this been before, such an order encroaching on judicial authority would certainly have met with their remonstrance, but at this moment, they could only pinch their noses and ept it.

    Outside, the public sentiment was inmed. At this time, whoever dared to challenge the jurisdiction of the Royal Court of Justice, the mob would tear them to shreds immediately.

    Despite there being hundreds of police officers around, the judges all knew that the police would not intervene even if they were torn apart.

    The Royal Court of Justice was extremely efficient. In one day, they had already overturned six of Vergniaud''s previous cases. The victims, all crying and shouting "Thank God" and "Long live the King," included many people so overwhelmed that they fainted on the spot.

    The charges against Vergniaud were no longer of any concern; there were too many to count anyway.

    The next day, the Royal Court of Justice hadpleted the retrial of all eleven cases involving Vergniaud.

    In fact, there were initially more cases nned for retrial, but some were minor or the files had been lost. The judges of the Royal Court of Justice, strictly following the demands of the Crown Prince to resolve cases as soon as possible, temporarily ignored these kinds of cases.

    Eleven major cases were enough for a heavy sentence.

    Especially since in one of the cases, Vergniaud was implicated in conspiring with the defendant to kill a witness in prison, and the murder was wholly med on Vergniaud.

    The defendant''swyer had not expressed any objections from start to finish.

    At 4 o''clock that afternoon, the oldest judge picked up the judgment and first read aloud a long list of the various crimesmitted by Vergniaud, and then pronounced loudly, "The sentence¡ªis death by beheading!"

    The emotions of the onlookers erupted like a volcano! Cheers and apusested for over ten minutes without pause. Many people spontaneously ran through the streets and alleys of Paris to spread the good news as fast as they could.

    Standing on a shop windowsill in the distance, M jumped down with his right hand supporting him, dusted off his trousers, and snorted coldly, "Beheading? Hmph! That kind of guy only deserves hanging!"

    The guillotine, as a less painful method of execution, was still a privilege reserved for the nobility;moners could only be sentenced to hanging.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    At the Paris Commercial News Agency, Denico got the news of Vergniaud''s death sentence and immediately, following Joseph''s prior instructions, took out the pre-prepared manuscript and started instructing the workers to print.

    The headline on the front page of the Paris Commercial News read, "The High Court''s power is too great, who is to oversee it?"

    The front page of "News and Picture Report" was titled, "The High Court meddling in governance, a grave danger!"

    At the same time, M, Demn, and others were also writing press releases as fast as they could, including details of Vergniaud''s case, discussing why the High Court hadpletely decayed, and the positive role of the Royal Court of Justice, among other topics.

    Subsequently, these manuscripts were sent to various newspapers¡ªnow that the High Court was in disarray, causing its subsidiary news review agencies to halt operations, the newspapers were almost in a state of no supervision, and all sorts of news could be published.

    In the onught of overwhelming public opinion, almost everyone in Paris was discussing the matters of the High Court.

    Meanwhile, the crowd protesting outside the courthouse had greatly diminished, but there were still nearly a hundred people gathered there, demanding a thorough investigation of the judges, except for Vergniaud.

    Soon, even the Pce of Versailles was caught up in the fervor of discussing the High Court and the case of Vergniaud.

    After waiting for the public opinion to ferment sufficiently, Joseph went with Archbishop Brienne to look for Queen Mary, prepared to hammer the final nail into the coffin of the High Court.

    In the tea room, the Queen began by praising Brian, "Archbishop Brienne, your excellent and effective work has brought hope to the nation''s finances. I must thank you for the effort you''ve put into the taxw."

    She had seen Brienne three times recently, making a point topliment him in various ways each time. Indeed, she had been severely vexed by the matters of thew before.

    Brienne quickly bowed and said, "Your servant is honored to be able to do what he can for the great France. In fact, the passage of thew this time is mostly due to the credit of the Crown Prince."

    Queen Mary smiled and nodded, taking it as apliment to the Crown Prince.

    She believed that her son must have yed a significant role in this matter, but after all, he was still a teenager, so the real nning and strategizing were surely the work of the old minister, Brienne.

    Joseph gave Brienne a significant look, whereupon thetter hurriedly handed thew to the Queen, "Your Majesty, this is the neww drafted by myself and the Crown Prince. I ask you to review it."

    Queen Mary took the several pages of documents, opened them, and curiously asked, "What is it about?"

    Brienne hurriedly exined, "Recently, public opinion has been very supportive of the role that the Royal Court of Justice has yed in the trial of the Vergniaud case. I believe that the court could serve to effectively oversee the High Court, to prevent simr cases from happening again."

    Queen Mary went through thew in her hands and saw that its main content was to grant the Royal Court of Justice the authority to supervise the High Court, including the right to conduct searches, audits, prosecutions, and sentencing, among a series of other operations.

    It was also suggested to rename the Royal Court of Justice as the Royal Supreme Court, to show that it is a superior department to the High Court.

    Furthermore, thew also stated that due to the High Court''s excessive interference in administrative affairs, it should no longer manage the news review agencies to enable the court to focus on judicial matters.

    Queen Mary couldn''t stop her lips from curling up with pleasure¡ªthe High Court had "oppressed" her for so long, and to be able to appoint a superior department for it was perfect!

    However, she immediately expressed concern, "Archbishop Brienne, thisw will also need to be registered at the High Court. How could they possibly agree to such an arrangement?"

    Joseph smiled slightly and said, "You just need to sign thew, and I guarantee that the High Court will pass it."

    The Queen looked at her son in surprise, then at Brienne, seeing both of them full of confidence. She then signed her name and afterward had the Clerk take it to Louis XVI for his signature and seal.

    ...

    Paris High Court.

    In the boardroom on the third floor, five senior members stared at thew in front of them, most with grim expressions.

    Thisw was tantamount to looping a rope around the neck of the High Court. The end of the rope was clenched in the hands of the Royal Court of Justice, oh, now called the Royal Supreme Court. With a mere tug, they would be strangled!

    Chief Justice Lue, with his hawk-like nose, mmed his hand on the table and growled through clenched teeth, "Such aw cannot be registered!"

 Chapter 97: Chapter 96: Under Great Pressure

    Dibor sighed but did not argue with Luo. They were united in their opposition to the Supreme Judicial Court.

    However, circumstances overpowered individuals.

    He nced towards the door, representatives of the Supreme Judicial Court were just in the opposite room, and shook his head, "But no one wants to end up like Count Vergniaud..."

    Before he could finish, the pupils of several members of the panel constricted.

    Just now, representatives from the Supreme Judicial Court had brought word that, following the strong demands of the Paris popce, His Majesty the King was considering a review of all major cases handled by the High Court in recent years.

    The High Court was rife with systemic corruption; to be a judge there meant it was impossible to be untainted by corruption.

    Their hands were just as dirty as those of Vergniaud!

    Moreover, they were powerless to stop the review¡ªwith the current fervor in Paris, a single shout from the representatives of the Supreme Judicial Court could immediately assemble thousands to surround the courthouse, just as had happened to Vergniaud.

    After a long while, Dibor, leading by example, raised his hand in defeat, pronouncing gravely, "Let''s register it."

    He had his own distinct stancepared to the other judges; the representatives of the Supreme Judicial Court had told him that once the legition passed, they would fully support his appointment as President of the High Court.

    Of course, this was also hinted at by Joseph. With an opponent who seemed to be at a dead end, it was essential to adhere to the tactic of pulling one faction while hitting another, to prevent a desperatest stand.

    So for Dibor, although the High Court''s powers would be greatly curtailed in the future, his personal power could bepensated for from the position of the President, thus he could reluctantly ept.

    Judge Vadier followed with a long sigh, raising his right hand, "I agree. Let''s end this soon..."

    ite and Ol had no choice but to raise their hands resignedly.

    And so, holding their noses, the judges passed the bill that granted the Royal Supreme Court oversight of the High Court.

    As for the final provision of the bill, which removed the High Court''s control over the press review agency, they barely took notice¡ªwho would care about a few hairs when the ox is already dead?

    The most surprising thing was that this significant piece of legition hardly made a ripple in the circles of the nobility.

    From the perspective of the nobility, the High Court remained the High Court, the Assembly of Notables remained the Assembly of Notables, as if nothing had changed.

    Oh, there''s a new Royal Supreme Court? Wasn''t that just the old Royal Court of Justice that had been around for hundreds of years...

    In stark contrast to the indifference of the nobility, themon people of Paris were extremely excited. The long-standing grievances against the High Court found their release through Vergniaud.

    For days on end, cries such as "Long live the King, long live the Royal Court of Justice!" could be heard sporadically in the streets.

    "Execute the shameless judges!"

    The victims of Vergniaud, in particr, went everywhere proiming the King''s mercy and wisdom, sending down the Royal Court of Justice to punish the scoundrels.

    Soon, led by the Paris Commercial News, various newspapers in Paris began to feature articles with titles like "His Majesty the King''s Glorious Victory" or "The King''s Just Judgment."

    For the first time, public opinion of the Royal Family started to change for the better.

    ...

    Pce of Versailles.

    When Joseph heard about the passage of the Supreme Judicial Court''s bill, he was not surprised.

    Under the current circumstances, the High Court had only one path¡ªto ept the bill.

    However, with the High Court''s interference gone, he felt much more relieved in his heart; atst, he could truly demonstrate his capabilities and deal with matters of greater importance.

    When it came to important matters, he immediately thought of the imminent famine, which couldn''t help but give him a massive headache.

    All of France had more than 20 million people, and if the food shortage was calcted at 30%, that was a terrifying number. Moreover, he remembered that the shortage of grain would continue until the beginning of 1790.

    Joseph looked at the snowkes falling outside the tall arched French windows; it was already mid-January.

    There were six and a half months until the famine''s massive outbreak in July. Where could he find so much grain...

    He had some ideas before, but the closer he got to the outbreak of the problem, the more he felt it wasn''t nearly enough.

    For instance, purchasing from foreign countries would need arge amount of funds, which France currently couldn''t spare to buy so much grain, given its financial situation.

    And to store such a quantity of grain, storage facilities would be necessary, not to mention prevention of grain looting during the toughest times.

    From his recent understanding of the grain market, purchasing solely from foreign countries would not be nearly enough to fill France''s deficit.

    This was assuming that the grain market remained stable. If unscrupulous merchants took advantage of the situation, the shortfall would be even greater.

    As for preventing hail in advance... Historical records stated that this year''s hailstones were as big as an adult''s fist. Unless the crops were d in steel armor, there was simply no stopping it.

    Joseph''s thoughts on purchasing grain funds led him back to the financial situation of France.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Before he took over the financial affairs, it hadn''t seemed so pressing, but now those billions felt like a mountain crushing his chest, making him struggle to breathe just thinking about it.

    All of his hard work with the Paris Angels, if sold off entirely, would at best be worth ten million livres. In other words, 200 Paris Angels would need to be created to plug this enormous hole!

    He couldn''t help but take a deep breath to ease his chest.

    Therefore, to solve the debt issue, it still had to rely on the Industrial Revolution.

    On one hand, the massive industrial products generated by the Industrial Revolution could obtain huge economic benefits and directly fill the fiscal deficit.

    On the other hand, the Industrial Revolution could also significantly enhance national strength, thereby gaining greater interests in wars and overseas colonies, which would then nourish the industry, creating a positive cycle.

    In fact, Ennd experienced a severe debt crisis at the beginning of the 19th century, no better off than current-day France, but they managed to break through the predicament while saddled with huge debts via the dividends of the Industrial Revolution.

    Joseph picked up the warm teacup, took a sip, and thought that to achieve industrial sess, control of the national industrial policy must first be obtained.

    He shook his head; France did not even have a ministry of industry at present¡ªthe Minister of the Interior also oversaw industry. If Mono were to handle the Industrial Revolution well, that would be a miracle indeed.

    However, luckily, he had recently acquired a few cards to y, which he could use to negotiate with Mono and persuade him to relinquish control over the industrial sector.

    As night fell.

    At the ever-present ball at the Pce of Versailles.

    Joseph gritted his teeth, weaving through a flock of lighthearteddies until he finally managed to squeeze to Mono''s side, hurriedly grabbing hold of him.

    The young girls, who had originally thought that the Crown Prince was going to invite one of them to dance, saw him tightly grasping the arm of the Minister of the Interior, and strange expressions appeared on each of their faces...

 Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Do Not Deceive the Old and Poor! (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    Count Mono looked at the throng of angry young women ring at him and, with a tinge of embarrassment, bowed slightly towards Joseph:

    "Your Highness, you... aren''t dancing?"

    Joseph said, "I don''t have time to dance. I have serious matters to discuss with you."

    Count Mono nced again at the crowd dancing merrily around them:

    "Are you suggesting we discuss serious matters here?"

    Joseph thought to himself, I would prefer to sit on a sofa, sipping tea while chatting leisurely, but after searching for you all afternoon, not even your servants knew where you had been gallivanting.

    "I came looking for you this afternoon."

    "Oh¡­" Count Mono touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, not wanting anyone to learn about his little affair with Countess Mesayer.

    He quickly led the Crown Prince to a more secluded corner:

    "Please, go ahead."

    Joseph considered for a moment, then said:

    "To put it simply, I want to engage in promoting industrial development. And currently, that falls under the management of your domestic affairs department."

    Count Mono blinked his little eyes in agreement.

    "To be direct, I hope you will relinquish control over industry."

    Count Mono continued nodding, waiting for the Crown Prince to propose a trade of interests.

    Joseph continued, "Currently, the new censorship is no longer under the purview of the High Court. We could establish a Bureau of News and Publishing, which would handle these matters, and ce it under your management.

    "Additionally, I have discussed with Archbishop Brienne the issuance of a ''Patent Law.''"

    He exined the concept of the ''Patent Law'' and added, "Correspondingly, a patent office should be established, which could also be managed by you."

    Count Mono calcted in his mind¡ªFrance''s industry was no match for Ennd''s, already in a state of near dormancy, holding it in his own hands had little value.

    However, the patent office the Crown Prince mentioned seemed quite good, and being able to tie it to fashion design would definitely be lucrative. Just the news censorship seemed of little use.

    He then showed a na?ve smile and said, "Your Highness, you see..."

    Without waiting for him to ramble, Joseph immediately said, "Plus one printing workshop."

    "A workshop?"

    "I possess a technology that can reduce the cost of printing images to one-fifth of the current cost. With an investment of 200,000 livres. Oh, of course, this sum will primarilye from you, we could monopolize nearly all of Paris''s printing business.

    "Shares would be divided equally between us, with each of us holding 20%, and the Bureau of News and Publishing holding 60%. Moreover, all profits for the first seven years would be yours."

    The printing workshop Joseph had in mind was also a way to control pamphlets.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    If someone wanted to print a pamphlet, they''d have toe to us; otherwise, the price would be much higher than others'', leading to no sales whatsoever.

    And if youe to us for printing, hah, this workshop is connected to the Bureau of News and Publishing. You''d have to get through their censorship first.

    After Count Mono repeatedly confirmed that this inexpensive printing technology was already in use, he immediately disyed a radiant smile and nodded:

    "Oh, you''re always so generous, distinguished Crown Prince! May God bless you!"

    ¡­

    In the Royal Workshop, after being busy for the better part of the day, His Majesty the King of France set down the musket on the workbench, wiped his sweat, ready to enjoy his dinner.

    As servants helped him out of his apron, he casually picked up a newspaper lying nearby¡ªevery day, a servant would bring in some influential newspapers¡ªand immediately saw the eye-catching headline "The Great King''s Glorious Victory."

    He scratched his head¡ªhaving spent thest while immersed in the workshop focusing on gunsmithing, how had he suddenly achieved a glorious victory?

    He switched to another newspaper. The front page proimed "The King Brings Justice to His Loyal Paris."

    Louis XVI hurriedly perched his sses on his nose and read the newspaper carefully, realizing it was due to thew concerning the "Royal Supreme Court" that he had signed a few days earlier.

    He set down the newspaper, puffed out his chest with a look of pride, and thought to himself: Managing state affairs doesn''t seem to be thatplicated after all. Hmm, haven''t I been handling them quite well?

    ...

    In front of the gilded doors of the eastern meeting hall at the Pce of Versailles.

    Joseph, dressed in a burgundy formal outfit, puffed up his chest and strode through two rows of bowing guards, entering the meeting hall with decisive steps.

    This was the first time he was so eager to enter this ce.

    Soon, all the Cab Ministers had arrived, and Queen Mary had also arrived a bit earlier than usual.

    After everyone had exchanged bows, the gilded doors creaked shut, and the Cab meeting officially began...

    Archbishop Brienne looked around at everyone with a face full of joy, then naturally started discussing the tax bill:

    "After the passage of this bill, it will greatly relieve the national fiscal distress."

    He opened the file that had already been prepared: "Just from thend tax alone, we expect to increase financial revenue by 18 million livres each year. The stamp tax is predicted to increase..."

    Having read everything in detail, he nced at the somber-faced Somiare and concluded:

    "Considering all these taxesbined, the annual financial revenue will increase by 22 million to 24 million livres!"

    Queen Mary led the apuse and nodded:

    "This will be a day worthmemorating in the financial history of France!"

    All the ministers, whether willingly or reluctantly, also apuded, congratting Brienne.

    After finishing the discussion on the tax bill, Brienne switched to another document, bowed to the Queen, and then announced loudly:

    "Now, let''s begin the first item on the agenda.

    "Count Mono proposes that Count de Simeon should be held responsible for the scandal in the judicial system, and is no longer suitable to serve as Justice Minister."

    Somiare, with his head down, nced quickly at Mono, then fixed his gaze on the brass pen holder in front of him, saying nothing.

    He knew that the affair with Vergniaud had made too great an impact, and as the Justice Minister, he definitely could not escape the ountability forx supervision.

    And having impeached Brienne in the past, Brienne would certainly not miss the opportunity for revenge this time.

    The Duke of Orleans had also anticipated that Somiare would be impeached and was prepared to do everything in his power to protect his political ally.

    He stood up, cleared his throat, and said:

    "Your Majesty the Queen, as far as I am aware, Vergniaud was always very cautious in every instance of bribery, and it was very difficult for outsiders to detect. Although Somiare was negligent in his supervision, impeaching a Cab Minister on ount of a single judge, is that not..."

    Joseph sneered from the side:

    "The Duke of Orleans really has a way with words. First off, Vergniaud was not only involved in bribery, you can go take a look at his verdicts.

    "Secondly, there are probably more judges with issues within the High Court than just Vergniaud. Shall we continue investigating to see?"

    He was not afraid to bring down the High Court; after all, it was the Nobility Group''s domain. Destroying it would conveniently allow him to establish a system of his own.

    As expected, the Duke of Orleans''s face turned beet red, but he dared not respond.

    The judges of the High Court, wishing to avoid investigation, even reluctantly epted the Royal Supreme Court. If he were to stir up more trouble, he might be the public enemy of the judges.

    Seeing this, Brienne immediately pushed the pre-drafted dismissal document towards Queen Mary, respectfully saying:

    "Please make a decision, Your Majesty."

    The Queen, observing the ministers'' greatly unanimous opinion, reassured Somiare briefly, then picked up the pen and signed the document.

    Brienne, satisfied, put away the document carefully and, looking at Somiare, raised his hand toward the golden door and gestured:

    "Count de Simeon, please excuse yourself."

 Chapter 99: Chapter 98: The Meeting Belonging to the Crown Prince

    Somiare suddenly felt the entire hall was filled with the stench of humiliation, and, trembling with rage, he had no choice but to stand up indignantly and walk towards the exit with a darkened face.

    As the golden doors closed again, Queen Mary sighed softly and turned to Brian, asking, "Archbishop Brian, who do you think would be suitable to seed the Justice Minister?"

    Brian immediately responded, "Your Majesty, Baron Breti, the current court advisor, ispetent and loyal. He studiedw at the University of Paris and could be appointed as the Justice Minister."

    This was also the result of Joseph and Brian''s repeated deliberations. Breti was skilled inworking and had decent political abilities.

    Most importantly, he was a cousin of the King and very loyal to the Royal Family. In history, during the most dangerous moment when Louis XVI was preparing to flee Paris, it was Breti who had been actively nning and strategizing for the King, never betraying him.

    Queen Mary nodded, "Have hime to see me after the meeting."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Joseph swept a discreet nce towards Vilran, the Foreign Minister. He would be the next target; once Vilran was dealt with, it would be like pulling out all the political teeth of the Duke of Orleans, that fiendish tiger.

    Then, Brian picked up the documents again and read, "The second agenda item.

    "In light of the High Court''s relinquishment of power over press review, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince suggests the establishment of a News and Publishing Bureau to handle matters of press review."

    The Duke of Orleans snorted coldly, keeping his head down and silent.

    In the recent "Pamphlet War," he had been utterly defeated, and now with the loss of the power over press review, he could forget about controlling public opinion ever again.

    In the past twenty minutes or so, he had first lost an important political ally and then saw his media hegemony crumble. Today''s Cab meeting was nothing short of a nightmare for him.

    "Hmm, that''s good," said Queen Mary, nodding happily.

    She had been continuously smeared by the media since her marriage into France, and atst, it seemed like a break through the clouds was at hand.

    Brian gestured towards Mono, "Since the duties of the News and Publishing Bureau are closest to domestic affairs, I suggest that Count Mono be in charge of its management."

    Mono immediately bowed to the Queen, "Your Majesty, I will make sure those vulgar and shameless articles disappearpletely from this world!"

    Queen Mary disyed a satisfied smile and after praising Mono, she immediately signed the document.

    Brian continued, "The third agenda item.

    "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has submitted a report, stating that the signing of the ''Treaty of Eden'' has caused great damage to France''s interests, particrly in the textile and steel industries, which are almost unable to continue operating.

    "Therefore, the Crown Prince suggests that we should promptly restart trade negotiations with Ennd and amend the treaty''s contents to prevent the situation from worsening."

    The Duke of Orleans felt he finally had a chance to strike back, and promptly sneered, "Perhaps the Crown Prince is being too simplistic. How could Ennd, which has gained so much from the treaty, agree to amend it?"

    Joseph nced at him and bowed towards the Queen, saying, "Your Majesty, I ampletely confident I can persuade the British."

    Without waiting for the Queen to express doubt, he added, "Even if negotiations may not seed, we should try. After all, we have nothing to lose."

    All Cab Ministers, except the Duke of Orleans, including Vilran, immediately expressed their agreement¡ªeither they were political allies of Joseph or stakeholders, so how could they disagree?

    Queen Mary also nodded slightly and asked, "Archbishop Brienne, have you prepared the specific terms for the negotiation?"

    Brian immediately ced a document in front of her, "Yes, Your Majesty, these are our established negotiation goals."

    "At the core of these goals are two main points: first, to strive for Ennd to lower the import tariffs on alcoholic beverages, including wine, beer, and spirits, to below 10%."

    Ministers hearing this content for the first time were filled with anticipation.

    Alcoholic beverages, especially wine, are a pir of France''s exports, but they are currently facing fiercepetition from ces like Spain, Tuscany, and Venice.

    If it were indeed possible to get Ennd to lower the tariffs on French alcoholic beverages exclusively, it would greatly enhance thepetitiveness of French wine.

    Brian continued, "Second is to raise our industrial import tariffs to 25%, then reduce them by 3% every year until they drop to 5% after seven years."

    The Foreign Minister immediately stood up in opposition, "5%? Absolutely not! That wouldpletely strip French industry of its protection!"

    Joseph smiled and said, "Even at the current tariff of 12%, our industry is no match for the British. It might be better to give the workshops a breather and then switch lines of business as soon as possible, which could reduce losses."

    "Moreover, only by significantly lowering the tariffs on industrial goods can we make the British lower their tariffs on alcoholic beverages."

    He naturally did not mention anything about quickly improving French industrial capabilities, especially with someone like the Duke of Orleans present.

    The queen looked at Brian somewhat hesitantly, "Archbishop, do you agree with this as well?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty. This is the most favorable approach for us at present." Brian was actually quite confused himself, but, trusting the Crown Princepletely, he still chose to support these terms.

    "Other negotiation items also include the formation of a Combined Fleet by Ennd and France tobat smuggling."

    Everyone was stunned to hear this, thinking something was wrong with their ears.

    A Combined Fleet formed by Ennd and France?

    It sounded incredibly surreal!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But this was exactly the effect Joseph wanted. The British would see this as a symbol of France surrendering its maritime ambitions, andbating smuggling would be much more advantageous for France.

    British industrial goods smuggled into France every year had dealt a heavy blow to French industry¡ªwith smuggled goods essentially entering at zero tariffs, they were far cheaper than domestically produced French goods.

    If this point was agreed upon, it would be tantamount to the British fleet protecting the French industry.

    Ennd would gain face, and France would gain materially; why not?

    Brian continued, "Another point is to request Ennd to sell one million pounds of wool at a fair price to Le Havre every year..."

    Since its defeat in the Seven Years'' War, France had lost a great many overseas colonies, leading to a shortage of wool, which was detrimental to the development of the textile industry.

    Of course, Joseph wasn''t certain that the British would be so generous, but after all, they''d be part of a Combined Fleet, so wouldn''t it be expected for the British to show some gesture? If not one million pounds, then at least five hundred thousand pounds.

    After discussing the trade negotiations, Brian went on to read the next agenda item, "His Highness the Crown Prince suggests introducing the ''Patent Law'' and ''Company Law''..."

    Since both thesews were urgently needed by the Capitalist Nobility for the development of their industrial enterprises, and they posed no harm to the Old Nobility or themon people, Queen Mary signed the documents very efficiently, ordering them to be presented to the King for his signature.

    As for the High Court, not to mention they had no grounds to reject these twows, even if they did have grounds, under the gaze of the Royal Supreme Court, they could only obediently register thews.

 Chapter 100: Chapter 99: Night Encounter with a Thief

    After an entire morning of Cab meetings, the ministers all showed signs of exhaustion.

    Just as Queen Mary was about to announce a recess to continue after lunch, Brian interrupted, "There is onest issue."

    The queen silently sighed in her heart and, just as she had lifted herself a half inch from her seat, she sat back down again.

    Brian looked at Mono, "Count Mono believes that considering the dire state of industries such as textiles, steel, and ss, there should be a specific entity managing these industries to try to turn the situation around."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Queen Mary was too tired to ponder and directly asked the Chief Minister, "Archbishop Brienne, what do you think we should do?"

    They had already discussed this matter. Brienne immediately said, "Your Majesty, I suggest setting up an Industrial nning Bureau, dedicated to managing the above-mentioned industries. This way, Count Mono will no longer need to handle these matters and can save his energy to better oversee news censorship."

    The queen thought it didn''t seem like a big deal and nodded, "Then, whom do you think should be in charge of this department?"

    Joseph had been waiting for these words and stood up, "Your Majesty Queen, please entrust it to me. Hmm, this should be a good opportunity to gain some experience."

    ...

    The Royal Pce.

    The Duke of Orleans looked puzzled at the British ambassador to France, "Are you saying you''ve alreadymunicated with the Crown Prince about trade negotiations?"

    "Indeed," Hartley nodded with a smile.

    "Then, do you know what he said during the Cab meeting?" The Duke of Orleans scoffed, "He wants Ennd to lower the import tariffs on wine from France to below 10%, haha, he must be joking..."

    Hartley hesitated for a moment but still told the truth, "Your Grace, to my knowledge, the British Parliament has in principle agreed to these terms and asked me to finalize the negotiation dates with your country as soon as possible."

    The Duke of Orleans was stunned, "How could you agree to such terms?"

    As he spoke, suddenly from outside the door came the guard''s shout, "Catch him! He''s running that way!"

    "Send a few men to block him in the corridor! God, he''s as slippery as a squirrel!"

    "Ah¡ª"

    "Careful! His swordsmanship is very formidable..."

    The butler hurried in through the door, immediately locked it behind him, then, addressing the Duke of Orleans, he patted his chest, "My lord, a thief has snuck in. The guards are in pursuit. You are safe here."

    The Duke of Orleans frowned slightly but was not surprised. Many kinds of people visited the Royal Pce every day, and it was easy for thieves to blend in. However, he was curious; there had been such amotion, and yet the guards had not caught the thief.

    Soon after, a guard entered breathlessly and reported back to the butler.

    Thetter hurriedly told the Duke of Orleans, "My lord, it seems the thief has stolen something from your document room and has just fled the Royal Pce."

    "This damned scoundrel!" The Duke instantly looked gloomy. The document room contained many important papers, and it was heavily guarded¡ªhow could it have been breached by a thief?!

    He immediately gave an order, "Increase the guards, we must catch him!"

    "Yes, my lord."

    Shortly after, over a hundred fully armed guards poured out of the Royal Pce, disappearing into thest rays of the twilight sun.

    Five carriages traveled swiftly along the wide cobblestone roads of Paris Saint Honor¨¦ Street.

    This was the Crown Prince''s "moving" convoy.

    Yes, Joseph found that after taking over industrial management, there was just too much to do. If he were to travel back and forth between Paris and the Pce of Versailles every day, it would waste a tremendous amount of time.

    So he simply bought a house in the Paris Louvre District to serve as the office location for the "French Industry nning Bureau." He then moved his personal and office supplies over, ready to reside there permanently.

    In the carriage, Joseph was silently pondering how to quickly secure arge "grain fund."

    He had roughly calcted that, with a 30% grain shortfall, even if grain prices remained stable, he would need to purchase 60 million livres worth of grain to barely make it through 1788.

    This did not even include the cost of building granaries and other expenses such as losses.

    As for 1789, it would likely be difficult to acquire grain from abroad either, given the global climatic anomalies, with widespread famine from Europe to Asia.

    And if the problem of famine was not well addressed, there would only be one path left for the starving people...

    Joseph first thought of loans, but given the French Government''s current financial reputation, getting such arge sum of money in a short period would be extremely difficult. And even if a loan could be secured, the interest would certainly be frighteningly high.

    Issuing public bonds... Forget it, the Finance Minister would have sold any saleable bonds long ago, leaving none for himself.

    Earning money from new technologies or the like was out of the question, given theck of time to earn such an amount.

    Therefore, he needed to make quick and substantial money...

    While his brain was operating at overcapacity, he suddenly heard the distant sound of gunfire, followed by noisy crowds, and the speed of the carriage immediately slowed.

    After a little while, a guard reported outside the carriage window, "Your Highness, it seems they''re catching a thief up ahead."

    "Catching a thief? And they fired so many shots?" Joseph was somewhat surprised, "Is it a band of thieves?"

    "No, Your Highness," the guard said, "It''s said to be just one person."

    "One person causing such amotion?" Joseph asked again, "Is it the police who are making the arrest?"

    The guard shook his head, "It''s the Royal Guard from the Royal Pce, Your Highness."

    The Duke of Orleans''s men?

    Several more shots rang out in the distance, and Eman hurriedly instructed the coachman to retreat, staying away from trouble.

    Just as the convoy had turned into a side alley, a shadow suddenly leapt lightly from the rooftop to the right.

    The shadow slowed down by pushing against window ledges, and seizing the moment when a carriage passed in front, suddenly smashed open the carriage window and leaped inside like lightning.

    "He" braced himself against a small wooden table in the carriage to quickly regain bnce. At the same time, "he" confirmed by the candlelight that there were only two people inside the carriage, one of whom was an unthreatening youth.

    "He" was incredibly swift; as soon as "his" feet were set, "his" right hand had already drawn a short knife from "his" waist, shing towards the blond man inside the carriage.

    "He" didn''t intend to kill but was nning to use the knife to hold the man hostage in order to threaten him to break out of the encirclement.

    However, as "his" knife had barely swung an inch, a sh of cold light shone in the man''s hand, and a short sword was already pressed against "his" throat.

    The blond man said in a stern voice, "Don''t move, or you''ll lose your life!"

    The shadow paused, and the short knife was snatched away by the blond man.

    "Guard..."

    The blond man was about to call out when the youth sitting opposite him raised his hand to stop him. The youth then asked the intruder in ck, "The people from the Royal Pce were chasing you just now, weren''t they?"

 Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Unexpected Gains

    The man in ck turned his head at the words, and when "he" saw the young man''s face, he couldn''t help but blurt out, "Crown Prince?"

    Joseph was also a bit surprised, "It''s ady? You know me?"

    "Oh, that, I''ve seen you before."

    Eman quickly pulled the stiletto from the waist of the man in ck¡ªalthough it was almost impossible to use it inside the carriage, it was safer to take it away for the safety of the Crown Prince¡ªthen pointed at her mask and gestured to Joseph, asking if he should unveil it.

    Joseph shook his head slightly and asked the man in ck, "Who are you? Why is the Duke of Orleans after you?"

    "I... You can call me Tulip." The woman in ck was evasive, then added, "I just went to the Royal Pce and took some things, and the guards went crazy chasing me."

    Joseph frowned, "So you''re a thief?"

    "Strictly speaking, yes," the woman in ck said, suddenly sucking in a breath, then she pressed hard on her shoulder, her voice trembling a bit, "But everything I do is for equality and justice."

    It was then that Joseph noticed blood seeping through her fingers, "You''re injured?"

    "A minor wound, it''s nothing," the woman in ck shook her head, "Now, you can hand me over to that guy Philippe. He should thank you for it."

    The Philippe she mentioned was the name of the Duke of Orleans.

    Joseph shook his head, "First, tell me your real name. Second, what did you steal?"

    "Why should I tell you?"

    Joseph didn''t want to waste time with her, signaling to Eman, "Eman, please check what she stole."

    "Yes, Your Highness. Miss, excuse me..."

    "Don''t touch me!" The woman in ck quickly recoiled, gritting her teeth, "Fine, I''ll tell you. I took some promissory notes and contracts from the document room of the Royal Pce."

    "Promissory notes? Contracts?"

    "Yes, belonging to Mr. Lenoir and his partners," she said, then took another breath, obviously in pain, but went on, "The harvest hasn''t been good these past few years, their wine cer has been having financial difficulties, so they borrowed money from Philippe... Now that they can''t pay back temporarily, Philippe wants to take their wine cer and houses,nd!"

    "Mr. Lenoir''s son is also seriously ill, and if the Lenoir family loses everything now, he will surely die! Oh, and those who work in the wine cer, they too will lose their jobs, with no money to buy bread."

    Joseph touched his nose, feeling that paying back debts was only natural, but the way she spoke it sounded as if Lenoir had suffered a great injustice and persecution.

    However, the idea of causing trouble for the Duke of Orleans didn''t bother him at all.

    "All right, so you''ve sneaked into the Duke of Orleans'' document room just to take a few promissory notes? Didn''t you take anything else with you, like evidence of his collusion with foreign nations or corruption and illegal dealings?" Joseph sighed regretfully, and with this "Tulip" nickname, she seemed like a typical adolescent.

    "No..."

    "Tell me who you are, and I may consider letting you go."

    The woman in ck was taken aback, "Really?"

    "Really."

    Remembering the scene when she saw the Crown Prince helping homeless siblings outside the Paris Angel Store, the woman in ck squeezed out a smile, "Indeed, your heart is still not so... cough¡ªokay, my name is Sorel. Anna Sorel."

    Eman quickly searched his memory and said to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, she''s the sister of Viscount Ferez."

    Joseph was somewhat amused: a noble from the Pce of Versailles, in the name of "upholding justice," donned a garb of night to steal from the Royal Pcete into the evening...

    He heard the shouts of the guards approaching from a distance and turned to give Eman a look. Thetter immediately pushed the door open and got out of the carriage.

    Just as the carriage moved a few steps, it was stopped by two squads of fully armed guards, front and back.

    Eman stepped forward to meet them and shouted, "What are you doing? This is the carriage of the Crown Prince!"

    The captain of the Royal Pce guards recognized him and hastily bowed in salute, "Count Eman, we are apprehending a thief..."

    "I haven''t seen any thief. Alright, move aside." Eman waved his hand, "Don''t dy His Highness''s journey."

    Seeing that Kesode arrived with the Crown Prince''s personal guards, the guards dared not say more and signaled their subordinates to make way for the carriage.

    A few carriages then sped past and had gone a good distance when, turning into a small alley, Joseph instructed them to stop.

    He gestured towards the carriage door and asked Soleil, "Are you sure your wound is alright?"

    "Thank you for your concern, it''s nothing serious."

    Soleil was about to step out with her long legs when she suddenly remembered something and turned back, "Your Highness, as a token of my gratitude for helping me out of trouble, I can tell you something.

    "Today at the Royal Pce, I overheard a conversation between Philippe and the British ambassador to France; it seemed to involve you."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Oh?" Joseph''s eyes lit up; he hadn''t expected an unexpected gain.

    "Philippe said he hoped the British would allow Necker to serve as a financial advisor, involved in some negotiation that you proposed. And he mentioned that it would be best to marginalize Archbishop Brienne, letting Vilran and Necker lead. However, the British didn''t seem to agree.

    "Oh, Philippe also mentioned that the investment of 15 million livres in Ennd by his banks had been secured, and now there are a few more banks hoping to invest another 10 million livres in Ennd''s automated looms."

    Having finished speaking, she turned to get out of the carriage and, holding her wound, bowed her knee to Joseph, "My sincerest thanks once more, Your Highness. Additionally, I ask you to keep this confidential."

    Eman handed her stiletto back to her. The girl took it and clipped it to her side, nodded in thanks, and then, twisting her slender waist, darted off like a ck cat and vanished into the night.

    Joseph smiled, not expecting that there were actually self-appointed heroes in this era, seeking to administer justice single-handedly, and it was a young girl at that.

    Once the carriage started moving again, he recalled the words of Soleil, and a chill shed in his eyes. These banks, using France''s capital to help the British advance the industrial revolution!

    A full 25 million livres, of which more than half was probably earned from the interest on the debts of the French Government. It seemed the financial circles needed a thorough reorganization as well.

    Before long, the convoy arrived at the office location of the Industrial nning Bureau in Paris.

    Joseph hurried into the small building, only to find it still somewhat disordered since they had only started moving in the day before.

    He went to the director''s office at the far end and immediately saw a neat stack of files on the desk. These were the documents on France''s industrial situation he had asked his assistant topile; he hadn''t expected them to arrive so soon.

    He suddenlyughed and shook his head, realizing that despite being in charge of industry in France, on the journey he had been pondering over grain matters.

    Joseph sat down in the chair and started to flip through the files. Eman busied himself by bringing over a candlestick with five candles to provide more light and softly ordered a servant girl to prepare a cup of tea.

    After reading just over a dozen pages, Joseph''s brows were already tightly furrowed.

    In justst year alone, in Lyon, textile products valued at over one million livres had backlogged. Nearly a hundred textile workshops closed down, leading to more than three thousand workers losing their jobs...

 Chapter 102: Chapter 101 Paris Fashion Week

    Although Lyon is the center of the textile industry in France, this number is still shockingly rming.

    Aside from silk products, France could barely maintain a breath due to its high-end clothing industry, but all other fabrics such as cotton, wool, and linen were being ground into dust by British products.

    This evidenced the tremendous damage the Edict of Eden Treaty inflicted on the French industry.

    Joseph continued to go through the data, and sure enough, it was not far off from what he had anticipated. France''s steel, ss, and porcin industries were also aplete mess, and it seemed that in no more than a year or two, they would copsepletely.

    No wonder the industrial revolution in Francegged a full half-century behind Ennd and could never oupete Ennd. Although there were forces of destiny at y, the Edict of Eden Treaty definitely "yed a critical role."

    He suddenly felt an immense pressure.

    With some minor maneuvers, he had won France three years of tariff barriers, but after those three years, the country would face an industrial showdown.

    Now, not only was there the need to solve the grain problem, but also the development of industry needed to be undertaken¡ªall of which he had to support by himself. How could he not feel the pressure?

    Furthermore, grain required money, developing industry required even more money, yet French banks had invested all their money in Britain...

    Joseph sighed and looked out into the night sky, realizing that in the end, it all came down to money.

    Feeling somewhat agitated, he decided to step out and take a look at the Paris nightscape, allowing his brain a rest.

    The cold winds outside brushed against his face, indeed making his head feel a lot clearer. However, the sanitary conditions in Paris were far worse than the Pce of Versailles, with even the wind carrying a faint scent of urine and feces...

    Thankfully, he was not like other French nobility who liked to douse themselves in hefty amounts of perfume, otherwise the mixture of the strong fragrance and excrement would have been a cruel torture for the nose.

    Joseph adjusted his cor. Count Eman quickly caught up to him, draping a crimson thick woolen cloak over his shoulders.

    "Oh, thank you very much."

    Joseph turned to thank him, when suddenly his attention was drawn to the tall, cold wall to the left.

    Looking up and across, he realized just how long the wall was, stretching out endlessly and disappearing into the night without a visible end.

    Joseph moved about ten more steps to the right to get a better angle and finally saw the lofty spire of a building behind the wall.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "What ce is that?" he asked Eman, pointing at the spire.

    "Your Highness, that is the Tuileries Pce."

    Joseph blinked. No wonder the building was so extravagant; it turned out to be the Old Pce.

    The Tuileries Pce was King Henry III of France''s royal residence, but under the threat of the Fronde and also considering the ease of controlling the nobility, Louis XIV moved out and had the Pce of Versailles built.

    Hence, from the seventeenth century onwards, the Tuileries Pce remained unupied. ording to history, after the outbreak of the Fronde, Louis XVI was brought back to this ce by the Parisians and lived here for a while.

    He suddenly remembered the report from a few days ago about Paris City Hall applying to the Finance Minister for funding for the autumn and winter fashion show. Turning his head back to gaze at the Tuileries Pce, an idea gradually emerged from his mind.

    As the dominant fashion industry leader in Europe, France has been holding two fashion shows each year, spring/summer and autumn/winter, since the reign of Louis XIV.

    The entire fashion circle in Europe invariably looked up to Paris. Every time the fashion show ended, it would trigger a new fashion trend that swept across the whole of Europe.

    From what Joseph understood, the so-called fashion shows at present were simply about setting up an exhibition hall where renowned designers would take the stage to showcase their works. Journalists and fashion industry personalities would thenment on and document the event below.

    Viewed from the perspective ofter generations, this was simply a waste of the spotlight, a waste of attention.

    "That''s just wasting a golden opportunity to make money!"

    You should know that the old pces in France can be used for other purposes.

    For example, the Louvre is currently a royal museum.

    Joseph walked quickly around the Tuileries Pce on the icy pavement, nodding to himself in approval.

    It had size, grandeur, and selling points.

    With proper packaging, the Tuileries Pce, with such a big IP, coupled with the title of the fashion center of Paris, could easily generate a massive cash flow with just a bit of hype.

    To think that it had been idle for over a hundred years, what a terrible waste!

    He considered how to maximize the benefits of this hot spot, and suddenly the cold night wind didn''t seem so biting.

    "''Fashion show'' is such a nd name," Joseph shook his head slightly, but as someone who struggled with naming things, he eventually resigned himself to borrowing a term from a previous era, "Let''s just call it ''Paris Fashion Week''."

    Of course, when we say "Fashion Week," it doesn''t necessarily mean it only takes ce for a week. Adding something like a experience season, promotion week, or a grand song and dance festival afterwards could easily stretch it to a month.

    He pointed at the Tuileries Pce and turned to ask Eman, "Count Eman, do you know how many rooms there are here?"

    "This... Your Highness, I am sorry, I am not quite sure, but it must be over 2000, at least."

    "That many? Excellent!" Joseph showed his pleasure, "Let''s say 700 of the best rooms, rent them to merchants as shops, with a monthly rent of 50 to 150 livres."

    You should know, this is a royal pce, and this rent is definitely a fair price.

    Joseph mused to himself: "Rent out the remaining rooms a bit cheaper at random, or use them as hotel rooms, which could easily fetch 3 to 10 livres a day.

    "The rent for the main halls could be a bit higher, 1000 livres a month. Build some billboards outside the pce square and sell them to merchants.

    "Hmm, we need to find a spokesperson. Speaking of the fashion industry, I have Europe''s trendsetter here, the very symbol of luxury and elegance."

    He recalled how well "Angel Water" had sold at the Pce of Versailles:

    "I''ll ask the queen, she should agree to be the ambassador for the fashion week. Then we''ll pull in some publicity in the newspapers, along with the queen''s portrait, and wouldn''t the nobility from all over Europe flock to us?

    "Hmm, we''ll also need to talk to some jewelers and hat makers about endorsements, things like ''Royal Family''s exclusive supplier,'' ''Chosen by the Queen,'' and so on. Just the queen''s endorsement fees alone could bring in hundreds of thousands of livres!"

    "Regarding the specific arrangement of the venue," Joseph looked towards Eman again, "where can I find ayout map of the Tuileries Pce?"

    "Your Highness, you might need to go to the City Hall to find that."

    Joseph expressed some regret: "It looks like we''ll have to wait until tomorrow then."

    He took a deep breath. If preparations were fast enough, they could hold the fashion week by thising February.

    Before that, get in touch with Lyons''s textile merchants, have them bring their excess inventory,e to Paris for a sale, and recover a good chunk of the costs.

    If the effect is good, orders are bound toe in, probably enough to sustain half a year''s production in Lyon.

    And on Paris''s side, during the fashion week, a huge influx of foreigners is certain. The ie from tourism-rted sectors like food, shelter, transportation, and more would be substantial, truly a case of killing two birds with one stone!

 Chapter 103: Chapter 102 "Food Squad

    Joseph returned to the office while his mind was still buzzing and, recalling the "persuasive" PPTs his mentor had made in his previous life for clients, began to write on paper:

    Title ¡ª nning Document for Paris Fashion Week.

    Contents ¡ª

    1. Prospects and Feasibility.

    2. Business Operation Methods.

    3. Detailed Project nning.

    ¡­

    6. Profit Model.

    ¡­

    The next morning, Eman had someone fetch the architecturalyout ns of the Tuileries Pce from the city hall.

    Joseph, rubbing his sore eyes ¡ª he had been busy until after 2 a.m. and had slept for less than six hours ¡ª spread out several blueprints and, as if he had found a treasure, began to divide up the venue.

    "The Eastern Hall faces the pce gate and also has several very spacious halls, making it most suitable as the main venue.

    "Select spacious rooms on the first floor of the Southern Hall for dining and entertainment venues; by then we can assign some Imperial Chefs there¡­

    "The first floor of the Northern Hall can sell jewelry and luxury goods. Hmm, we must reserve a good spot for the Angel of Paris¡­

    "The second floor will be set up as high-ss hotels. The service and reception staff need to be recruited and trained in advance¡­"

    Two middle-aged men knocked and entered, bowing to Joseph. Seeing him busy, they tentatively asked, "Your Highness, do you need our help?"

    They were two assistant directors of the Industrial nning Bureau, newly appointed by Joseph, essentially the second and third inmand.

    One of them was previously an orator. The other was an academic with business experience, very familiar with the industrial situation in France, and had been rmended by Brian.

    Joseph nodded and handed over the notebook with his ns to the taller man, "Good timing, Viscount Valerna, please help me to keep a record.

    "Mr. Sylvan, please help me hold down the blueprints."

    The tall man looked at the blueprints and voiced his surprise, "Your Highness, this appears to be the Tuileries Pce?"

    "Yes," Joseph affirmed.

    "What are you nning to do?"

    "To rescue Lyon''s textile industry," Joseph said, pointing at the square in the center of the pce on the blueprints, "We''ll set up arge T-stage here, at least 50 meters in length, with dense lighting, and shows taking ce every three hours."

    Valerna had just written a few words when he stopped, his face showing difficulty as he looked at the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, this T-stage and the shows are¡­"

    "A T-stage refers to¡­"

    Again, hours passed in the blink of an eye, and after arranging the venue, Joseph was modifying the recently drafted nning document when Eman nced at his watch and approached him, "Your Highness, those three individuals you requested will arrive soon."

    "Oh, have theme here directly," Joseph responded, feeling as busy as a machine running at full capacity.

    Before long, three men of various heights and sizes arrived at the office and respectfully greeted Joseph.

    Joseph nodded in return and then entrusted the fashion week ns to the two assistants, "Please tidy this up as soon as possible and make two copies."

    "Yes, Your Highness," the two men bowed and left the office.

    Joseph then turned to the three neers, smiling, "May I ask how long you have all served the Royal Family?"

    The three exchanged nces and hurriedly replied, "Fifteen years, Your Highness."

    "Thirteen years."

    "Over twenty years."

    ```

    They were all originally in charge of managing the Royal Family''s industries.

    Joseph was very clear, if he or the government were to purchase grain, it would quickly draw the attention of unscrupulous merchants, causing the price of grain to skyrocket.

    Therefore, he needed someone to act as a "white glove", to purchase discreetly and in multiple small batches. Thus, he had Eman select three individuals with richmercial experience and proven loyalty toe.

    Joseph nodded to them with a smile, "Gentlemen, please take a seat. I must remind you, the task you are about to undertake must be kept in absolute secrecy, understood?"

    The three men were just about to sit down when they heard this and immediately stood back up, "Yes, Your Highness, please trust our loyalty!"

    Joseph nodded, trusting in Eman''s judgment of character. He invited the three men to sit down again, then instructed them, "From now on, you are the owners of six grain shops. Each of you will be responsible for two shops. You will select the shop''s location and staff yourselves.

    "After that, you only need to do one thing, and that is to buy as much grain as possible."

    "Buy grain?" An older man asked, "Your Highness, when you say to purchase as much as possible, roughly how much are you talking about?"

    Joseph replied, "As long as the funds I provide you have not been exhausted, and as long as it does not cause market price fluctuations, continue buying."

    The three men exchanged surprised nces, and the older man added, "Your Highness, we don''t need to sell any?"

    "You may sell a little, so as not to arouse suspicion."

    Although the men did not understand the reason, they still bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness, we will follow your orders precisely."

    "Begin by preparing the storefronts and warehouses. The initial capital will be around 300,000 livres per person, and someone will bring it to you in a few days."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    All three men inhaled sharply at this, 300,000 per person, that''s a total of 900,000!

    What does the Crown Prince want with so much grain?

    But what they didn''t know was that the 900,000 livres were just the beginning. ording to Joseph''s n, they were going to buy several tens of millions of livres'' worth of grain within half a year.

    "I must stress this once again." Joseph looked around at the three of them, speaking sternly, "Try not to attract any attention, and absolutely do not cause market fluctuations. The task you are undertaking is extremely important, and you shall report to me on the grain purchasing situation weekly."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    After carefully exining the details of the grain purchase, the three men took their leave. Joseph walked to the window, opened it, and stretched his aching back in the winter breeze, immediately catching the smell of excrement wafting from the street.

    He looked up just in time to see someone defecating in a corner across the street, and his brow furrowed at once.

    In the past, Paris''s filth and disorder were at most an annoyance, but with the start of fashion week, it could affect the economy!

    The city''s appearance must be properly managed.

    This was going to be a huge project... He sighed, thought it through carefully, and decided to start with public urination and defecation.

    Joseph summoned Eman and gave his instructions, "Please have someone go to the city hall and call for the business association..."

    He had intended to put the president of the business association, effectively the mayor, in charge of this matter, but thinking it over, he worried that the man''s execution might not be sufficient, so he changed his mind, "Let''s call for Viscount Besancon instead; I have important matters that require his attention."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    More than an hourter, the Director of Police Services was sitting opposite Joseph.

    "Your Highness, are you saying you want the police to monitor those who urinate and defecate in public?"

    "Yes, only the police can handle this."

    "But where do you suggest those people go... ahem, to relieve themselves?"

    Truth be told, even Besancon himself often resorted to the streets, so the problem was not unfamiliar.

    "Build public toilets."

    "Public toilets? What is that...?"

    Joseph massaged his forehead, no wonder Paris was so dirty and smelly. He exined, "These are toilets built on the side of the street that anyone can use, so they need not relieve themselves on the street, cough."

    Besancon''s eyes widened in amazement, eximing, "Right! How did I not think of that before? Your Highness, you truly are the embodiment of wisdom!"

    ```

 Chapter 104: Chapter 103: Frances Strongest Biologist

    Joseph felt somewhat embarrassed by Besancon''svish praise. Ah, the wisdom of public restrooms, right?

    However, he could understand, after all, if it weren''t for his intervention, Paris might have had to wait half a century before seeing its first public toilet.

    He continued, "Oh, and trash bins. On the main streets of Paris, we''ll constructrge stone bins every 200 to 300 feet for pedestrians to dispose of their rubbish."

    Besancon kept nodding, then another question urred to him and he hastily asked, "Your Highness, constructing these public toilets and trash bins will cost quite a bit of money, andter on, quite a few people will be needed to manage them."

    Being the Director of Police Services, he immediately thought deeper on the subject. Joseph nodded, "The construction investment wille from the finance allocations, and for management, we can entrust it to your ''Daily Affairs Squad''."

    "Hmm, as for carrying away things like human waste from the public restrooms, we can use them as fertilizer, and there should be people willing to do that voluntarily. The manpower from the ''Daily Affairs Squad'' will just need to do some cleaning; that should be manageable."

    Besancon showed hesitance again, "Your Highness, the citizens might not be very cooperative..."

    "You can have notices posted on the streets and I''ll also arrange for the newspapers to run a campaign," Joseph paused to think, then added, "Let''s call it the ''Beautiful Paris'' campaign.

    "Oh, of course, the police will need to oversee it primarily. Those who litter or relieve themselves in public should be promptly reminded and warned, and repeat offenders can be fined to clean the toilets."

    After Besancon had left, Joseph, looking out at the empty streets from his window, muttered to himself, "Or perhaps we could alsoy some wooden rails for some city rail transport. Hmm, with wooden rails, a two-horse carriage could possibly transport more than ten people. It would also get artisans ustomed toying rails ¨C that will be very useful in the future.

    "Sigh, it all requires money... why does France have to be so poor?"

    Eman''s voice came from outside the door, "Your Highness, Count Lamark has arrived."

    "Oh?" Joseph was a bit surprised and quickly said, "Please, have hime in."

    The door opened, and Lamark stepped forward with a smile, bowing deeply in greeting, "Crown Prince, I went to the Pce of Versailles to find you, but they told me you had moved here, so I came to see you. Seeing you''re in good spirits, I am relieved."

    "Please, have a seat," Joseph bowed in response and said, "I owe much to Doctor Perna who regrly examines me."

    "That''s what she should do," Lamark replied with a smile and nod, then took out a ss bottle, saying, "Look, this is thetest extracted tocopherol, it''s very pure now."

    Joseph took the small bottle and saw that inside was a light yellow powder, very fine.

    "Your technique is truly exquisite," he remarked.

    "Oh, this is all thanks to the greenhouse with constant temperature you had built," Lamark''s eyes unblinkingly stared at Joseph, as if to remind him of something.

    "The greenhouse with constant temperature is finished?" Joseph asked in surprise.

    "Yes, Your Highness. Actually, we had a failure midway, Mr. Laseny and I sought the help of the court''s artisans, and finally, it was a sess. Now, we can keep the temperature within a 5-degree Celsius range, which greatly helps in the refining of tocopherol."

    He looked at Joseph with great expectation, "So...?"

    "?"

    Lamark urged, directly saying, "Your Highness, you said that with a greenhouse with constant temperature, we could produce a miraculous medicine capable of treating deadly diseases like pneumonia, puerperal fever, and the ck Death. Have you forgotten?"

    "Oh, that''s correct, no mistake," Joseph suddenly recalled, realizing Lamark was here for the penicillin. He had been so busytely that he hadpletely forgotten about it...

    He nodded eagerly, "Then, I will visit the pharmaceutical workshop tomorrow and tell you how to make it."

    Lamark stood up excitedly, cing his hand on his chest, "That''s wonderful! Your Highness, if this medicine can be sessfully produced, it will save countless lives!"

    Joseph warned him seriously again, "Doctor Lamark, this medicine is very important, it must be kept absolutely confidential! Of course, I will also send the guard to protect the medicine workshop."

    "Rest assured, I will not reveal a single word to anyone!"

    The next morning, Lamark couldn''t wait to arrive at the Industrial nning Bureau, obviously setting out before dawn.

    Joseph had a quick breakfast, practically dragged onto the carriage by him.

    He had spent the previous night working on the grain procurement issue, and his head was still filled with wheat and bread¡­ There was no helping it, there wasn''t much time left for preparation.

    Amidst the jolting of the carriage, Joseph remembered that the man sitting opposite him was France''s most formidable biologist, who might have a solution, "Count Lamark, is there a way to prevent crops from being destroyed by hail? Oh, hail this big."

    He said, lifting his fist.

    Lamark frowned, "I''m afraid that''s impossible, Your Highness. With hail like that, even small trees might be damaged."

    Joseph sighed in resignation, only to hear Lamark continue, "Unless it''s potatoes, then there might be a chance to save some of the harvest."

    Joseph was suddenly taken aback, and his eyes gradually brightened.

    That''s right! Why hadn''t he thought of that himself? The bulk of a potato is underground. Although July is not yet the harvest season for potatoes, by then they would have at least grown to seven or eight tenths of their size.

    This was far better than having crops like wheatpletely ttened!

    Of course, there was a drought that year, so the potato yield might not be good, but by immediately promoting the nting of potatoes throughout All of France, it could to some extent alleviate the famine.

    Lamark added, shaking his head, "But the French people don''t eat them."

    Joseph puzzled, "Why do you say that? I often see mashed potatoes and the like at the Pce of Versailles."

    Lamarkughed, "Only the nobility eat them, and that''s limited to Paris."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Ah?"

    "Don''t you know?" Lamark spread his hands. "In the past, someone must have eaten potatoes with sprouts, leading to poisoning, so there began to be rumors among themon people that potatoes were toxic.

    "Later on, people said that potatoes came from ''the devil underground.'' Because they grow under the ground, they even got a name called ''Ghost Apple,'' considered to be an omen of bad luck, and eating them would bring misfortune.

    "As the rumors spread, people even said that eating potatoes could lead to stroke, lung disease, leprosy.

    "Oh, those in the know understand it''s all nonsensical talk, but the ordinary citizens believe it. Back when Naples was going through a famine, people there would rather starve than eat potatoes."

    Joseph asked, "Then why do the nobles not care?"

    Doctor Lamark exined, "All thanks to Her Majesty the Queen. Doctor Parmontier believed that potatoes were excellent food and rmended this nt to the Royal Family.

    "The Queen liked potato flowers very much and wore them on her chest. She also tried eating potatoes. As you know, the nobles at the Pce of Versailles love to imitate Her Majesty''s actions."

 Chapter 105: Chapter 104: Medicine No Longer Exists

    Lamark continued, "Indeed, in the northeastern regions, such as Metz, Lorraine to Belzons, I have seen people nt potatoes, and some viges there even use potatoes as their staple food. As for other ces... the people of Toulouse wouldn''t even use potatoes to feed pigs, iming it would contaminate the pork."

    Joseph felt somewhat disheartened. Just as he had found a way to alleviate the great famine, it seemed that French people would rather starve than eat this thing.

    Moreover, considering what Lamark implied, the nobility had epted potatoes quite early, so why hadn''t they been able to influence themon people?

    Using newspapers and pamphlets for widespread publicity, along with offering free tastings, might do some good.

    He also remembered Lamark mentioning that some said potatoes were "the devil from the ground," suggesting that perhaps superstition was the main reason people were refusing potatoes. If that was the case, then the support of the Church would be necessary for promotion...

    Afterward, Joseph asked Lamark about the knowledge of potato cultivation. As they were discussing, the carriage had already arrived outside the pharmaceutical workshop.

    "Your Highness, it seems you have great interest in potatoes," Lamark steered the conversation, "I couldpile this knowledge and copy it for you."

    Looking at his eager expression, Joseph could only nod and say, "I would appreciate that very much, Count Lamark. Now, let''s begin with the penicillin trial production."

    "You mean, penicillin? Is that the name of this miraculous medicine?" Lamark quickly pulled out pen and paper to begin taking notes.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Yes," Joseph said, pausing before reminding Lamark, "Even this name must not be divulged. From now on, we will refer to this medicine as type I antibiotic."

    The words "penicillin" and "penicillium" were too simr and could easily lead one to make the connection.

    This strategic-level medicine absolutely could not have any information leaked.

    The one who opened the door to the pharmaceutical workshop for Joseph was a Royal Family guard¡ªthe security at this location was now taken over by them.

    Upon seeing the guard''s immacte uniform and the muskets behind him, Joseph frowned slightly and instructed the guard captain, Kesode, to have these guards wear in clothes to prevent drawing the attention of foreign spies.

    As the carriage stopped in the open space in the middle of the workshop, Eman promptly opened the door for the Crown Prince.

    "Thank you," Joseph nodded to his attendant as he got out of the carriage and looked around to see that things had changed significantly since thest time.

    Firstly, the ground was spotless. The workers'' clothes, as well as the equipment inside the workshop, were all remarkably clean, hardly reminiscent of the 18th century.

    Under the shed to the right, there seemed to be drying racks,den with various ingredients that needed to be air-dried.

    The workers were bustling in and out of the workshop, either transporting materials or loading the prepared medicines onto the carriages.

    Of course, many were busy in front of various instruments, asionally shouting data to the scribes nearby, who would remind them about the timing of their operations. Now and then, faint steam wafted by, obscuring their silhouettes.

    Joseph nodded silently to himself, it was clear Lamark had put a lot of effort into managing this ce. He guessed that one couldn''t find a more professional pharmaceutical site in all of Paris.

    After touring theboratory, he was essentially certain that it had the capabilities to produce penicillin.

    He turned to Lamark and said, "Let''s get started. First, please find some moldy substances for me, the blue-green kind."

    ```

    Lamark was somewhat surprised, but still meticulously noted the information in his notebook before turning to leave the room.

    Perhaps because the workshop was kept too clean, it took him more than half an hour to return with a few moldy ears of corn and a moldy towel.

    Joseph lowered his voice and said, "Now, the most important thing I will tell you is that this type I antibiotic is actually a secretion of Penicillium, which can be extracted from these mold spots."

    Lamark''s eyes widened in astonishment, but the Crown Prince had shocked him more than once before, so he didn''t harbor the slightest doubt and simply kept recording.

    Recalling documentaries about penicillin he had watched in the past, Joseph went on, "So first, we need to cultivate more mold. You can use things like corn, rice, and potatoes to make a thin paste and ce the mold on it. Then control the temperature to a certain degree, which you''ll have to determine through experimentation, and in a few days, you''ll have arge amount of mold growth.

    "Additionally, you need to cultivate the bacteria to test the drug''s effectiveness in advance. For example, take the sputum of pneumonia patients, put it into filtered meat broth or agar, control the temperature properly, and wait for them to multiply..."

    "Wait!" Lamark spotted a blind spot, "Are you saying there are ''germs'' in the sputum of pneumonia patients? Is this rted to pneumonia?"

    Joseph held his forehead, remembering that although the existence of bacteria was known to the medicalmunity at this time, they had not yet managed to link bacteria to diseases.

    He had no choice but to give Lamark a rough overview, "There are indeed pathogenicponents in the sputum, specifically a type of bacteria."

    "Bacteria? Are you saying bacteria cause illness?!" Lamark appeared extremely agitated, "No, this ispletely different from miasma theory, humoral theory, or acid-base theory. How do bacteria make people sick? How did you determine this? Is there a mature theoretical system..."

    "Those theories you mentioned about miasma and bodily fluids are incorrect. And the answers you''re seeking are actually in the medicine you''re about to produce," Joseph stopped the curious Lamark from asking further. These medical topics were quite verbose, and moreover, he didn''t know much about them.

    It would be better to wait until penicillin was produced, so Lamark could see for himself that penicillin could "purify" the sputum culture, that is, Pneumocus. Then, after observing penicillin cure pneumonia patients, he would naturally understand the rtionship between germs and diseases.

    Lamark''s hands trembled slightly. If what the Crown Prince said was true, then all the medical knowledge he had learned would be overturned! Or, to put it another way, the entire field of medicine would no longer exist!

    And if what the Crown Prince said was wrong, then the miraculous type I antibiotic might just be a fantasy.

    He didn''t want either oue...

    Suddenly, Lamark was struck by a philosophical question¡ªif all previous medicine was erroneous, then was he still a doctor, or should he be considered a chatan, or perhaps a spreader of rumors...

    He shook his head, trying hard not to think about these maddening questions, and refocused his attention on the medicine, "Your Highness, what should we do next?"

    Joseph looked at his pale face and sighed softly before continuing, "You need to carefully filter the Penicillium culture fluid. What exactly to use for filtration, you''ll also need to determine through experimentation.

    "Since penicillin is water-soluble, we can use oil to extract other substances from the filtrate, leaving behind only theyer that is insoluble in oil.

    "After that, you purify it using activated carbon..."

    "What is activated carbon?" Another point of ignorance arose.

    "Oh, activated carbon is created by dry burning wood pieces in a metal container..."

    ```

 Chapter 106: Chapter 105 The Drought is Coming

    "Then wash the activated carbon with distilled water.

    "Next, adjust the solution to acidic so that the penicillin molecules turn into free state...

    "Followed by extraction with alcohol, neutralize with an alkaline solution, separate the solution, and then extract with acid again...

    "Finally, the product obtained after filtration is penicillin... Oh, it should be called a type-one antibiotic."

    Joseph finished in one breath, and then said, "The drug obtained should be added to the previously cultivated bacteria. If we can see the bacteria being eliminated, it means the drug is effective. If the bacteria are unaffected, then we need to modify the experimental conditions and start over."

    He was well aware that making penicillin was extremely difficult; he had only told Lamark about the basic theoretical foundation. This was like telling Columbus in the 15th century, young man, there''s a new world somewhere on this earth, go for it!

    Columbus would first need to get a ship and crew, then venture into the vast ocean, trying every direction¡ªeast, west, south, and north¡ªgoing through countless life-threatening dangers, plus a bit of luck, to have even a slight chance of sess.

    The situation Lamark was now facing was the same. Any step in the operation, for example, if the medium''sposition was inappropriate, the timing was off by even a little, the pH was slightly wrong, or even if his hand shook once, could lead to the failure of the experiment.

    The most important thing was, without super strains, even if the experiment seeded, the yield would be very poor. And cultivating the strains would take who knows how many years...

    However, Joseph had all the patience in the world. No matter how long it took, as long as he came up with penicillin, it would be like holding a trump card in hand. Even if it could be prepared only in small quantities in theb, using it to save the life of amander on the battlefield could have a huge strategic significance!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    So Mr. Lamark, say goodbye to your hair. In theing days, you might have to live in theboratory.

    Joseph silently wished Lamark well in his mind, and then added, "Count Lamark, different strains of penicillium can produce significantly different amounts of penicillin; you will need to test many samples to find the strain with the highest yield. Afterwards, you may even need to actively promote mutation..."

    He suddenly felt he had said too much and hurriedly added, "Ah, never mind what mutation means. Right, I will leave you 30,000 livres for the experiments on the type-one antibiotic. I''ll allot more to you after it''s used up."

    Lamark felt something was amiss¡ªcould such an experiment really cost more than 30,000 livres?

    Of course, this thought was fleeting and waspletely overshadowed by his immense desire for penicillin.

    Afterwards, Joseph watched Lamark repeat the production process several times. Byte afternoon, around four, he felt he had said nearly everything that needed to be said and was ready to leave the workshop.

    He hadn''t even stepped out of the door when his mind was once again filled with concerns about food.

    The pressing issue was the potato, to promote its cultivation nationwide. This was going to be very difficult¡ªFrench people had a strong aversion to potatoes.

    Therefore, on top of making good propaganda, it would be best to use administrative measures to push for it, which meant he needed the support of the queen and Brian.

    And to get their support, there had to be some "motivation."

    Joseph smiled slightly, such as the terrifying memory of the "flour riots."

    So, who should he find to remind them?

    After pondering for a moment, he suddenly pped his forehead¡ªthe best candidate was right beside him.

    He stopped and turned to Lamark, "Count Lamark, there''s something I''d like your help with."

    "It would be an honor to be of service to you."

    Joseph said, "Could you write a report for Archbishop Brienne, predicting that there will be a severe drought this year? From the angles like abnormalities in various nts or particr climatic conditions, suggest that the government should prepare in advance."

    Lamark, already immune to the Crown Prince''s countless astonishing actions, simply looked at him and said, "You also foresee a droughting?"

    Joseph was taken aback, "You''ve noticed it, too?"

    Lamark nodded, "Many signs have indeed proved this, but it shouldn''t be as serious as you said. I shall write a report to Archbishop Brienne."

    "No, you must write it more seriously!"

    "Why?"

    Joseph, unable to exin, could only intensify his tone, "This is very important, please make sure to do me this favor."

    Lamark, however, tly refused, "But, Your Highness, I believe that in academic matters, I should maintain absolute honesty."

    "Uh, yes..." Joseph was somewhat helpless in the face of the biologist''s integrity.

    After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "But you don''t have to lie at all.

    "You just need to phrase it slightly differently. For example, before a prediction of a severe drought, you could add qualifiers such as ''a certain probability'' or ''might face such a risk.''"

    Lamark paused, as strictly speaking, any event could result in countless oues, and pointing out one of those possibilities could also be considered rigorous academic research.

    He realized there indeed was no problem in including this kind of "rigorousness" in his report...

    Apromise between personal feelings and integrity was struck, and he eventually nodded hesitantly.

    Joseph sincerely thanked the biologist and turned to leave, but then heard a gentle voice in front of him, "I am very pleased to meet you, Crown Prince."

    Perna, rather unusually, had donned an emerald green dress, lifting the silken floral skirt as she curtseyed to him.

    "Oh, I am also very pleased to see you," Joseph quickly nodded in response, "What brings you here?"

    Perna, for some reason, blushed slightly and looked down, "I am going to start studying blood cirction with my father, and I can also help manage theboratory on the side."

    Indeed, it wasn''t because she heard that the Crown Prince had moved to Paris and she hurried after him.

    Joseph smiled and said, "With your assistance, Mr. Lamark''s experiments will surely progress much faster."

    Perna silently gathered her courage, looked up and said, "Your Highness, I heard you will be staying in Paris for a while. Perhaps, I could continue to do your regr health check-ups."

    "Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you very much, Doctor Perna."

    Instantly, the girl''s face turned even redder.

    ...

    Two dayster, at the Pce of Versailles.

    Archbishop Brienne looked at the "Paris Fashion Week nning Document" in his hand, listening to the Crown Prince describe the bright prospects of the fashion week, but seemed somewhat distracted.

    "The initial investment for Fashion Week only requires less than 600,000 livres, with expected revenues to exceed 4 million livres," Joseph recounted enthusiastically, "At the same time, developing real estate around the Tuileries Pce could also generate ie in the millions of livres.

    "After Fashion Week ends, the eastern wing of Tuileries Pce could be converted into the ''Paris Business Center'', continuing to bring in profits. Later, as the influence of Fashion Week grows, it could host the ''All Europe Expo''..."

    Brienne nodded incessantly, smiling, "Your Highness, all your ideas are very good. I have added the 600,000 livres budget you requested, and the documents for the use of Tuileries Pce should be delivered to you by tomorrow."

    Suddenly, he took out several reports and handed them to Joseph, then said, "Your Highness, these are the reports I have received in the past two days. Please take a look."

    Joseph looked down to see, the top report titled "Some Observations on This Year''s Drought", signed by none other than Lamark.

 Chapter 107: Chapter 106 Flour Riot

    Joseph didn''t even need to look to know that the following reports were written by renowned schrs he had sought out from the French Academy of Sciences. These schrscked Lamark''s academic ethics, and after each received seven to eight hundred livres, they managed to craft reports of "severe drought" in just half a day''s work.

    Archbishop Brienne patiently waited for him to flip through the first two reports before speaking with a worried face, "Your Highness, the conclusions of the reports that follow are simr. If such a situation were to truly arise, chaos would undoubtedly ensue..."

    Joseph felt a surge of joy in his heart, as these reports were initially intended to give Archbishop Brienne a nudge, after which he could smoothly transition to discussing how to deal with the famine.

    Unexpectedly, Archbishop Brienne caught on and initiated the discussion himself.

    In fact, after the tax legition issuest time, Archbishop Brienne had developed the habit of consulting the Crown Prince whenever there was a major concern.

    "Just like what happened in Normandy the year beforest, oh, and earlier in Burgundy and Reims," Archbishop Brienne said as he looked at Joseph, "Actually, I was just about to report this to Her Majesty the Queen to prepare in advance..."

    Joseph thought he was going to say "relief grain" and was ready to nod in agreement, but then he heard Archbishop Brienne say, "Prepare the army in advance to deal with possible riots."

    Joseph almost choked on his breath. After all that, were you nning to suppress it by force?

    Archbishop Brienne was also quite helpless.

    Starting from over a decade ago, with frequent natural disasters, France often experienced crop failures, leading to multiple "flour riots."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    From Reims to Burgundy, to Normandy, even the surrounding areas of Paris, the famished broke into bakeries or the homes of nobility, stole flour and bread, and left some money behind at what they deemed a fair price.

    This act even had a specific term¡ª "people''s tax."

    The most recent flour riot took ce in Normandy the year beforest. To quell the riot, the French Government deployed over twenty thousand soldiers and arrested more than five hundred people, barely managing to suppress the unrest.

    Now, the French Government was so financially strapped that it couldn''t afford the funds for disaster relief. Seeing the signs of famine, Archbishop Brienne had no other choice but to prepare the military for suppression.

    Joseph set those reports aside and said, "Archbishop Brienne, I had already seen these reports through other channels before. I came here today specifically to discuss this matter with you."

    "Oh? What do you suggest, Your Highness?"

    "We should find a way to provide the people with food, to avoid the outbreak of riots. As you know, whether it''s rioting or military suppression, both cause serious damage at the local level."

    Archbishop Brienne said with a pained expression, "Your Highness, you''re right, but given our financial situation..."

    Joseph hurriedly cut to the chase:

    "If we promote the cultivation of potatoes nationwide, we could significantly mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

    "With the same piece ofnd, the yield of potatoes can be four to six timesrger than that of wheat.

    "Prussia and Austria often encounter natural disasters as well in recent years, but they have far fewer famines than we do. In fact, their agricultural efficiency is nowhere near that of France."

    At that time, both Prussia and Austria were still operating under serfdom, with exceedingly low agricultural productivity.

    "They were able to get through the crisis solely by depending on the mass cultivation of potatoes. Without this high-yield crop, the Prussian-Austrian war of ten years ago probably wouldn''t havested two months."

    What he referred to was the Bavarian War of Session. Both the Prussian and Austrian sides,cking supplies, relied on freshly dug potatoes and stubbornly persisted in fighting for a year. Hence, this war was also called the "Potato War."

    In fact, at present in Europe, only the Catholic countries of France and Italy have a strong aversion to potatoes; in other ces, potatoes have long been amon item on people''s dining tables.

    Joseph patted the report on the table, "If we also engage in mass potato cultivation, even if disasters lead to a reduced yield, the harvest would still be far greater than that of grains. When the timees, the government would only need to allocate a small sum of money for disaster relief to get through the crisis."

    Brian still looked troubled, "Your Highness, I have actually looked into this crop as well, and indeed, your method is worth a try.

    "The only thing is, to promote potatoes on arge scale still requires a substantial sum of money. Moreover, farmers are very resistant to potatoes..."

    Joseph knew he was right. Farmers usually buy seeds for the next season in advance, and if you suddenly want them to switch to nting potatoes, most are unwilling and unable toe up with the money to purchase potatoes for sowing.

    He thought for a moment, then said to Brian, "I will find a way to resolve the issue of people being reluctant to eat potatoes. Of course, this also needs the Church to cooperate with the promotion.

    "As for the money to buy potatoes, you''ll allocate part from finances, and I''ll cover the rest.

    "You need to send people to buyrge quantities of potatoes from the northeastern provinces and transport them to other provinces. First, distribute them free to farmers for nting; after harvest, they need only to return two-thirds of the amount.

    "If really no one wants to nt them, then keep the potatoes locally, stored as disaster relief grain.

    Brian roughly calcted and frowned, "Your Highness, to achieve the necessary scale of nting, we need at least five million livres, and the government''s finances could at most provide one million."

    Joseph nodded, "Alright, within half a month, I will arrange a loan of four million livres to the government through the Bank of France Reserve."

    While he didn''t have much cash on hand, he could mortgage the shares of the paper mill to Mirabeau and others for a loan, and sell some shares of the Parisian Angels; raising four hundred or so million wouldn''t be difficult.

    And in a few months, Paris Fashion Week would bring in a considerable profit.

    The two then discussed the details of the potato promotion work, and Brian convened his subordinates to start formting a detailed potato promotion n.

    This matter sounded simple, but it involved the entire food production of France, with innumerable tedious tasks; it was not something that could be implemented at will.

    For example, how many potatoes should be transported to each region, what to do if some ces are willing to nt or there is not enough supply, how to buy potatoes from Prussia or Austria to replenish their food supply after the northeastern provinces transport theirs out, and how the Church would follow the potato delivery teams and convince farmers to change their prejudice against potatoes, etc.

    All of these required very detailed nning.

    Seeing he couldn''t be of much help anymore, Joseph prepared to stand up to take his leave.

    Brian escorted him to the gate of the Pce of Versailles, still worried, "Your Highness, do you really have a way to make those farmers willing to eat potatoes?"

    Joseph sighed, nodded, and said, "Please be assured, as long as we continue to promote, if two or three out of ten people ept potatoes, it will have a significant effect on alleviating the famine."

    In fact, he had already instructed Denico to start printing a booklet on poprizing potatoes yesterday, and he had already nned more promotional methods in his mind, which would soon begin to roll out.

 Chapter 108: Chapter 107: The Masterpiece "Child of Divine Favor

    Barnaby had never imagined that as the Imperial Chef to His Royal Highness, the French Crown Prince, there woulde a day when he would be cooking food in the streets of Paris for men without even trousers to their names.

    However, it was an order from the Crown Prince and 14 other court chefs shared the same fate.

    Barnaby fixed the peeled potatoes with a specially-made fork, and with his right hand holding a knife, he began to cut with extremely dazzling skills.

    Then he skewered the potatoes onto an iron stake and spread them out evenly, turning the potatoes into curly tornado shapes.

    <img data-y-imgId="10115890" data-y-path="/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10115890/0d0525f9161c449d00882feeb2971b84wicK2hmtc9K13z0.jpg">

    The "tornado" strings were then fried in an oil pan for a while, taken out, and dusted with a variety of seasonings before being inserted into a wooden nk with holes to the side.

    The assistant standing next to him immediately looked up to passersby and loudly said, "The most popr court cuisine¡ªTornado Potato Tarts! His Merciful Highness the Crown Prince invites everyone to taste them for free."

    The tent used for cooking was surrounded by people, all of them desperately sniffing the aroma of the "Tornado Potato Tarts," yet no one approached to take any of the food.

    That was the "Devil from the ground," after all, rumored to cause lung diseases or leprosy if eaten!

    After who knows how long, a filthy little boy with his hair clumped into one big mess came over, staring at those potato strings, hungrily swallowing his saliva.

    Eventually, under the relentless urging of hunger, he grabbed an iron stake and viciously bit into it.

    Delicious!

    The eyes of the little street urchin grew wide; this was tastier than the bread with brown sauce given to him by the kinddy during Christmas.

    Ignoring the pitiful gazes of the crowd, he devoured three skewers in one go and, fearing me, reluctantly turned his head to leave.

    Before long, a few more dirty children arrived and quickly devoured the remaining Tornado Potato Tarts.

    The spectating citizens shook their heads and sighed as if these children were going to turn into corpses any moment.

    "Newspapers for sale!" At the street corner not far away, a newsboy waved thetest issue of the Paris Commercial News, shouting, "Come read the news! 2 sous a copy. Thetest novel, Adventurers Sweep the Caribbean Sea, Winning Riches and Beauties!"

    Someone bought a newspaper, finished reading thetest issue of "Breaking Through the Blue Sky," and then flipped to the third page, immediately captivated by the new novel there.

    It was about an adventurer, nicknamed "Popeye the Sailor," who sailed a fast ship called the ck Pearl on adventures throughout the Caribbean Sea.

    The most fascinating aspect was that Mr. "Popeye the Sailor" had a unique constitution; he could immediately be incredibly strong after eating potatoes, thereby effortlessly resolving all troubles¡­

    The Pce of Versailles.

    Under the personal supervision of Archbishop Brienne, the n to promote potato cultivation waspleted in less than three days.

    Joseph arrived at the Petit Trianon Pce early in the morning along with Archbishop Brienne, carrying the n.

    In the garden outside the Queen''s bedroom at the pce, Queen Mary gave her son a warm embrace and seemed extremely happy, "Dear Joseph, I was just about to have someone call you back from Paris."

    She turned to Earl Debreninac and said, "Could you ask Lady Lebrun toe here for a moment? Tell her the Crown Prince is also here. Oh, she must bring that painting with her."

    Having heard this name before, Joseph knew her as a famous court painter, many portraits of the King and Queen had been done by her.

    He looked at the Queen, puzzled, "Mother, what do you need Lady Lebrun for?"

    The Queen smiled and said, "Lady Lebrun has conceived a wonderful painting, it''s about you, and the title is ''The Child Favored by the Gods.'' Oh, I believe you will certainly like it once you see it."

    "Oh, all right..." Joseph suddenly had an ominous premonition for some reason, but still quickly turned to the matter at hand, "By the way, Mother, Archbishop Brian and I have an important matter to discuss with you."

    "Oh? What matter?"

    Brian hastened to hand over the nning document to Queen Mary, saying, "Your Majesty, ording to the analysis of Count Lamark and several schrs, a drought is feared this year, and it may be even more severe than before."

    Queen Mary instantly showed a look of worry, "Do you have any good solutions?"

    Brian quickly said, "It was the Crown Prince who thought of it; we can promote the cultivation of potatoes throughout the country to make use of their high yield in reducing the possibility of famine."

    After listening to a detailed exnation of the proposal to promote potatoes, the Queen nodded, "In Austria, people use potatoes to cope with famine. Joseph must have studied the systems of many countries in detail and flexibly applied the beneficial aspects to France."

    She took a pen from a maid by her side and signed the document, murmuring with a smile curling on her lips, "As Lady Lebrun''s painting depicted, my Joseph is exceptionally gifted and must be blessed by the Lord."

    Joseph hadn''t expected things to go so smoothly. Had he known it would be this easy, he would havee to the Queen for her signature three days ago, without waiting for the detailed n to bepleted.

    After all, there was just over a month left before the sowing of wheat, and once the farmers had sown the wheat, it would be absolutely impossible to dig it up and rent it with potatoes.

    Plus, to transport the potatoes from the northeast of France to the southern provinces would take about a month at best, so time was of the essence.

    The Queen handed the document back to Brian, just as an elegant middle-aged woman approached and curtsied to the Queen, Joseph, and Brian in turn.

    Queen Mary smiled and nodded, then instructed, "Lady Lebrun, please show your painting to the Crown Prince; I can hardly wait any longer."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Yes," Lady Lebrun immediately signaled to her assistant. Several young people hurried over, carefully carrying over a painting frame nearly as tall as a person and removed the dust cover from it.

    The moment Joseph saw the painting, he froze¡ªthe upper part depicted God floating in midair, cradling amb in one arm and holding an unknown book in the other, with a dazzling aura shimmering behind.

    Below God''s feet was a sumptuously dressed youth with his hands in prayer and a look of devotion on his face, gazing up and listening to the holy teachings.

    And that youth''s appearance ¡ª wasn''t it his own...?

    Joseph felt as if his toes were curling so much he could almost carve out a three-room t, how had Lady Lebrun created such an awkward piece of art?!

    But Queen Mary was radiant, saying, "Joseph, this painting is a gift for you, you may hang it in your reception room."

    Ah! Please no¡ª Joseph''s heart twitched; seeing this every day, he would certainly get cringe cancer!

    "Your Majesty, I''m afraid it will take a few days," Lady Lebrun said. "Strictly speaking, this painting is not finished; I still need to perfect some details."

    At this, Joseph breathed a sigh of relief, hastily adding, "Please do take your time to refine it, there''s absolutely no need to worry about the time."

    Watching the painting, Brian nodded appreciatively, "Lady Lebrun, your artistry is absolutely splendid! I''ve felt the holy essence of the Child of Divine Favor from this painting. The Child of Divine Favor will surely be praised by the world!"

    Felt the holy essence? At those words, Joseph suddenly had a thought ¡ª yes! People of this era loved to use oil painting to propagate religion, and the content depicted in paintings was almost considered to have truly urred.

    That was why the Queen cared so much and appreciated the painting so highly.

    Perhaps, this was the best way to dispel the French people''s superstitions about potatoes!

    A vision nearly instantly formed in his mind.

    Joseph casually made the sign of the cross over his chest ¡ª having often made the gesture since arriving in this time, it had nearly be a reflex ¡ª and thought quietly: Lord, it seems I need to call upon you to endorse this.

 Chapter 109: Chapter 108 Preparing for a Blind Date!

    "Since the Crown Prince is here, you could refine your painting by studying him closely," Queen Mary indicated with a smile to the painter Lady Lebrun, then she had her maid bring a chair and forcefully seated Joseph on it.

    Brian, upon seeing this, cast a helpless look towards Joseph and, holding the potato promotion n signed by the Queen, took his leave.

    Lady Lebrun very professionally directed her assistants to set up the painting equipment. She squinted at the sunlight and, once satisfied with the angle, began to revise the painting titled "Child of Divine Favor."

    Joseph had ns that required a painter as well, so he assumed the posture of prayer as the Queen had requested and inquired of Lady Lebrun, "Excuse me, would you be able to paint a ''The Last Supper'' like that of Da Vinci''s?"

    Lady Lebrun, rolling the paint on the canvas with a finger, nodded without hesitation, "Your Highness, that is certainly possible. In fact, every student at the Paris Academy of Art has copied that painting hundreds of times."

    Joseph smiled and asked, "Then could you make some changes to the painting for me?"

    "Oh, please return to the expression you had just now, Your Highness," Lady Lebrun frowned, but she nodded and said, "That''s certainly possible, are you thinking of altering the attire of one of the saints?"

    Joseph quickly subdued his smile and looked upward obliquely, "Ah, no, actually, I was thinking of adding two potatoes to the food on the table."

    "That would be easy..." Lady Lebrun had begun to respond when she suddenly froze, "You mean ''the devil from the ground''?"

    She looked distressed, "Your Highness, I''m afraid that would require the Church''s consent, otherwise I fear it would cause some sort of sacrilege. You know, that could make me subject to lesiastical trial..."

    Joseph tried to persuade her some more, but Lady Lebrun dared not agree and expressed that any other painter would also dare not casually add such a controversial thing as potatoes.

    Joseph felt helpless and couldn''t help but sigh inwardly: Pleading on behalf of God was indeed not such an easy task...

    Queen Mary, sitting a little way off, saw her son frown and used her fan to shield him from the sunlight, calling out loudly, "Darling, what are you talking about?"

    "Potatoes..."

    The Queen showed a gracious smile, "Stop thinking about potatoes for now, those matters will naturally be taken care of by Archbishop Brian.

    "Oh, by the way, did you know? Next month, Princess Maria Amalia from Two Sicilies ising to Paris for a visit."

    "Ah, alright," Joseph, preupied with how to persuade the Church, treated the Queen''s words as mere small talk and responded nonchntly.

    However, he forgot something critical¡ªby royal custom, such pointed "visits" usually signaled a matchmaking opportunity.

    Queen Mary, seeing her son''s agreement, took it as a sign he was pleased with the Princess, and couldn''t help feeling a bit anxious inside. She hastily added, "Also, your cousin, that is, Maria Clementina from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, will be visiting next month. How do you feel about that?"

    Since the current Archduke of Austria, who was also the Emperor of Holy Rome, Queen Mary''s brother Joseph II had no sons and his wife had passed away many years ago, it was almost a given that the daughter of his younger brother, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, this Archduchess Clementine, was one of the highest-ranking youngdies in the Habsburg family.

    And she was the daughter-inw Queen Mary favored the most¡ªher own dearly beloved niece.

    Joseph still hadn''t caught on and maintained his pose, saying, "She is wee to Paris."

    The Queen was pleased but then felt slightly perplexed. Her son had no objections to either party; which one did he favor more?

    Never mind, it''s better to wait until they arrive.

    She was quite concerned about the marriage of her overly excellent son, but precisely because of his excellence, she had to consider his own opinions as well.

    If it had been someone with the temperament of Louis XVI in his younger years, she might have arranged a marriage proposal long ago.

    When noon finally arrived, Queen Mary pulled her son, whom she hadn''t seen for several days, to enjoy an exceptionallyvish lunch.

    Louis XVI was thest to enter the dining room. Although he appeared to be in high spirits, the heavy bags under his eyes reminded everyone that His Majesty the King was deeply engrossed in weapons research night and day.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    First, Louis XVI embraced his wife and son, then he whispered excitedly yet covertly to Joseph''s ear, "Joseph, the first prototype has been assembled. However, the airtightness still needs improvement, I believe, by next week you will be able to witness its firing!"

    Joseph gave him an immensely appreciative look and responded in a simrly hushed tone, "You truly have the most skillful hands in all of France! Without you, who knows when the gun would have beenpleted. Let''s go to the Paris Police Academy next week for a test fire; they have a professional shooting range there."

    The father and son nodded to each other, grinning secretly, but as soon as Queen Mary looked their way, they both immediately suppressed their smiles¡ªHis Majesty the King secretly crafting dangerous firearms in the pce was something she cannot know, or she would scold him for days.

    After finishing lunch, Joseph gave Louis XVI a thumbs-up gesture and, before Lady Lebrun had arrived, he promptly beckoned Eman and dashed out of the Pce of Versailles.

    In the carriage, Eman leaned forward and asked, "Your Highness, do you wish to return to the Industrial nning Bureau or¡­"

    Joseph immediately said, "No, let''s go to Notre Dame de Paris!"

    "Very well, Your Highness."

    After hours of bumping along, the carriage finally entered Paris City. Through the carriage window, Joseph saw workers digging and building walls by the roadside, clearly a construction crew erecting public toilets.

    Along the way, he had already seen seven or eight construction sites for public toilets.

    Joseph nodded to himself, thinking that although Mono is an old political fox, he actually does a good job when put in charge of a project.

    He just wondered how much of the funds he might have embezzled.

    Joseph grimaced, contemting that he needed to remind him sometime soon that this was his own project, so he better not be too greedy.

    After a while, Joseph finally saw the towering spires of Notre Dame de Paris peeking above the treetops. Soon the two square towers, standing tall like fortresses between heaven and earth, appeared in sight.

    Thisrgest cathedral in Paris is also home to the Archbishop of Paris.

    <img data-y-imgId="10134231" data-y-path="/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10134231/2722878fb01e9282762ae52759dc8b959SdN01xmj629mS8.jpg">

    Joseph was visiting on this asion to discuss with the Archbishop the revision of "The Last Supper."

    Although Archbishop Brienne also held the title, his influence in the Church had waned since he became Finance Minister. Moreover, as the Archbishop of Toulouse, he held even less sway in Paris.

    Upon learning of the arrival of the Crown Prince, a group of ck-robed priests quickly greeted him at the church entrance, led by Archbishop Beaumont.

    Joseph warmly took Beaumont into Notre Dame de Paris, saying with a genial smile, "Archbishop Beaumont, I have a small favor to ask of you."

 Chapter 110: Chapter 109: Battle of Wits with a Group of "Confucians" (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    In the reception room on the west side of the Cathedral, Archbishop Beaumont was full of astonishment, "Your Highness, how can this be possible?

    "There''s absolutely no way potatoes could appear on the Passover table..."

    He was referring to the scene depicted in the painting of ''The Last Supper''¡ªwhere Jesus sat with his twelve disciples on Passover, sharing their final meal together before he publicly announced that one of them would betray him.

    Joseph smiled and said, "Archbishop Beaumont, how do you know there were no potatoes on that table then?"

    "This..."

    "I believe the earliest depiction of ''The Last Supper'' only showed the Lord holding a piece of bread in his hand. It wasn''t until Da Vinci''s famous painting that the variety of food began to enrich. Therefore, it''s eptable to add one more kind, right?"

    A senior priest cautiously interjected from the side, "Your Highness, as far as I''m aware, there probably were no potatoes in Jerusalem before the day of the Crucifixion..."

    Joseph immediately stood up, filled with righteous indignation, "What are you saying? Are you questioning the omniscience and omnipotence of the Lord? How could anything exist in this world that the Lord has neither seen nor tasted¡ªespecially something asmon as potatoes which even you have eaten!"

    The priest was startled, hastily retreating and feverishly making the sign of the cross on his chest, continuously praying for the Lord''s forgiveness for his sins, asserting he did not mean to doubt the Lord.

    Archbishop Beaumont was stunned for a moment before he found a breakthrough, quickly saying, "Your Highness, the potato has never been mentioned in the Bible, so I believe it''s not suitable to be included in the painting."

    Joseph turned around and showed him a warm smile, "Archbishop, the tea you drink every day is also not mentioned in the Bible. The corn that the poor people of Paris rely on for survival is also not recorded in the Bible. However, these too are gifts from the Lord, and we have nothing to do but thank Him, Amen."

    He made the sign of the cross on his chest and the surrounding clergy hurriedly followed suit: "Amen."

    "But," Beaumont, who had been unmatched for decades in interpreting scripture for the faithful, had never encountered someone as cunning as the Crown Prince and immediately mustered the professional spirit of the clergy to rebut, "Your Highness, although many things are not recorded in the Bible, we can still find their like within its pages.

    "For instance, tea belongs to the category of tree leaves, and corn is of the same kind as grains. As long as they are of the same kind..."

    Joseph, well-prepared on his way over, immediately replied, "Archbishop, you are correct. The Bible records that the root of rotem can be used as food, and the potato is of the same kind. You see, they''re both tuberous things dug out from the ground."

    "That''s not..."

    Another senior priest said at length, "Your Highness, all edible crops in the world are formed through the intermingling of male and female, propagating thereafter. Grains, corn, and tea leaves are all thus. But the potato, which does not differentiate between male and female, and can propagate simply by cutting a piece of itself, is surely an object of profanity..."

    Joseph turned around, smiling and said, "You might discuss this matter with Count Lamark. I believe he would be delighted to enlighten you."

    Beaumont red at the priest. Being highly knowledgeable, he of course knew that potatoes also produced flowers and seeds, but that they simply grew too slowly for people to bother cultivating them.

    Seeing that the clergy had fallen silent, Joseph waved his hand emphatically, "Everything in this world is created and bestowed by the Lord, and potatoes are no different.

    "I trust you all know that potatoes have saved countless lives in Prussia, Austria, and other ces. This shows that potatoes are a food the Lord uses to save humanity, a sign of His mercy.

    "Your mission is to help people ept the Lord''s gifts, and thereby grow more grateful and devout, is it not?"

    He nced at the many lower-ranking clergy who were eavesdropping outside the room and proimed loudly, "This time it''s not just about adding two potatoes to the painting. The government has decided to promote potato cultivation throughout France, and we need the Church to send people to assist, to tell the farmers that this is a gift from the Lord.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    All clergy who help with the promotion will receive a subsidy of ten livres per month.

    "Moreover, in the regions you are responsible for, if the poption has a high eptance of potatoes, the local Church will also receive a reward of 300 livres."

    Beaumont saw the Priest outside bubbly with excitement, hesitated for a long while, and finally let out a long sigh, saying to Joseph, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, perhaps you are right, potatoes can be added to ''The Last Supper''."

    However, he silently shook his head in his heart: It won''t make any difference, even if the Church agrees, those people won''t let theirnd be nted with potatoes.

    ...

    Soon, the new version of ''The Last Supper'' appeared in the oil painting shops of Paris. In the picture, in front of Jesus, two potatoes conspicuously appeared on the te, and in front of Peter, a small bowl of mashed potatoes was added.

    All the major newspapers in Paris also began to publish this painting. Although it was in ck and white, and the engraving was not very fine, those two uneven spherical objects could be recognized as potatoes by anyone.

    In front of Barnaby, the Imperial Chef''s "Whirlwind Potato Tart" stall, the citizens were still very hesitant¡ªcenturies-old habits were not easily changed.

    However, some people who were in desperate circumstances, upon seeing the homeless children who had eaten potatoes in the previous days still frolicking happily without any signs of poisoning or illness, could not help but be tempted.

    Finally, someone, with a do-or-die determination, ate a string of free fried potatoes and immediately smacked their lips in delight.

    In other parts of Paris, mashed potatoes and fried chips, made by the Imperial Chef, were also quickly taken away for free. Although few dared to try, invisible cracks had appeared on the towering dam.

    ...

    Meanwhile, inside and outside the Tuileries Pce was a bustling scene of activity.

    Hundreds of carpenters, masons, and ziers were repairing doors, windows, walls, and chandeliers. Due to being left unattended for too long, more than eighty percent of the over two thousand rooms needed repairs.

    Dressed immactely, but with a tricorn hat covered in dust, Freselle, the President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce, wasmanding his subordinates, coordinating the allocation of personnel and materials.

    As the recently appointed chairman of the "Paris Fashion Week Preparatory Committee," his brown eyes were filled with bloodshot lines, yet he had no intention of resting.

    At the Crown Prince''s request, the preparatorymittee had made a n toplete the restoration work of the Tuileries Pce within a month. Now that the financial disbursement was in ce, it was time for everyone to work their hardest.

    On the east side of the pce square, arge T-shaped stage over 50 meters long, constructed from maple wood, was nearly halfpleted. Numerous workers, busy as ants, were carrying materials up and down.

    Freselle watched all this with excitement. He was very clear about what this fashion event would bring to Paris.

    It was prosperity!

    Prestige!

    And substantial profits!

    And in a great hall in the west wing of the Tuileries Pce, Joseph watched the several dozendies with beautiful visages but peculiar footsteps and strange limb movements in front of him and couldn''t help but hold his forehead and shake his head.

 Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Catwalk

    "Mr. Balthasar, you can''t just look at the appearance," Joseph whispered to his fashion designer, "They''re here to walk the runway, not attend a ball."

    He pointed to the giant T-shaped catwalk in the square, "You see, when the guests gather below the stage, they can only see the models'' figures, postures, and the clothes they are wearing, and can barely make out their faces."

    Balthasar nodded again and again. He had only been exposed to these "runways" and "T-shaped catwalks" for two days and was still feeling his way around.

    The publicity for the recent Fashion Week was in full swing, and the whole of Paris was buzzing about it.

    Therefore, after the ad for recruiting models for Fashion Week was published, thedies of Paris were instantly abuzz¡ªwearing thetest fashionable garments in the splendid Old Pce, bing the center of attention for Europe''s upper ss under countless lights, and with a high reward for it, who wouldn''t be tempted?

    Yes, in this era there simply was no such profession as a fashion model, so Joseph had to cast from the public.

    Instantly, "model" and "catwalk" became the most popr words among Parisian women. Whether actresses, singers, or fallen women, and even noble youngdies, as long as they had a modicum of confidence in their looks and figures, were tempted to go to the Tuileries Pce to sign up and give it a try.

    After several preliminary rounds of screening by Balthasar, these few dozen people had been selected as the best among the candidates.

    Joseph helplessly watched the models who were either stiff in movement or deliberately disying their "career-lines." He sighed, stood up, and pped his hands sharply to get the models'' attention, then did something he least wanted to do but had to do¡ªdemonstrated the catwalk himself.

    "Watch carefully, your second step shouldnd here." His scalp tingled with embarrassment, but he persevered, "First lift your knee, ''swing'' your lower leg out, and then the next step¡­"

    "Don''t use too much force with your hands, just let them hang naturally... I didn''t ask for your hands to go limp! Forget it, just put your hands on your hips.

    "Don''t let your eyes wander, have a vacant look..."

    Although he himself was not a professional, having at least seen pigs walk if not eaten pork, he managed to imitate the countless times he had observed Victoria''s Secret in his previous life, and could somewhat replicate the look.

    Once he had walked back and forth, the models immediately responded with warm apuse.

    Joseph sat back in his chair with a dark face and said weakly, "Whoever masters it first can be a coach, with double the pay."

    Under the incentive of money, the models immediately started to take things seriously. Several noble youngdies with dance training began to get the hang of it and their movements gradually looked the part.

    Joseph let them practice on their own, and then turned to the other side of the hall to the male model group, raising his hand to gesture, "Please, gentlemen, have a go as well."

    Dozens of handsome Frenchds immediately raised their long legs, and in their high-heeled shoes, they walked with a coquetry that was far more convincing than that of thedies next to them.

    "Stop..." Joseph felt like he was about to have a heart attack, "That''s not right! The steps you''re doing are fordies..."

    One bold blonde hunk immediately said, "Your Highness, isn''t that just how you walked a moment ago?"

    Joseph halted him from continuing with a murderous re and turned to his captain of the guards, "Viscount Kesode, could you please walk a few steps to show everyone? Just like you do when you stroll in the Pce of Versailles normally."

    "Yes, Your Highness." Kesode hastily came to the center of the hall, walked forward with his head high and chest out, exuding vigor and power.

    Joseph turned to the male models, "Please practice like this."

    Under a construction shed in the square of the Tuileries Pce, the chief auditor of the Fashion Week organizingmittee was staring intently at the west hall. There, dozens of beautiful women in gorgeous dresses were walking one by one across the wooden tform, with alluring gazes, charming demeanors, and graceful elegance.

    He unwittingly swallowed a gulp of saliva and asked the president of the merchant association next to him, "Viscount Freselle, what is happening over there?"

    "It is said to be a method of showcasing fashion invented by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, also called a ''fashion show''," Freselle replied casually, but in his heart, he couldn''t helpmenting: How does the Crown Princee up with such a splendid idea at his age, ahem, such a brilliant idea. With this kind of fashion show, this year''s Fashion Week is sure to shock all of Europe.

    ...

    "Brian, that despicable, shameless bastard!" Vilran mmed the letter in his hand down on the table with a bang, "I swear! One day, I will tear you to pieces with my own hands!"

    His attendant heard the noise and hurriedly pushed the door open to inquire, "Are you all right, my lord Earl?"

    "I am fine. Get out!"

    Vilran turned his head and roared, hisplexion colder than the pristine snow outside the window.

    The letter was written by the Duke of Orleans. Judging from the date, it was sent out the second day he left Paris. However, the postman clearly didn''t keep up with his pace, and it wasn''t until he paused in Smolensk that he finally received it.

    The content of the letter was brief, informing him that British-French trade negotiations had officially begun. The representatives for the negotiations were Brian and the Minister of Civil Registry, Nico Herve.

    Vilran''s teeth gritted with a grating sound, and he remembered asking Brian about when the trade negotiations would begin just half a month earlier. Brian told him that some financial data needed for the negotiations were not yet ready and that it would take a considerable amount of time to prepare.

    Afterward, he was dispatched to Russia to convey so-called "France''s concerns about the Russo-Turkish War".

    Little did he expect that as soon as he left, the British-French trade negotiations began.

    What he couldn''t ept the most was that the person who reced him in the negotiations was that worthless "transparent minister", Nico Herve!

    For a long time, he sat limply in the chair. This ce was over 2,000 kilometers from Paris, and even if he rushed back immediately, by the time he arrived in Paris, the treaty would undoubtedly have already been signed.

    What awaited him would only be the ridicule of the entire Parisian political arena.

    In the firece, the wood crackled and the fire burned bright, but Vilran felt only a bone-chilling cold. He knew that his political career was likely over...

    ...N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The west bank of the Seine, at Mirabeau''s vi.

    Mirabeau had not expected His Royal Highness the Crown Prince toe for a sudden visit, thus when he came out to greet him, he appeared somewhat flustered, "Oh, it is a pleasure to see you, Your Highness."

    He took a half step back with his right foot, ced his right hand over his chest, and respectfully bowed.

    Joseph smiled and said, "I am also pleased to see you, Count Mirabeau. Actually, I havee today because there is something I would like to seek your assistance with."

    Mirabeau personally opened the grand door for him, "You know, Your Highness, I am always eager to serve you."

    Once in the drawing-room, Mirabeau invited Joseph to sit and pointed enthusiastically to the freshly served tea, "Your Highness, you simply must try this, freshly imported from the Far East, not at all like those cheapmodities from India. Oh, by the way, what do you need me to do?"

    "Thank you for the tea. The vor is excellent," Joseph said, lifting the creamy and fragrant tea cup as a gesture to Mirabeau, then continued, "You might have heard that the government is promoting the cultivation of potatoes across the country."

 Chapter 112: Chapter 111 The Future of Industry

    "This will require the purchase of arge number of potatoes to serve as ''seed potatoes.''" Joseph caressed the pattern on the teacup and looked towards Mirabeau, "Currently, the government can only provide one million livres, while a total of five million are needed. I also don''t have that much money on hand for the moment, so I was hoping to borrow some from you."

    Joseph knew that after investing in the paper mill, Mirabeau might not have much money left either, but he had extensive connections and was on good terms with many of the capitalist nobility, so he could help by reaching out on his behalf.

    "Oh, of course, rest assured, I can mortgage the shares of the paper workshop or ''The Angel of Paris'' as coteral."

    Mirabeau said, "Your Highness, you can only buy potatoes in a few provinces such as Alsace and Lorraine. Are you saying we need to procure them from ces that far away?"

    "That''s right."

    Mirabeau first nodded, "Your Highness, I can figure out a way to get the money for you."

    Since the tax reform incident, he and the Crown Prince had be entangled in mutual interests, so naturally, he wanted to do his part for His Highness.

    But then he frowned and said, "However, what I''m going to say next might upset you, but I feel obligated to remind you."

    "Please, feel free to speak your mind."

    "There''s only a little over a month left before the wheat sowing season, and given the efficiency of those government officials... you should know, purchasing millions of livres worth of potatoes, they will need at least three weeks. That leaves hardly enough time for transportation and sowing."

    At these words, Joseph was taken aback, admitting to himself that he had indeed been careless and failed to take into ount the terrible efficiency of the bureaucratic system.

    After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Count Mirabeau. Perhaps, I need to make a personal visit to Lorraine."

    "With me overseeing them, their actions will surely be much faster.

    "Additionally, I would like to take the opportunity to survey Nancy, in preparation for establishing an industrial development zone there in the future."

    "You are doing so much for France."

    Mirabeau praised him, and then, recalling the new term he had just heard, asked curiously, "Your Highness, what is this ''industrial development zone'' you mentioned?"

    Joseph set down the teacup and exined, "It''s an area designated where the government provides support to attract people to set up workshops, thereby promoting industrial development.

    "Oh, for instance, workshops in the industrial development zone might receive tax cuts, be free from administrative officials'' interference in production, receive rewards for new technologies, abolish the guild system, and so on.

    "At the same time, the government will also build a host of supporting facilities in the development zone. For example: banks, schools, hospitals, and even apartments."

    Mirabeau''s eyes suddenly bulged. This was precisely the business environment he had longed for! Not to mention the tax cuts alone, which could entice countless individuals to set up factories.

    And then there was the detestable guild system.

    Currently in France, no matter what kind of workers you wanted to hire, you had to get permission from the relevant guilds. Jobs that were originally quite simple, that anyone could do, had to go through corresponding guilds that would collect dues from the workers and in turn extort the workshops.

    As for the exploitation and harassment by government officials, this too was a continual headache for all workshop owners.

    If these detrimental influences could be eliminated, the profits and efficiency of the workshops would see a significant increase.

    He immediately eximed with excitement, "Your Highness, this idea of yours is truly wonderful! Industrial development zones, they are exactly what France''s industry needs at the moment!"

    He suddenly felt a wave of emotion, as the French Government had always only valued agriculture and exploited and neglected industry. Only the young Crown Prince sincerely wished to promote industrial development!

    Mirabeau suddenly thought of something, looked at Joseph, and said in surprise, "Your Highness, you just mentioned that you want to establish an industrial district in Nancy? Excuse my boldness, but that ce is quite remote andcks any significant industry; perhaps setting up the district in Lyon would be more appropriate."

    Joseph nodded, understanding that from Mirabeau''s perspective, what he said was entirely correct. Although the Lorraine region was rich in coal and iron deposits, they had not yet been developed. It wasn''t until after the industrial revolution in the 19th century that Nancy, the capital of Lorraine, became one of the cores of France''s heavy industry.

    "Count Mirabeau, what do you think is the foundation of industry?"

    Mirabeau blurted out, "It should be the textile industry. Mining, shipbuilding, and the like are also important, but none have the development potential of the textile industry."

    Seeing that the Crown Prince remained silent, heughed and said, "Your Highness, surely it''s not the wine industry..."

    Joseph smiled as well, then picked up his teacup and said, "If industry is a nt, then whether it''s textiles or shipbuilding, these are all the stems and leaves above ground, while only coal and iron are the roots beneath."

    In his heart, he silently added that in the future, it would be iron and petroleum, but that was still far off.

    "Coal? Iron?" Mirabeau blinked, "But the trade volume for these two isn''t much."

    Joseph smiled and said, "Coal and iron together make the steam engine. This is the true foundation of industry!"

    Mirabeauughed as well, "Your Highness, you do jest. The steam engine? That thing isn''t very useful, it''s costly, and breaks down easily."

    "No, technology is always progressing." Joseph said, "The old Neen steam engine could only pump water, and its actual efficiency was less than that of two diligent children.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Now, the steam engine can pump water from a mine 90 meters deep, something humans definitely cannot do.

    "I dare say, the performance of steam engines will continue to improve dramatically. Whoever masters the steam engine will have the initiative in industry."

    "..." Mirabeau appeared unconvinced.

    Joseph continued, "You''ve heard of the automatic loom newly invented by the British, haven''t you?"

    Mirabeau nodded, "Yes, Your Highness, but that is powered by water wheels."

    "That''s just temporary. In fact, the British are already researching recing water wheels with steam engines. Once they seed, the efficiency of the textile industry will increase tenfold or even more."

    Mirabeau sat up straight, visibly bing tense.

    Yet, Joseph gave him a glimpse into even broader prospects for the application of steam engines: "Aside from the textile industry, the advancements brought about by steam engines in forging and stamping are even more noteworthy.

    "The stamping machines driven by steam engines are several times more powerful than the current waterwheel stamping machines, and they will be even more powerful in the future, while their speed is dozens of times faster. What''s most valuable is the tremendous improvement in precision.

    "If we have reliable steam-powered stamping machines, not to mention armor, bearings, carriages, and such, just using them to produce chandeliers, agricultural tools, even forks and knives, would significantly reduce costs and multiply product quality. Though these items are small, collectively they can bring in astonishing trade ie."

    He then solemnly said, "If, however, other countries take the lead in mastering steam engine technology, we will face a very difficult situation."

    In history, it was Ennd that broke through with the steam engine, initiating the industrial revolution and building The British Empire.

 Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Industrial Chain and Market

    Count Mirabeau savored the Crown Prince''s words, simultaneously considering France''s actual situation, his expression gradually turning solemn, "Your Highness, but currently the most advanced steam engine technology is in the hands of the British, and we can only copy their products from a decade ago.

    "By the way, I heard that not long ago Ennd created thetest steam engine, which has already surpassed the power of ten horses."

    "You are correct," Joseph nodded, "That is why I want to quickly establish industrial development zones to attract capital and talent for the research and development of new technologies."

    Count Mirabeau, somewhat disheartened, said, "I wonder if we''ll still be able to catch up..."

    A confident smile appeared on Joseph''s face, "You must have faith. Our setback is only temporary.

    "As long as we build the foundational industry chains and create positive industry cycles, technological breakthroughs are an inevitable result."

    Count Mirabeau started to get confused again, "Your Highness, what do you mean by ''industry chain'' and ''positive cycle''?"

    "I spoke too hastily," Joseph said apologetically, waving his hand, "The so-called industry chain refers to a series of industries tied to the development of a particr industry,bined together to form a chain."

    Count Mirabeau could y a significant role in advancing France''s industrial development, so Joseph exined the rted knowledge and concepts with patience.

    "For example, we used to spend a lot of money to bring in British textile technicians to help us develop the textile industry, but after they arrived, they found even the simplest tools were unavable, making it impossible to start work.

    "These small tools are actually part of the textile industry chain. Simr to that, for instance, are the cleaning and storage of cotton and wool as raw materials, the manufacturing and repair of looms, the construction of workshops, the transportation and sale of products, and even the recycling of waste, and so on.

    "Together, these form the industry chain for the textile industry.

    "Only if the entire chain develops healthily can we have a strong textile industry. Originally, we neglected the industry chain, thinking that by acquiring a few looms, we could catch up with Ennd''s textile industry."

    Count Mirabeau felt as if a cloud had been lifted, nodding repeatedly, "So we spent a lot of money, but the textile industry has always been tightly suppressed by the British. It turns out these trivial things behind the loom are what weck even more!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph thought to himself that Mirabeau truly was a talent from the grand era, understanding with just a hint.

    He continued, "So if we want to develop the steam engine industry, we must value the industry chain from the beginning.

    "Starting with the most basic coal and iron mining and transportation, to the workshops that manufacture basic measuring tools, to those that print blueprints and documents, and then to building experimental test tforms.

    "Gradually transitioning to the construction of workshops for producing small parts, foundries for machine rough casts, all the way to workshops that assemble entire steam engines.

    "And finally, there are supplementary industries such as the sale, maintenance, and on-site assembly of steam engines.

    "With these, we can truly say we have the capability to manufacture steam engines. Otherwise, even if we manage to replicate thetest British models, we will sooner orter be left far behind by the British again."

    During Joseph''s speech, Mirabeau had already had a servant bring paper and pen and was earnestly taking notes at great speed¡ªthese concepts were all new to him, opening a door to a new world.

    It was a world named "industrialization."

    Joseph waited for him to stop writing before adding, "The industry chain is the foundation of an industry, but for an industry to thrive, there also needs to be an ''industry cycle.''

    "Put simply, it''s the process of ''capital-production-market-recapturing capital.''

    "Actually, this is not quite urate; the actual starting point of an industry should be the market, which gives rise to the drive for production and thereby attracts capital investment..."

    What he was talking about is almost universally known inter generations, but at the present moment, it had only been a little over a decade since Adam Smith wrote "The Wealth of Nations," which had only introduced the most basic concepts of capital operation and was far from the refined and practical ideas ofter generations.

    Joseph borated on these issues in detail before concluding:

    "Therefore, for the industrial industry, the market is always the most important. As long as the market isrge enough and the profits high enough, no matter how big the obstacles are, the corresponding industry will certainly develop."

    Count Mirabeau furrowed his brow, "Your Highness, but France does not have many mines that require pumping, nor automatic looms... the market for steam engines seems very small."

    Joseph shook his head, "There are many markets that we need to dig out.

    "For instance, currently, everyone is using water mills and olive presses. If these were reced by steam engines, efficiency would be greatly improved.

    "Although we don''t have many mines, we do have a lot of agricultural fields that need irrigation. If every vige owned one or two steam pumping machines, the cultivatednd could increase by a substantial percentage. This could also reduce crop losses during drought seasons.

    "And as I mentioned earlier, the stamping machine can be used in almost all metal manufacturing industries."

    He paused, switching to a somber tone, "Actually, our biggestck in the market is purchasing power."

    "Purchasing power?" Mirabeau simply wrote it down, numb to the new terms by now.

    "It means how much money people have to spend on products."

    Mirabeau hesitated, "Your Highness, the nobles still have a lot of money..."

    Joseph sighed somewhat helplessly, as the Count had straightforwardly filtered out the vast majority of the poor.

    "That''s far from enough. If everyone, I mean whether they are craftsmen or tenant farmers, had money to buy industrial products, that would be what the industry truly needs¡ªa market!"

    He thought to himself: To achieve all this, we would need a very difficult reform, because it will definitely touch on the interests of the old nobility.

    Mirabeau was stunned, slowly and firmly nodding after a long pause, "You, you are absolutely right!"

    The two talked until five in the afternoon. Feeling he had roughly covered the basic industrial concepts, Joseph prepared to take his leave, "However, industrial development must be put on hold for now. Currently, I must first focus on the matter of potatoes. Only if everyone is well-fed can we think about pursuing industry."

    Count Mirabeau immediately said, "Your Highness, are you talking about buying potatoes? I have a friend who operates in the grain business who has quite a few dealings in the northeastern provinces. I can ask him to help.

    "I think, if I stand as a guarantor, he might be able to help you purchase on credit, and even deliver directly to the location you specify."

    Joseph was overjoyed, "That would be wonderful! I am very grateful to you, Earl Mirabeau."

    "It''s nothing at all, Your Highness." Count Mirabeau bowed slightly, "I hope I can contribute to the great cause you have nned."

    ¡­

    The following day at noon.

    In the luxurious vi of Parisian socialite Lady Ebel, a salon was taking ce that, in reality, had been initiated by Count Mirabeau.

 Chapter 114: Chapter 113: Political Foundation

    The participants of the salon were mainly the emerging Capitalist Nobility, as well as a few enlightened members of the Old Nobility and entrepreneurs.

    Lady Ebel warmly instructed her servants to attend to the guests, but her eyes were constantly on Mirabeau, who was passionately giving a speech.

    This time the salon was essentially a conference for Mirabeau''s speech¡ªhe was expounding on the industrial development ideas that Joseph had shared with him yesterday. He had spent the previous afternoon organizing them and had memorized them overnight, just to present them to everyone today.

    No one contested him for the right to speak, and someone would urge him to continue as soon as he paused even for a moment.

    Mirabeau, with his inherent calm, imposing, andpelling style of oratory, portrayed to those present the vast future of the French industry as depicted by Joseph.

    Around him, some listeners were so moved that they clenched their fists tightly.

    Others appeared contemtive, nodding their heads from time to time.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Even more were staring intently at him, with excitement dancing in their eyes.

    It wasn''t until twilight that Mirabeau''s voice became somewhat hoarse, and people finally let him be and began to discuss in small groups:

    "There will be many opportunities in Nancy in the future, I must go there to open a workshop."

    "What do you think, can the tax reduction mentioned by the Crown Prince be implemented?"

    "As long as His Majesty the King signs the bill, we must use all our efforts to ensure the High Court passes it!"

    "If all the points mentioned by His Highness can be realized, France will indeed wee a new glorious chapter!"

    "I heard the ''Eden Treaty'' will be amended as well, this really is a great investment opportunity."

    After drinking several sses of wine, Mirabeau''s throat finally felt a bit better, and he casually brought up the Crown Prince''s intention to promote the cultivation of potatoes, which was short of funds.

    Immediately, a middle-aged nobleman stood up and said, "Count Mirabeau, I can lend 100,000 livres to His Highness the Crown Prince without interest, please pass on my message to His Highness."

    Once someone took the lead, there was a crowd of respondents:

    "I happen to have some spare funds recently, and can lend out 200,000."

    "I am nning to invest in Nancy, so I can only lend 100,000 livres to His Highness."

    "I also can¡­"

    Although these individuals were quite wealthy, sums of ten to twenty thousand livres were not insignificant amounts for them.

    However, after listening to Mirabeau''s speech, they all regarded the Crown Prince as the hope for the industrial sector of France, and even for policy adjustments, naturally offering him their full support. Besides, Mirabeau said that the Crown Prince was using Paris Angel Company as coteral, so there was no risk in lending the money.

    Before long, including Mirabeau, this group of affluent Capitalist Nobility had put together 1.8 million livres. A few others also indicated they had resources at their disposal to help with the procurement or transportation of potatoes.

    After this small interlude, everyone began to enthusiastically discuss topics like industrial development zones or industry chains, until they partedte into the night, still not ready to leave.

    Joseph had no idea that, with this salon as andmark, his future political foundation was beginning to take shape.

    ...

    Paris Police Academy.

    The training ground, shrouded in dust, had two people standing on a viewing tform, taller than most men, on its eastern side. One of them wore the blue uniform of the Paris Police, while the other was in white military attire; however, from the insignias on their cors, they both held the rank of Major.

    The man in white military uniform appeared to be in his thirties, with a high bridged nose and a touch of mncholy in his light blue eyes.

    He watched the police academy cadets training in shuttle runs through the dust and asked the officer beside him with some perplexity, "Francois, what''s the point of them running back and forth like this?"

    The one addressed was Dibowa, who, after distinguishing himself in the Nethends battle, had been poached by Joseph directly from the award ceremony to the police academy.

    Dibowaughed and said, "Alexander, this is called a shuttle run, a standard training exercise in the police academy curriculum, which can improve the soldiers... ahem, the police officers'' physical strength and reaction capabilities."

    Alexander voiced his skepticism, "Is this effective? Shouldn''t they focus more on drilling formation?"

    "Formation drills are just the basics. Shuttle runs can significantly improve the police officers'' speed in charging and turning." Dibowa pointed to the other end of the training ground, "Oh, look over there. That''s called pull-ups; every officer has to do dozens of those daily to increase arm strength.

    You know, on the battlefield, they often need to hold a gun for hours, and this exercise keeps their shooting steady.

    "And that one..."

    As he was speaking, a troop of police officers ran into the training ground entrance shouting slogans, kicking up even more dust.

    Dibowa immediately showed a proud expression and gestured towards the group of officers, "Aha, do you know? Those officers just went through the most ''brutal'' training exercise¡ªfour kilometer cross-country run while armed."

    Alexander eximed, "You mean they just ran four kilometers?!"

    Dibowa nodded, "That''s right, and they had toplete it within 15 minutes."

    Alexander''s eyes widened in shock.

    Four kilometers is equivalent to one farthing! Even the most elite soldiers couldn''t possibly run such a distance within 15 minutes!

    However, Dibowa continued to "stimte" him, "Each one carries only an 18-pound load."

    He expressed dissatisfaction, "The Crown Prince expects at least 25 pounds, but these guys, s, still haven''t reached that level; they need more intensive training."

    Alexander tried to appearposed, "Are you saying these drills were requested by the Crown Prince?"

    "Indeed, as I mentioned in my letter to you. The Prince has devised many novel military theories, and the same goes for training. Honestly, I also didn''t understand why we had to train like this initially."

    Dibowa showed a triumphant look again, "But soon, I understood; the officers trained ording to the Prince''s requirements improved significantly in both formation and stability."

    In this era, soldiers ced a great emphasis on formation drills but mostly skimped on physical fitness training.

    Yet, in reality, only those with robust physical strength can easily execute various formations and transitions. After military theory developed into the modern era, no army dared to neglect physical fitness training.

    Jospeh naturally instilled the correct concepts directly into his troops.

    Alexander watched the officers in blue uniforms pick up wooden rifles and begin to drill into line formations on the training ground and couldn''t help but wonder, "Francois, aren''t they police officers? Why are they practising this? Do they have to face Parisian gangs with infantry lines?"

    A peculiar smile spread across Dibowa''s face, "Ahem, in fact, only the cadets with the worst grades are assigned to be policemen."

    "Oh? And the others?"

    Dibowa quickly changed the subject and muddled through. There was a rule at the police academy: the information that elite cadets were trained ording to military standards was not to be disclosed to anyone.

 Chapter 115: Chapter 114: Getting it without any effort

    As they were talking, a leisurely rhythm of drumbeats emerged from the north side of the parade ground.

    The instructor in charge of training immediately called a halt and began to gather the troops. A team of police officers closest to the parade ground''s main gate were already lining up and running towards a grey building not far away.

    Dibowa patted Alexander on the shoulder and gestured towards the grey building, "It''s time for lunch. Oh, what day is it today?"

    "Wednesday."

    "Oh, right, it''s Wednesday. You''re in luck; today there''s beef stew and butter pea soup."

    In the spacious dining hall, Alexander, looking at the hundreds of cadets waiting for their meal, asked in a low voice, "Francois, aren''t we going to the officers'' mess hall?"

    Dibowa said as if it were obvious, "This is the officers'' mess hall, and of course, also the cadets'' dining hall."

    "But..." Alexander instinctively remembered the ck bread and cured meat usually eaten by soldiers in the army he had served, "Are we really eating here?"

    Dibowa knew why his old friend was asking such a question.

    In the French army, officers and soldiers belonged to two different sses, and it was simr in the police force. Soldiers or police officers were likemoners, while officers and police chiefs were nobility. Their living conditions were vastly different; they never ate together, let alone the same food.

    He nodded and exined, "Yes, that''s how we do it here. Officers and police officers mix together; I''ve gotten used to it."

    Before he had finished speaking, a police officer with a tray came over, bowed to him and Dibowa, and then ced two servings of food in front of them.

    Alexander was instantly taken aback¡ªit was beef stew and butter pea soup, along with white bread and half a boiled egg.

    He quickly turned to look at the other academy tables; they had the same food!

    He said to Dibowa in surprise, "The cadets here eat this well?!"

    Dibowa handed him utensils and shook his head, "Only on Wednesdays can you have beef stew, and on Fridays, you getmb or turkey. Other times, it''s just pork or fish."

    Alexander''s eyes widened, somewhat unable to ept this. In the army he served, soldiers'' rations included bread, wine, and a small piece of cured meat. But the te of stew in front of the police officers here was equivalent to the meat ration of those soldiers for three days.

    And this was freshly stewed, steaming hot with an aromatic smell, iparable to cured meat.

    No wonder those police officers could carry an 18-pound load and run a mile in 15 minutes. This was built on excellent food!

    He turned to Dibowa again, "How much does this cost?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Between five and seven sous per person per day. The Crown Prince said that food is one thing we can''t skimp on."

    "That much!" Alexander found it hard to believe. Were these policemen? His soldiers only got three sous a day...

    He suddenly realized something, "Francois, why do you always mention the Crown Prince?"

    "Because this police academy was established by His Royal Highness." Dibowa said while chewing beef, "The funding is directly allocated by His Highness. He also set the training curriculum. Oh, and the Crown Prince oftenes to attend sses or to participate in training."

    As he spoke, a loud voice at the entrancemanded, "All rise!"

    Everyone in the dining hall immediately stood up with a "whoosh," followed by a jovial voice of a young man, "Please, everyone, take your seats, don''t let me interrupt your meal."

    Alexander looked around and saw a young man in a Paris Police uniform entering the dining hall, apanied by several high-level officers of the police academy.

    Dibowa whispered, "I told you, His Highness oftenes."

    "Is that the Crown Prince?"

    "Yes, he usuallyes on Mondays and Thursdays, but sometimes he drops by to check on things."

    Only when Joseph had taken a seat at a table did the other officers also sit down together.

    Soon, several police officers proudly ced stewed beef and other dishes on the table for Joseph and the Director of Education. It was an immense honor to serve a meal to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, achievable only after excelling in exercises twice in a row.

    "Thank you very much."

    Joseph nodded his thanks to the officers, his gaze suddenly catching a strange face next to Dibowa.

    "Major Dibowa, who is this?"

    Dibowa and another hurried over, lifting their hats to salute.

    Dibowa gestured to the person beside him, "Your Highness, this is Major Bertier, whom you had once inquired about."

    Alexander Bertier appeared very reserved, immediately saluting again, "It''s a great honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness."

    Joseph''s eyes instantly lit up, he had only decided on a whim to attend a logistics ss that day, and didn''t expect such an unexpected gain.

    Mr. Chief of Staff, finally seeing you in person, this time I must keep you here at all costs!

    He smiled and nodded to Bertier, "Please sit down. I have long heard of your excellent performance in the Yorktown campaign. Without your meticulous nning, the British might have held out much longer."

    Bertier sat upright, "It was indeed a tough fight, Your Highness. Fortunately, we eventually won victory and glory."

    Joseph then started to talk with Bertier about the Yorktown campaign.

    "Oh? Was it Major Dibowa who invited you to visit the Paris Police Academy?"

    While speaking, Joseph gave Dibowa an approving nce without revealing too much.

    "Oh, yes, Your Highness," Bertier still seemed a bit nervous, bumblingly saying, "Actually, I have a cousin in Paris who is getting married, so I rushed over. Coincidentally, Francois mentioned in his letter that he is working at the Paris Police Academy and said that it is quite special here..."

    Joseph waited for him to finish, then casually asked, "By the way, Major Bertier, you are currently stationed in Soissons, aren''t you?"

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Dibowa leaned in, whispering, "Your Highness, Francois has been serving in the engineer camp. In fact, he came to Paris this time to look for a way to be transferred back. However, I fear he might not yet have ''sufficient conditions''."

    Joseph knew the "conditions" he referred to meant the cost of pulling strings, and was surprised the Chief of Staff was faring so poorly within the old army system.

    However, for himself, it was as if he had stumbled upon a treasure without any effort.

    He thought with joy, wanting to return to Paris is great, I just need people here.

    He smiled at Bertier, "Perhaps I could rmend you to Marquis Saint Priest, to serve in the Imperial Guard or the France Guard."

    Bertier had not expected the Crown Prince to extend such significant help and immediately stood up, excited, "Your Highness, I really don''t know how to express my gratitude to you!"

    ...

    Besanval pulled at his cor; the winter wind was so biting that he could hardly keep his eyes open, "This damned weather."

    He shook the reins, turned his head, and asked the officer beside him, "How much further?"

    "General, less than 3 miles."

    "All right, let''s pick up the pace."

    "Yes, General."

    As the officer conveyed themand, the beat of the drum immediately quickened and hundreds of soldiers from the France Guard hurriedly quickened their step as well.

    Besanval muttered under his breath, "Why couldn''t those nobledies wait for it to get warmer beforeing..."

 Chapter 116: Chapter 115: A Whole New Tactic

    Due to the visit of Her Highness the Princess of the Two Sicilies to Paris, the French Guards, as part of the Paris Garrison, naturally assumed the responsibility of escorting her along the way.

    And General Besanval, themander of the French Guards, became the busiest person.

    He had to ensure that all officers and soldiers remembered every step of the reception, along-the-way vignce, and escort process before the princess''s arrival.

    Such affairs could not afford any mistakes. Therefore, he had to personally oversee the troops, repeatedly practice the entire reception and escort process along the princess''s predicted route, and only then could he feel reassured.

    Thinking of the uing visit from the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, he felt a headacheing on.

    The French Guards marched in three columns along the small roads of the outskirts of Paris, moving briskly. Just as they were about to reach the predetermined reception point, a sudden thunderous explosion came from the southwest, and the advancing columns came to a halt like startled rabbits.

    General Besanval furrowed his brows; he could tell that it was the sound of a cannon.

    How could there be cannons in this godforsaken ce?

    As if in response to his query, another boom resonated from afar.

    The soldiers of the French Guards had already taken their flintlock guns and were looking around, preparing for possible attackers.

    General Besanval made a gesture to an officer next to him. Thetter immediately sent out two Cavalry Scouts toward the direction of the cannon fire to reconnoiter.

    After more than ten minutes, the scouts returned, halting their horses and shouting:

    "Report, it''s the Paris Police Academy conducting artillery training!"

    "The Paris Police Academy? Artillery training!" It took General Besanval a good while to connect the two, puzzled, "Isn''t the Paris Police Academy in the Saint Antoine District?"

    "General, they say this is their training field."

    General Besanval squinted his eyes. As themander of the Paris defensive forces, he was unaware that there was a training field with cannons in the Southern Suburbs of Paris!

    Actually, he couldn''t be med for this; with the level of information in this era, sometimes tworge armies could brush past each other ten kilometers apart without any detection unless one made a deliberate reconnaissance effort.

    Since enemy forces could not possibly appear around Paris, the French Guards naturally wouldn''t scout around aimlessly.

    Thus, the training base of the Police Academy had been in use for a month and a half, and they had not discovered it until now, as they happened to pass by this location while familiarizing themselves with the princess''s route.

    After thinking for a moment, General Besanval instructed the officer next to him, "Orders to rest in ce. We''ll go have a look."

    ...

    Inside the training base of the Paris Police Academy.

    Major Bertier watched in shock as nearly two hundred police officers, following the beat of the drum, efficiently formed infantry lines, and also heard a messenger shouting, "Maintain the formation!" as he galloped past the front of the troops.

    <img data-y-imgId="10115923" data-y-path="/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10115923/a1fad5d8aaa5445f47f4887feec0e29ecrahWGrkI79dlL5.jpg">

    To the left of the troops were conspicuously two four-pound cannons.

    And opposite them were another hundred or so police officers, their arms tied with white cloth bands.

    The "Blue Team" seemed tock training, as only two-thirds were formed into two thin lines, while the remaining third was sparsely scattered in front of the lines, constantly advancing towards the opposite defense line.

    Going by his military instinct, Major Bertier shook his head and said to Dibowa, "If the white side doesn''t form up soon, they''ll probably be overwhelmed."

    Thetter, however, smiled and shook his head, "Alexander, their formation has no problems at all."

    "Formation?" Major Bertier frowned. What formation did the "Blue Team" have? This was clearly a case of officers unable to restrain their soldiers...

    Suddenly, he felt something was not right.

    Although the "Blue Team" looked messy, those scattered police officers in front of the infantry line always maintained the same pace, as if they were forming a barrier in front of the infantry line.

    Immediately, the "Blue Team''s" cannon roared. Of course, it was just an exercise, with no projectiles loaded.

    The instructors responsible for casualty assessment quickly made their judgments, with one of them giving two numbers to an assistant. Thetter then immediately signaled to the training ground with gs, indicating that the shell passed through the scattered formation of the "White Team," causing only 2 deaths and 4 injuries.

    "They''re courting death. I think they need more training," Bertier couldn''t help shaking his head.

    "Please watch patiently," Dibowa calmly reminded.

    After the "Blue Team''s" cannon fired another two times, the "White Team" changed their approach.

    The beat of the drum suddenly quickened, and the disarrayed police officers in the front erupted in a roar:

    "Charge!"

    "Break through the enemy lines!"

    "Don''t be scared, go for it!"

    The disorganized formation began to run, and the "Blue Team" immediately greeted them with volley fire from their flintlock guns.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    However, because the "White Team" was too scattered, the shooting only inflicted limited damage. Over three-quarters of the "White Team" police officers charged to within thirty meters of the "Blue Team''s" infantry line.

    "Stop advancing!" With the order from the "White Team''s" officer, dozens of police officers halted simultaneously and raised their flintlock guns.

    "Fire!"

    A puff of smoke rose from the scattered formation. The close-range volley instantly imed seven or eight men from the "Blue Team."

    As the "White Team" began to reload their ammunition on the spot, the "Blue Team" fired another volley in retaliation. The "White Team," having just charged forward, was immediately assessed with 3 deaths and 6 injuries.

    While the "Blue Team''s" infantry line was entangled with these disorderly opponents, the "White Team''s" infantry line had quietly arrived less than 50 meters behind them.

    The scattered "White Team" police officers suddenly retreated, quickly "merging" into their own lines.

    Immediately after, the "White Team" line of police officers raised their guns, while the opposite "Blue Team" was in disarray due to the prior exchange of fire.

    "Fire!"

    A well-ordered volley from the "White Team" caused even more chaos in the "Blue Team''s" ranks.

    In a line infantry exchange of fire, whoever maintained a tighter formation and unified firing rhythm gained the upper hand.

    The "Blue Team" subsequently began to suffer more gaps in their ranks under continuous fire from the opposition and were ultimately judged as defeated by the overseeing instructors when their casualties reached one-third.

    Bertier turned his head to stare at Dibowa, his face full of disbelief¡ªhow did the disorderly "White Team" manage to win? Their numbers were even slightly less than the enemy!

    From his first day at the military academy, he had been taught, "The infantry line must be kept orderly. If disarray urs, it''s better to stop firing and reform than to continue."

    He was certain that the exercise just now was conducted properly, without any trace of favoritism, but why did the side with the disorganized formation win?

    Dibowa resolved his confusion, "This is called the ''scattered infantry assault tactic.'' It was invented by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

    "Scattered infantry? That''s impossible¡­" Bertier''s face was full of questions. The Austrians did indeed use skirmishers, which was to facilitate mountain warfare, but he had never heard that this could overpower the enemy''s well-organized infantry lines.

    Sitting in the front watching the exercise, Joseph felt somewhat ashamed, saying to himself that this was a tactic created by Napoleon, and all he did was copy and paste it.

    However, he still turned around, disying a sly smile reminiscent of a little fox, "Major Bertier, if you would like to understand more about this tactic, you''re wee to often visit the Paris Police Academy. Oh, there are also many other new tactics here that you might find interesting."

    ...

    Besanval had barely caught sight of the walls of the Paris Police Academy training base when he was stopped by several individuals in police uniforms, "Police Academy training, keep away!"

    An officer spurred his horse forward, proudly stating, "This gentleman is themander of the France Guard, General Besanval. Who is in charge here? Let hime over."

 Chapter 117: Chapter 116: Terrifying Administrative Efficiency

    In the training field of the Paris Police Academy, a police officer hurried over and reported the situation outside to Joseph and the others.

    "Baron Besanval?" When Joseph heard this name, he couldn''t help but frown slightly.

    Wasn''t this themander of the French Guard?

    Back when the Parisians attacked the Bastille, not only did this man fail to stop them, but he also moved all his troops to the Mars Field on the outskirts.

    If he had only watched on, it would have been one thing, but he actually dispatched a team of artillery to assist in bombarding the Bastille. And his troops often resupplied at the Royal Pce, so it was basically confirmed that he was part of the Orleans faction. For Louis XVI to entrust Paris to such a man¡ªit would be a miracle if he could maintain control.

    This was someone Joseph definitely nned to rece, but at the moment, he needed to stabilize the military nobility group, so he had yet to make a move.

    However, now that the man hade to him, there was no need to show him any courtesy.

    ...

    After a short while, Frient emerged from the training field and tipped his hat in greeting:

    "You must be General Besanval, yes? It''s a pleasure to meet you.

    "My name is Frient, the Chief Academic Officer of the Paris Police Academy. May I know how I can be of service to you?"

    Baron Besanval sat upright on his horse, nodded slightly, and pointed towards the training field with his riding crop, "Why do I hear the sound of cannons here?"

    "Cannon fire?" Frient, following the Paris Police Academy''s "Confidentiality n," replied with a smile, "Ah, we''re holding a ceremony to mark thepletion of an assessment, and we need to fire cannons in celebration."

    Baron Besanval was taken aback and said irritably, "I''m asking you, why are there cannons in the training field of the Police Academy!"

    "Your excellency, General, there''s now that forbids the Police Academy from having cannons, is there?"

    Baron Besanval was taken aback again; it seemed there really wasn''t¡ªbefore the existence of police academies, where would there be any rtedws?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He frowned and asked, "Why did you buy cannons?"

    Frient stood his ground and asserted, "Of course, it is to maintain urban security."

    "You need cannons to maintain order?!"

    Frient nodded, "General Besanval, do you remember the street barricades the rioters piled up at the street corners during the ''Flour War'' a few years ago? At that time, even the forces sent to quell the disturbance couldn''t cross those barriers.

    "We believe that if simr events ur in Paris, we can only rely on cannons to restore order."

    "If a real riot were to break out, it wouldn''t be up to you policemen to resolve it," Besanval said dismissively as he looked at him sideways and scoffed, "Speaking of which, when the mob besieged the High Court for so longst month, I didn''t see any police daring to suppress it."

    Frient replied with a look of shock, "Your excellency, General, those protesting citizens were demanding severe punishment for the wicked Vergniaud. Surely you don''t think they ought to be suppressed?"

    "You¡­"

    Baron Besanval was choked with anger. The current public opinion had already equated Vergniaud with evil. Anyone who dared to make the slightest mistake on this issue was waiting to be sted by the Parisians.

    He red at Frient fiercely and haughtily said, "Please step aside. An important personage will visit soon, and I must ensure the security of this area. Now, I need to conduct an inspection."

    Frient didn''t budge an inch and smiled thinly, "I am afraid that won''t be possible, General, unless you have an order from His Majesty the King or from Police Headquarters."

    Baron Besanval had never taken the police seriously, and he turned his head and gave his guard a look.

    Several guards immediately stepped forward to take Frient away, but then the sound of footsteps came from the direction of the training field, and more than thirty police officers ran out in formation.

    The police officer leading the team issued a series ofmands. The thirty-some people quickly spread out, forming two horizontal rows and aimed their guns at Besanval.

    Thetter''s face rigidified at once. He believed even the Director of Police Services would have to be respectful upon seeing him, and he had not expected an official from the Paris Police Academy to dare point a gun at him.

    "You! You will regret your actions today!" Besanval snorted coldly, yanked the horse''s reins, and left dejectedly with his men.

    Joseph didn''t pay too much attention to this little episode; after all, the Police Academy was nominally under the municipality''s jurisdiction, and Besanval would not dare do anything to it.

    ...

    In the northeast of France, Lorraine Province.

    Marquis Latour, the Governor, nced over the document in his hand and asked his assistant with a frown, "Charlie, isn''t this the order I issued to Morris the day before yesterday?"

    "Oh, my lord, it is here." The assistant hurriedly pointed to a line of fine print, "Viscount Leneveu thought there might be a conflict with the recruitment decree from the year beforest, so he specifically sought your confirmation."

    Latour frowned again, "So, is there a conflict or not?"

    "Ah, I believe there should be none..."

    Latour nodded, signed the document, and was about to hand it back to his assistant when an officer hurried into the office, bowed, and said, "My lord Marquis, a document has just arrived from the Pce of Versailles."

    "What''s it about?"

    "It seems to be a request for you to immediately dispatch someone to tally the potatoes in preparation for shipping."

    Latour took the document and skimmed through it, expressing surprise, "Where did these potatoese from? Morris just sent back the document about purchasing potatoes to me."

    The officer replied, "My lord, it appears to be Viscount Valrand who had people acquire them. Oh, his people arrived at noon, and they are now waiting outside."

    Latour instructed to let in Valrand''s subordinate and after understanding the situation, he learned that Valrand, entrusted by someone, had begun acquiring potatoes five days ago throughout the territories; now over a million pounds had been amassed, all clogging up the docks waiting to be tallied and loaded onto ships.

    Latour hurriedly had a document drafted, reviewed it, signed, and distributed it to the corresponding Governor''s deputies.

    Then he had another document drafted, reporting to the Pce of Versailles about the previous work that was terminated due to order changes and the assistance of merchants.

    Valrand''s subordinate, following his master''s instructions, used money to expedite the document transfer through the clerk and followed him all the way to the Governor''s deputy...

    ording to France''s administrative process at the time, the primary responsibility of the Governor was merely to mediate and issue documents, rying instructions from the Pce of Versailles to the various Governor''s deputies.

    The Governor''s deputies had to confirm the documents, and if there were issues, they would have to be sent back for resigning. If there were no issues, it was up to them to identify the local official responsible for the matter, who would then request funding and hire people to carry out the task.

    Of course, if there were concerns with the file at the lower levels, it would be sent back up for confirmation...

    By Lorraine Province''s administrative efficiency, they had just barely reached the halfway point of the first step, and it would probably take another four or five days before the potato acquisition work could begin. Meanwhile, the merchant friends Mirabeau had found had already amassed over a million pounds of potatoes, with even more in transport bynd.

    The fleet of vehicles and ships used for the transportation were also sourced by Mirabeau''s friends; otherwise, his Excellency the Governor would still be slowly gathering the necessary transport.

    However, just dispatching officials to tally the quantity of potatoes took a full three days¡ªan aspect of the process merchants absolutely could not undertake. Without an official''s signed confirmation, they could not receive the funds for buying the potatoes.

    An additional day psed by the time they finished tallying and loading the over one million pounds of potatoes onto the ships.

    At this point, only about twenty days remained until France''s usual time for spring nting, and it was almost certain that the southernmost provinces would definitely miss nting potatoes.

    The first group of ships, filled with potatoes, set sail along the Orne River towards the more distant Bordeaux.

 Chapter 118: Chapter 117 The Old Nobility with Undying Thieving Hearts

    As the ships loaded with potatoes from Metz, Lorraine, and other areas began to sail south, in the office of the director of the Paris Industrial nning Bureau, Joseph was flipping through a thick stack of reports.

    A fifty-something official with many smallpox scars on his face and wearing sses stood solemnly to the side.

    He was the Commissioner of Agricultural and Financial Affairs, reporting to the office of the Finance Minister, and these were the documents he had just delivered.

    The content of the documents was the recentlypiled number of manor owners and farmers in each province who were willing to grow potatoes, as well as the data on the nned nting area they had proposed.

    Since Finance Minister Brian was currently in Caen conducting trade negotiations with the British, these documents were sent to his deputy, Joseph. In fact, this kind of matter was usually the responsibility of the Minister of the Interior, but Brian and Joseph had previously agreed that the promotion of potatoes was so important it was best not to let Mono, that old slick, get overly involved.

    Joseph had not even reached the halfway point of the documents when his brow began to furrow more and more.

    Though he had initiated an intense public rtions campaign across the country to promote potatoes, spending forty to fifty thousand livres on printing propaganda pamphlets alone, the Church had also been somewhat cooperative.

    Local churches had begun to distribute the new version of "The Last Supper," proiming to their parishioners that potatoes were not "the Devil''s apples" from underground but rather "a gift from the Lord."

    However, judging by the nting intentions around the provinces, the prospects for the propagation did not look optimistic.

    Apart from the areas around Lille and Valenciennes in the north of France, as well as the provinces near the Rhine River where the eptance of potatoes was rtively high, the rest of the ces willing to switch to potato cultivation amounted to less than 2% of the total arablend area...

    As Joseph continued to review the subsequent documents, he found that the further south he looked, the more intense the resistance to potatoes became. Near the areas close to Spain, like Foix and Bayonne, almost no one wanted to nt potatoes.

    This was far from what he had anticipated. With only 2% of the nting area, it would hardly serve any purpose in preventing droughts and hail disasters.

    He suddenly noticed a new problem in the documents, hastily reviewed the types of people epting to change to potato cultivation, and then looked up to ask the Agricultural Finance Commissioner standing beside him, "Viscount Nassien, why are there so fewrge estates willing to grow potatoes?"

    The majority who epted the change to potato cultivation were subsistence farmers, with only a small portion being tribute farmers. Nationwide, less than twenty estates had dered that they would allocate some crond for potato cultivation. The owners of these estates included people like Duke Vr, Count Mono, and others.

    Nassien hesitated for a moment before bowing slightly and saying, "Your Highness, from what I''ve heard, those manor owners are all discussing the matter. They demand a reduction innd tax before they would consider nting potatoes."

    Upon hearing this, Joseph''s eyes narrowed; the so-called manor owners were none other than thend aristocracy.

    He had thought the matter of the tax legition had already ended, yet these old nobles were still holding out hope and looking to leverage government policies to bargain overnd tax by boycotting government affairs.

    Thend tax definitely could not be reduced. Once that door was opened, not only would the nobility take much more from an inch in the future, extorting the government for tax cuts over various matters, it would also be a severe weakening of the Royal Family''s authority.

    Nassien added, "Moreover, Your Highness, potatoes can be eaten directly without needing to be ground into flour, so if potatoes are cultivated, it would also affect the revenue of mills. Therefore..."

    Joseph simply nodded in silence.

    ording to the currentws of France, ordinary tenant farmers must take their grains to mills to be ground into flour and pay a certain "mill tax." The owners of these mills are also the same old nobility. The mill tax is significant ie for them.

    Considering all these factors, it''s no surprise that they would resist potatoes so vehemently.

    The frown on Joseph''s forehead grew even deeper as he realized his potato n had encountered so many obstacles before even taking its first step.

    These old nobles, who held vast amounts ofnd and tenant farmers, only knew how to brutally exploit these tenants relying on feudal privileges and posed thergest obstacle to industrialization. Simultaneously, they constantly hindered the government''s policies at every turn, interfering with the nation''s development, a veritable scourge indeed!

    In order to thoroughly resolve France''s various issues and sessfully develop industry, the old nobility, this group of bloodsuckers, must be dealt with.

    Joseph couldn''t help but let out a sigh. It was still too early to think about these things; one has to eat one bite at a time. The most pressing issue at hand was how to deal with the famine and keep the nation from descending into chaos.

    And relying solely on purchased grain was far from enough to solve the problem. It was imperative to spread the cultivation of potatoes throughout the country.

    But how could one break through the barrier of the old nobility...

    Nassien cautiously reminded from the side, "Your Highness, the first batch of potatoes heading to Bordeaux has already set off. Considering the current willingness to nt, would it be better to reduce the following batches a bit?"

    Upon hearing the word "Bordeaux," a thought suddenly struck Joseph.

    When speaking of what people in the Bordeaux region value most, without a doubt, it''s winemaking. This is not only the pir industry of Bordeaux but also one of France''s important export goods, bringing in huge ie every year.

    And at the moment, Pasteurization had not been invented, winemaking suffered annual losses due toctobacillus contamination, amounting to a quarter or even more of the wine. Even the sessfully fermented wines often had a faint sour taste, seriously reducing the quality of the wine.

    If he coulde up with a solution to prevent the wine from turning sour, all Bordeaux vineyards would go crazy for it. At that time, if he proposed some conditions, like nting some potatoes, he believed they would hardly refuse.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Spring nting was imminent, and there was no time to dy. With that thought in mind, Joseph immediately stood up and said to Eman, "Please help me prepare to leave for Bordeaux posthaste."

    "Bordeaux?" Eman paused for a moment, then bowed and responded, "Yes, Your Highness."

    Joseph then turned to Nassien, "Send a message to the northeastern provinces to continue sending potatoes to the south. There''s no need to cut back."

    <img data-y-imgId="10115911" data-y-path="/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10115911/a3779f31be779db8c4707556d9e595a6x41QWg7xQ70yzJx.jpg">

    While Eman was preparing for the trip, Joseph also visited the Pce of Versailles to see the newly appointed Justice Minister, Baron Breti, and asked him to rmend Bertier to the Minister of War.

    The reason he used Baron Breti as an intermediary was to avoid drawing attention to any connections between Bertier and the Royal Family, thus preventing Bertier from being ostracized by the military nobility.

    ...

    The next morning, a convoy of seven or eight carriages, escorted by more than sixty cavalry guards led by Kesode, set off from Paris and headed south through France.

    On the Crown Prince''s carriage, Doctor Perna was taking notes seriously, interjecting with questions from time to time.

    Joseph, seated opposite her, was exining the working principles of red blood cells¡ªalthough he only knew a bit from science poprization videos, in thete 18th century, this constituted the cutting-edge of medical knowledge.

    Indeed, when Doctor Perna learned that the Crown Prince was heading to Bordeaux, she immediately stated that the current cold weather was very detrimental to lung diseases and required constant checks. Thus, she volunteered to apany the Crown Prince on his journey south.

    Joseph felt a little guilty for disrupting her sses on blood cirction, so he casually shared some knowledge about it with her.

    However, this made things difficult for Doctor Lamark¡ªupon returning, his daughter would certainly tell him with a stern face, "Much of what you taught about blood cirction is wrong!"

 Chapter 119: 118: The Real France

    ```

    "Your Highness, are you saying that blood is used to transport nutrients and oxygen?" Perna''srge green eyes glittered, her pretty face full of earnestness, "So, if we let blood from a patient, wouldn''t that make them even weaker?"

    Joseph pped his hands gently, "Indeed, you''ve uncovered the truth."

    "Then why do we perform bloodletting as a treatment?"

    "That is a mistake."

    "No wonder you have always refused bloodletting treatments. Could all the doctors be wrong?" Perna nodded thoughtfully and then, suddenly looking at Joseph, hesitated a bit before saying, "Your Highness, what if... what if your conclusion is incorrect?"

    "To study science is to have a spirit of doubt, to not blindly follow any authority." Joseph first nodded in approval of the female doctor, then continued, "Actually, it''s quite simple to find out if something is right or wrong, we just need to do a double-blind experiment."

    "Double-blind experiment? What is that?"

    Joseph exined, "In simple terms, it involves finding some patients with the same condition and simr physical constitutions, dividing them into two groups, and ensuring they cannot see each other."

    "Then one group receives bloodletting treatment, and the other does not. We see which group recovers first to determine whether bloodletting is effective."

    Perna jotted this down in her notebook, nodding in amazement, "This indeed seems like a very feasible method to test. Oh, Mother Mary, how has no one thought of doing this over the past several hundred years! What if bloodletting therapy actually has only adverse effects..."

    Her eyes suddenly lit up, "Your Highness, perhaps we could also use this... oh, double-blind experiment, to assess whether a certain medication is effective, or whether some factors might affect the illness."

    Joseph gave her a look of approval for her quick understanding, "You are quite right, these can indeed be verified through double-blind experiments."

    Perna''s hand trembled with excitement as she held her pen, her eyes filled with light as she gazed at Joseph, "You, you are truly amazing! How did youe up with these ideas?"

    She nced at her notebook again, "Your Highness, may I tell my father about this method?"

    "Of course, you may."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    As they were talking, the sound of "pitter-patter" came from the roof of the carriage, clearly indicating that it had begun to pour outside.

    Soon, the carriage came to a slow stop. Kesode, the captain of the guard, announced from outside the window, "Your Highness, the road ahead has been flooded by the rain; it''s probably not suitable to continue."

    Joseph, somewhat helpless, ordered to find a ce nearby to take shelter from the rain.

    This was his first time leaving Paris, and he had thought that even if other areas were somewhat inferior to Paris, they wouldn''t be far off. Yet to his surprise, not even a hundred miles out of the ?le-de-France region, everywhere looked impoverished and neglected.

    Take the road they were currently on, for instance; it was obviously constructed with work skimped and materials scrimped, resulting in a loose and crumbly surface. In ces where the ground was slightly lower, the rainwater had pooled, and it quickly became impassable.

    Particrly for a carriage, if one were to insist on passing through, it would most likely get stuck in the mud and be immovable.

    This time, in order to speed up the journey, he had specifically instructed to avoid local officials froming to meet and see him off, but here he was, stopped by the heavy rain.

    After a while, a scout from the cavalry reported back, saying there was a small vige to the east. Kesode hurriedly directed the convoy to turn that way to take shelter from the rain.

    After Joseph''s carriage got stuck in the mud five or six times, they finally arrived at a group of decrepit cottages with thatched roofs.

    Kesode picked thergest one, knocked on the door, and gave the owner eight livres. Immediately, the owner was overjoyed and could not stop thanking him.

    Upon entering the house, Joseph was hit by a musty smell. The ce was not spacious, with newspapers pasted on the walls and furnitureprising only a wooden cab and a wobbly wood table. Still, it was enough to serve as a shelter from the wind and rain.

    Because the lodging fee Kesode had given was excessive, the farmer''s wife felt she needed to provide exceptionally good hospitality. She took out the best food they had, borrowed quite a bit from neighbors, and finally prepared a vish" meal, bringing it out carefully from the back room.

    "Oh, there''s no need, we brought our own food..."

    Kesode stepped forward to stop the farmer''s wife, and Joseph then saw the tense and disappointed expression on her face. Not wanting to dismiss her kindness, he ordered the captain of the guard to let her bring the food over.

    Eman tested the white bread, pickled meat, roast chicken, and vegetable soup on the table meticulously and only then nodded to the Crown Prince that it was safe to eat.

    Joseph ate a few bites, finding the taste quite nd but not to the point of being inedible.

    Kesode and Eman both ate some as well, and Perna, the least picky about food, nearly finished her portion and evenplimented the hostess''s cooking skills in the back room.

    Sitting idly and quite bored, Joseph struck up a conversation with the male homeowner, "Do you know about the government encouraging potato cultivation?"

    The farmer bowed stiffly and nodded, "Yes, my lord. Father Marmont talked about it, saying that it was a gift from the Lord."

    "So, are you nning to nt some?"

    The farmer shook his head.

    "Why not nt them? After the harvest, you only need to pay back two-thirds, which is quite beneficial."

    The farmer was silent for about ten seconds before quietly saying, "Viscount Colbert said, it''s best not to nt those things..."

    Kesode hurriedly leaned in to whisper to Joseph, "Your Highness, I inquired just now; Colbert is thendlord here. Nearly everyone around is his tenant farmer."

    Joseph nodded and then asked the farmer, "But isn''t it up to the farmers themselves to decide what to nt?"

    The farmer said monotonously, "But Viscount Colbert won''t allow it."

    Joseph sighed. These serf farmers¡ªalso known as tenant farmers¡ªwere, in name, free to cultivate thend and simply had to pay rent, but in reality, they were stillrgely beholden to the feudal lord who owned thend.

    ```

 Chapter 120: 118: The Real France_2

    For example, they couldn''t freely leave theirnd, they had to undertake numerous tasks for the feudal lord, and even disputes could be adjudicated by the feudal lord¡ªif the feudal lord lived nearby.

    Therefore, these tenant farmers usually wouldn''t go against the wishes of thendlord. The Old Nobility''s boycott of potatoes also led to arge number of tribute farmers being unable to nt potatoes.

    Joseph chatted with the farmer for a while and gained a general understanding of the household''s living conditions.

    The farmer was named Geiszler, who farmed 27 acres of Viscount Colbert''snd, with an annual grain ie of around 200 livres.

    However, after paying the rent to Colbert, this family still had to pay the Poll Tax, Military Service Tax, the Tithe, the Vingti¨¨me, and the Road Labor Tax, among a long list of other taxes.

    In daily life, they also had to pay the mill tax, press tax, salt tax, goods tax, and tolls, among others.

    What was left was barely enough for the family to eat ck bread every day.

    As for savings, Geiszler said that in recent years droughts had been frequent, leading to poor harvests, and the family had already gone into debt for nearly 50 livres.

    Since Geiszler was rtively strong, his family was still considered to be better off in the vige. ording to him, one-fifth of the vige couldn''t manage to eat their fill at every meal.

    Joseph sighed in his heart; tenant farmers like Geiszler numbered over twenty million in France, and in the face of severe natural disasters, they had almost no ability to resist. When the time came, they would undoubtedly join the ranks of the rioters without hesitation to prevent themselves and their families from starving.

    He sighed, knowing that whether it was France''s enormous debt or the livelihood of the lower-ss farmers, a lot of difficult reforms would need to be made to solve these problems, such as promoting industrial development, adjustingnd distribution, weakening the feudal privileges of the aristocracy and the Church...

    As he was pondering, he walked to the window and saw from the corner of his eye that Lady Geiszler in the other room had carefully collected the leftovers from their meal. Half a bowl of vegetable soup that Eman hadn''t finished was poured into a pot, water and a few leaves were added, turning it into arge pot of soup.

    Another piece of preserved meat, the size of a walnut, was carefully sliced into almost transparent thin slices and tucked into ck bread.

    Two children, about eight or nine years old, looked on with longing as their mother busied herself, asionally wiping their mouths as if they were gazing upon the most delicious delicacies in the world.

    Joseph felt a pang of sorrow; in Paris, he saw nothing but the power struggles of the elite, the decadent lives of the nobledies, and the endless balls and salons of the aristocracy. Yet, it was only today, at the Geiszler''s home, that he truly saw the real face of France.

    Poverty, decay, conservatism, teetering on the brink...

    Just then, a knock came from behind.

    Geiszler hurried to open the door and let in a small man in a grey overcoat, respectfully saying, "Mr. Babo, what brings you here?"

    The man named Babo nodded at him and went straight to Eman, bowing humbly, "My lord, I am the stadtholder here; you can just call me Babo. May I ask where you are from?"

    The title of stadtholder sounds impressive but is actually an official in charge of managing the lower parish¡ªthat is, the vige¡ªequivalent to the vige head.

    As Babo was speaking, the priest of the parish, having heard that someone of importance with many attendants hade to the vige, also hurried to Geiszler''s house.

    "My lord, is there anything I can do for you?" Babo, taking Eman to be the core of the group, asked with a smile covering his face.

    Eman, seeing from the doorway the priest hade through that the rain outside had stopped, pointed in the direction of the road that had been damaged by the rain: "Mr. Babo, the road outside the vige has been spoiled by rain; could you trouble your people to fix it?"

    "Oh, of course, of course, we can."

    Babo nodded repeatedly and then turned to the priest: "Father Marmont, please entertain the distinguished guests; I will go and lead the people to fix the road."

    He walked a few steps and then turned back to signal to Geiszler: "Did you hear that? They''re going to fix the road; youe too."

    "Oh, yes, Mr. Babo."

    Geiszler responded and went to get his coat hanging on the wall.

    Joseph casually asked, "Mr. Geiszler, for work like repairing the roads, how much do you get paid?"

    "Wages?" Babo immediately replied eagerly, "My lord, it''s just fixing a road; there is no payment."

    "Oh?" Joseph frowned slightly, "Is the road outside the vige also owned by Viscount Colbert?"

    Babo shook his head, "That''s not it."

    "Then has Mr. Geiszler paid the roadbor tax?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Babo was taken aback, nodded, and said, "Yes, paid."

    "Since the roadbor tax has been paid and it''s not the lord''sbor, why not pay him for the road work?"

    "This..."

    Joseph smiled at him and said, "Mr. Babo wouldn''t be unfamiliar with thew, would he?"

    Babo startled, as an official in France, you could be ipetent, but you absolutely could not be unfamiliar withws and regtions, for that could cost you your job!

    He hurriedly shook his head, "No, no, you are quite right, he should indeed be paid. Ah, 2 sous per person, do you think that would do?"

    "You just follow the regtions."

    "Oh, right, right. Follow the regtions."

    Geiszler bowed deeply to Joseph in gratitude and then hurriedly followed the stadtholder out.

    Three hourster, Joseph''s entourage continued along the road that was now paved with branches and gravel, heading back towards Bordeaux.

    Geiszler and his wife stood by the side of the road, watching until thest of the cavalry escort had disappeared before returning home.

    Lady Geiszler prepared to cut some dark bread for her husband, who had been busy half the day, to stave off hunger, only to suddenly discover a small cloth bag on the stove.

    She hesitated, then carefully opened the cloth bag and immediately cried out, "Lord Almighty! Adam! Come and see!"

    Geiszler hurried into the room and saw his wife holding a cloth bag and arge handful of silver coins.

    He took the bag and found a note inside, he unfolded it and read: Mr. Geiszler, thank you for showing me another side of France. Please do not refuse this token of my appreciation.

    He looked in the direction where Joseph had left, made the sign of the cross over his chest, and murmured, "May God bless you, kind young master."

    Lady Geiszler quietly counted the silver coins, a total of 50 livres. She excitedly grabbed her husband and jumped for joy, tears in her eyes, "Adam, we have enough to pay off our debts!"

    You see, the interest on the debt they had taken was as high as 15%; if they could not pay it back quickly, with the state of their home, they would likely never be able to settle it...

    Eight dayster.

    On the avenue north of the Bordeaux Exchange Pce, arge crowd gathered on both sides of the road, eagerly awaiting the passage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

    Soon, several elegant and luxuriously made carriages approached from afar, and the people immediately burst into cheers, waving their arms vigorously.

    In one of the middle carriages, the Governor of Bordeaux, Count Montsorro, respectfully said to Joseph, "Your Highness, most of them arrivedst night, and indeed, you could convene a meeting anytime you really need to. However, the banquet is ready, or perhaps you could first..."

    Joseph nodded with a smile, "You have worked hard, Count Montsorro."

    He looked at his pocket watch, which showed it was one-thirty in the afternoon, and then said, "Let''s start at three then."

    "As you wish, your esteemed Highness."

    The carriages passed through the crowd, and Joseph asionally waved in acknowledgement to the citizens who weed him. Meanwhile, the people arranged by Eman in the carriage behind followed tradition, scattering coins and sweets among the crowd.

    The heart of Bordeaux, Exchange Square, had been taken over by Kesode and his guards. Joseph didn''t even go to the vi that Montsorro had prepared for him to rest, but headed straight to the Exchange Pce, ready for the three o''clock meeting.

    The potatoes would be arriving soon, and he did not want to waste a minute.

 Chapter 121: 119 Turning Passive into Active

    ```

    Bordeaux, as France''s most important export location for grape wine, is the soul of the city with its wine trade.

    The Royal Square, which adjoins Bordeaux''s core transportation waterway¡ªthe Garonne River, was once the residence of Louis XV, but now the King no longeres here. Consequently, the vast square and the adjacent pce have be a trading ce for wine merchants and cer owners.

    So people prefer to call it Exchange Square.

    Here, massive amounts of wine are traded every day, then sent all over Europe and even across to the Americas.

    At this moment, in the grand pce''s main conference hall in front of Exchange Square, there were gathered fifty to sixty noblemen or their representatives.

    These noblemen all share another identity, that of grape ntation owners.

    They own the vast majority of vineyards in the Bordeaux region and also operate winemaking workshops, controlling nearly sixty percent of France''s grape wine production industry.

    Three days ago, they received an invitation from Count Montsorro, the Governor. In the invitation, the Governor mentioned that the real convenor of the meeting was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

    Out of respect for these two prominent figures, all invitees set out early and converged on Exchange Square.

    Three o''clock in the afternoon.

    A melodious tune came from outside the main conference hall of the Exchange Pce, drawing the ntation owners'' gaze toward the main door. They saw Governor Montsorro respectfully following a young man in a dark blue coat, entering the hall one after another.

    Everyone knew it must be His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so they all rose respectfully, bowing their heads in salute to the young man.

    After the Governor formally introduced the Crown Prince and delivered a brief opening speech, Joseph, seated in front of the hall, raised his hand to signal to the ntation owners and said loudly, "Thank you all for attending this meeting."

    First following convention, he talked of Bordeaux''s "long history and abundance of products," then got straight to the point, "The main reason we are here today is to talk about potato cultivation."

    Whispers immediately filled the room:

    "I knew it; it has to do with those damn potatoes."

    "They''ve been rushing us to nt this stuff for half a month, who knows if it will lose money."

    "Exactly, nting grains is risk-free..."

    "Let them talk. As for me, I won''t nt a single potato unless they reduce thend tax."

    "Even the Austriandy is sending the Crown Prince; she must really care about this."

    "So, this is a good opportunity. We must stand together and get him to lower thend tax..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "No! It''s about abolishing thend tax altogether..."

    Most of these men spoke in low voices, but a few deliberately spoke loudly enough for the Crown Prince to hear.

    Joseph smiled slightly and ignored them, continuing, "In recent years, droughts have often urred, and everyone''s harvests have been very bad. Potatoes yield a high output and could quickly alleviate the shortage of food caused by disasters."

    He looked around the room and said, "Therefore, I hope you will heed His Majesty the King''s call and nt more potatoes during spring sowing. Oh, the potatoes for ''seed'' should arrive in Bordeaux in about ten days."

    Asnd aristocrats, these grape ntation owners also controlled arge amount of arablend in the Bordeaux region. As long as they cooperated, potatoes could be easily cultivated on arge scale.

    Below, a nobleman with a peculiar upturned nose tentatively called out, "Your Highness, could you consider reducing thend tax a little?"

    Immediately someone responded, "Count Ledney is right; nting potatoes might lose money, it would be best to reduce thend tax aspensation."

    "Please promise to lower thend tax first."

    "That''s a separate issue." Joseph said indifferently, "If you have opinions on thend tax, you may propose them to the Finance Minister and submit them for review by the High Court. Today, I am only talking about potatoes."

    The noblemen all showed signs of dissatisfaction upon hearing this, and the room fell into silence.

    Joseph calmly went on to enumerate the various benefits of nting potatoes, speaking for over half an hour. Finally, he said, "Alright, I understand that switching to a crop you''re unfamiliar with is a difficult decision.

    "You may all return and consider it. Tomorrow morning at nine, we will meet here again, and I hope to receive a positive reply from you."

    After Joseph finished speaking, he prepared to leave. Governor Montsorro hurried to the center of the hall, inviting the estate owners to a banquet with a cheerful smile, in an attempt to ease the somewhat awkward atmosphere.

    Joseph was well aware that he could have easily presented the "Pasteurization Technique" trump card at the beginning, and likely many estate owners would have chosen to cooperate.

    However, doing so would make thend aristocracy feel that they forced the Royal Family into granting these benefits by using "not nting potatoes" as leverage.

    Therefore, on his way to Bordeaux, Joseph had already nned to turn passivity into initiative, making the ntation owners realize that cooperating with the Crown Prince is beneficial, and that opposition would only lead to disadvantages.

    After a dreary banquet, Montsorro invited Joseph and the nobility to a dance party at his residence.

    Fortunately, Bordeaux''s noble youngdies had some awe for the unfamiliar Crown Prince, so Joseph was not "besieged" at the dance party, but instead had the chance to genuinely enjoy some authentic Bordeaux wines.

    Just as he managed to get through the party and was stepping out of the dance hall, a middle-aged man hurriedly followed him from behind.

    Eman immediately intercepted the man with vignce.

    ```

 Chapter 122: 119 Turning the Tables_2

    The man hurriedly made a chest-touching salute from a distance to Joseph, "May God be with you, Your Royal Highness Crown Prince. I am Pierre Victiniang Venio, serving at the Bordeaux High Court. May I have the honor of speaking with you for a moment?"

    Joseph felt the name was somewhat familiar. Venio? He suddenly remembered¡ªwasn''t this the famed orator of the Girondin Party?

    Indeed, the name of the Girondin Party originated because several of its main leaders were from the Gironde province, and Venio was one of them. Of course, the Gironde province was only delineated after the Great Commandment; presently, it was still only Bordeaux or the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

    Joseph remembered that Venio was one of the few in the Girondin Party who advocated for cooperation with the Royal Family, but he had no idea what he wanted with him.

    So, he signaled to Eman, "Please let Mr. Venioe over."

    Eman nodded and stepped aside.

    Quickly advancing a few steps, Venio once again gave a respectful bow, "Thank you, Your Royal Highness."

    Joseph smiled, "May I ask what can I do for you?"

    Looking around and seeing no other nobles nearby, Venio spoke earnestly, "Your Royal Highness, please forgive my presumption. In truth, you really shouldn''t havee to Bordeaux this time."

    "Oh? And why is that?"

    "Your Highness, the noble lords just recently refused to nt potatoes, and then you arrived immediately. You may wish to resolve this matter before spring nting, but this will make the nobles feel that you need them and thus bargain with you even more stubbornly."

    Joseph blinked in surprise, wondering why this Mr. Venio seemed even more concerned about the potato nting than himself.

    Venio continued, "Your Highness, I''ve heard news from Paris that this year there might be a serious drought.

    "And those great nobles will not care about it. They are wealthy and even a poor harvest won''t affect them. Some of them worry that the profits from potatoes won''t be as high as grains, but more are seeking to use this as an opportunity to lower thend tax!

    "But as you know, disasters have been frequent in recent years and the farmers of Bordeaux are impoverished, unable to endure another drought.

    "I have been to Prussia; the people there rely on potatoes to fight off famine. At the moment, we need potatoes too, the farmers in Bordeaux need potatoes!"

    Joseph was moved, not expecting that thiswyer would be so concerned with the suffering of themon people and willing to toil for the improvement of their lives.

    He nodded, "Yes, I came to persuade everyone to nt potatoes."

    Venio''s expression showed great urgency, "Your Highness, the ntation owners have formed an alliance. Oh, I also run a small vineyard. They approached me too. They say if you do not reduce thend tax, they will absolutely not nt potatoes."

    "Are you here to persuade me to lower taxes?"

    "No, Your Highness, thend tax must not be lowered," stated Venio, "the nobles must bear their obligations to the nation!"

    Joseph looked at him with interest, "Oh? And what do you suggest we do?"

    Venio''s expression was somber, "The only option now is for the government to provide a sum of money as a subsidy for nting potatoes. Under the drive of benefits, there will certainly be those willing to nt."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Joseph thought to himself, You indeed possess the Girondin''s spirit ofpromise.

    He smiled and shook his head, "Mr. Venio, you should be aware of France''s financial situation¡ªthere''s simply not that much money avable. Moreover, it''s unnecessary. In just ten more days, everyone will bepeting to nt potatoes."

    Venio smiled awkwardly, "Your Highness, you jest. Unless you reduce thend tax, they will never..."

    Joseph immediately interjected, "How about we make a bet?"

    "A bet?"

    "If within ten days, more than half of the ntation owners have not volunteered to nt potatoes, I will do as you say and provide a sum of money for potato subsidies."

    What about the other way round?" inquired Venio.

    "Then you''ll have to do something for me."

    Joseph knew that Venio was skilled at oration and capable in handling affairs. By enlisting this "sturdy man," he would be able to save himself a lot of trouble.

    After only half a second of hesitation, Venio extended his hand, "Very well, Your Highness. As you say."

    Joseph sped his hand, struck the deal, and then took his leave.

    Perhaps because of the wine he had drunk the night before, Joseph immediately fell into a deep sleep upon returning to his bedroom.

    When he arrived at the pce conference hall of the exchange the next morning, he found that seven or eight people were absentpared to the day before. Naturally, these absent nobles had all made various excuses, seeking leave from Montsorro.

    Joseph was not troubled by this, and he got straight to the point, "So, who is willing to sign a contract to nt potatoes now?"

    There was another moment of silence below; the mere attendance today was out of respect for the Crown Prince, and yet he was still thinking about the potatoes?

    Venio immediately stood up, "Your Highness, I am willing to nt five hectares."

    He was but awyer with some family assets, and that was all the arablend he had.

    Several ntation owners who were on good terms with Venio responded, "Your Highness, I can also sign for eight hectares."

    "I can nt six hectares."

    Joseph nodded with satisfaction and looked around the room once more, "Anyone else?"

    The ntation owners nced dissatisfiedly at Venio and others, but under the Crown Prince''s persistent inquiry, they still needed to offer a token gesture, so as not to offend the Crown Prince''s dignity.

    Someone hesitantly muttered in a low voice, "I''ll nt 40 mu."

    A hectare being 100 French acres meant that this was less than half a hectare.

    The other nobles followed suit, "Then I''ll also nt 50 mu."

    "I''ll nt 40 mu."

 Chapter 123: 119 Turning the Tables_3

    "I have 30 acres..."

    Joseph smiled as he watched these people respond to him, then suddenly raised his voice, "Oh, right, I''ve been so preupied with potatoes that Ipletely forgot about another matter."

    He gestured to Eman, who immediately had documents distributed to the nobles present.

    Joseph continued, "This is the ''French Brewing Technology Association'' I''m nning, to facilitate the exchange of brewing techniques. Listed here are some of the new technologies the association possesses."

    The estate owners below were instantly filled with question marks¡ªwhy had the topic suddenly shifted to winemaking, and what was this technology association?

    However, as they began to peruse the document in hand, their eyes grew wider and wider.

    Someone couldn''t help but exim aloud, "New technology that reduces the failure rate of brewing to a negligible extent? How is that possible?"

    Another person said, "And this technology, it can make the wine taste less acidic, improving the quality manifold!"

    "Good Lord, and it also extends the preservation time of wine by more than tenfold!"

    The ntation owners immediately began to discuss among themselves, their voices growing louder and louder.

    Even Venio was extremely shocked as he also owned a winemaking industry and was quite familiar with the matter.

    Firstly, winemaking was something that always had some failure rate. To keep the failure rate below 10% was the mark of the top winemaking masters. Typically, if 30% of wine production failed, that was considered eptable.

    What was even more unbelievable was the technology imed to eliminate the acidic taste of wine.

    You must understand that the presence of an acidic taste is an important criterion of wine quality.

    Ordinary wines usually have a hint of acidity, affecting the taste. Only the more high-end wines can nearly eliminate the acidic taste.

    Which means, this technology could make all the wines produced of high-end quality!

    And the price difference between ordinary and high-quality wines can be more than tenfold!

    Someone immediately stood up excitedly, holding the document in hand and asked Joseph, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, are these technologies real?"

    Joseph nodded with a smile, "Of course they''re real. They have already been applied for patents at the Paris Patent Office and should be registered soon."

    An older ntation owner expressed his skepticism, "Your Highness, forgive my frankness. I have been in winemaking for decades and have never heard of such technology. Couldn''t this be..."

    Joseph looked at the eager nobles and immediately stood up, "Who has a wine cer near here? I can give a demonstration on the spot."

    ...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    In the northern suburbs of Bordeaux, Yalsen Cer.

    Although it was already winter, the cer still had grapes specially smoked and dried for long-term storage, which could be used for winemaking.

    It wasn''t long before craftsmen arranged several barrels ofpleted grape pulp and brewing water in front of Joseph.

    He also asked for a heating stove and arge bucket among other things, then signaled the watching ntation owners to leave first.

    As soon as Kesode had "escorted" everyone out, Joseph immediately had Eman help fill arge pot with water and ce it on the stove to boil.

    When the water came to a boil, he mixed the hot water with cold water in arge wooden barrel and took out the thermometer he had brought to measure the temperature until it was exactly 65 degrees Celsius.

    He then ced the small barrel containing the grape pulp into therge wooden barrel, started timing, and continued to measure the temperature. Whenever the temperature dropped, he immediately added hot water to keep the grape pulp above 60 degrees Celsius.

 Chapter 124: 120: Must Be Loyal to His Majesty the King!

    After processing the grape pulp, Joseph ced the water for brewing into anotherrge wooden barrel, also maintaining it at 60 degrees.

    Half an hourter, Joseph took out the grape pulp that had been soaked in hot water, covered it, and began soaking the next barrel of grape pulp...

    Just like that, he and Eman busied themselves for three or four hours and finally processed all the brewing ingredients.

    Joseph wiped the sweat from his brow and asked Eman to invite in the expectant vineyard owners who were waiting outside.

    More than thirty nobles streamed into the brewing room, but upon seeing the scene before them, they all exchanged puzzled nces¡ªwater was still water, and the grape pulp was still grape pulp.

    The senior vineyard owner looked at Joseph and said cautiously, "Your Highness, it seems you haven''t begun the brewing process yet..."

    Joseph nodded, "Then have your brewers start now."

    The old noble''s face showed surprise, "You mean, let my people do the brewing?"

    "That''s right."

    The crowd immediately showed their disappointment; so much for "reducing the failure rate" and "improving quality" techniques¡ªthey were just a joke made by the Crown Prince.

    Joseph, seeing their expressions, couldn''t help but chuckle and pointed towards the barrels inside the room: "All the important steps have beenpleted where you cannot see. Brewing is just simple finishing work, anyone could do it."

    "Ah... Very well, Your Highness." The elder noblecklusterly called his brewers over, instructing them to start making wine.

    As the brewers began to hustle, Joseph only reminded them to minimize contact with the ingredients and use high-temperature treated utensils before he gracefully left.

    The nobles escorted the Crown Prince to the driveway outside the Yalsen Cer until his carriage door closed. Then they stopped their saluting gestures and started to discuss:N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Viscount Jules, do you think the Crown Prince was serious about those techniques?"

    "It stands to reason, His Highness wouldn''te all the way to Bordeaux just to tease us, right?"

    "I hope it''s true; my cer hasn''t made money in years..."

    "s, neither has mine..."

    "Specting here is useless; we''ll know in a few days after we see the brewing results."

    On the carriage, Joseph leaned back in the soft chair backrest, enjoying a rare moment of leisure¡ªnow he just had to wait for the wine to be brewed and then he could "cast the" at the opportune moment. Until then, there was nothing he could do.

    It was actually his first vacation since bing the Crown Prince.

    Where to rx? He pondered for a while, then turned to Eman, "Count Eman, there should be some nice beaches in Bordeaux, right?"

    After a moment''s thought, the other nodded, "Your Highness, if you want to enjoy the beach scenery, I rmend Arcachon. It''s a half-day journey to the southwest from here."

    "Good, let''s go there!"

    Joseph suddenly remembered Doctor Perna who was alone at the Governor''s vi in Montsorro and hurriedly ordered, "Let''s go back and pick up Doctor Perna too."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Before long, Perna d in a white men''s coat, her hair tied up and wearing a tricorne hat, climbed aboard the carriage. Upon learning they were going to Arcachon, she excitedly crossed her hands over her chest and cheered, "Oysters! God Almighty, I love oysters the most! Thank you, Your Highness, thank you so much!"

    Joseph was taken aback, "Oysters?"

    Eman whispered an exnation, "Your Highness, Arcachon has been a famous oyster-producing area since Roman times."

    Perna quickly added, "The best oysters in all of France!" Her eyes sparkled with a pilgrim''s devoutness.

    Joseph chuckled, not expecting their little doctor miss to be such a foodie.

    The carriage set off and after another bracing half-day''s ride, they finally reached the town of Arcachon.

    Joseph stood by the seaside, feeling the cool sea breeze blow in his face¡ªhere was a temperate marine climate. Even in winter, the sea breeze wasn''t too cold. Looking out at the painting-like great dunes and the golden beaches that stretched to the horizon on the other side, he felt a resonance with nature, filled with peace and tranquility.

    Smelling the faint fishy odor of the sea wind, Perna smiled at Joseph, "Your Highness, this climate is very beneficial for your pneumonia; perhaps you should stay here for a while longer."

    Joseph sighed lightly, "Yes, if possible, I really don''t want to leave this ce."

    Perna replied with a smile, "But moving the Pce of Versailles to Bordeaux would not be an easy task."

    After some more idle chat, the young miss started peering around curiously.

    With a smile, Eman leaned over and whispered to her, "I have already contacted the best oyster vendor; he will be here soon."

    Perna, her secret thoughts revealed, blushed slightly.

    Shortly after, on the t beach, guards used drapes to encircle a spot. A middle-aged man wearing a ck coat, with rough and tough skin, directed several men to unload barrels from a cart.

    Eman ordered servants to bring several elegant little wooden tables, ce tablecloths on them, and set up the utensils, pastries, and wine. Then he turned to signal the oyster vendor guarding the barrels, "Please begin."

    The middle-aged man immediately used his calloused hands to fish out an oysterrger than his palm from the barrel, took out a small knife, skillfully levered and cut through, then extracted the milky oyster meat from the hard shell and ced it on a te in front of Joseph. He then cut a lemon in half, squeezed out the juice onto the oyster, and attentive to Joseph, indicating he should try it.

    Eating raw? Joseph felt a bit awkward: Mate, fresh from the sea these oysters may be, but what if they make me sick? Could have mud worms, you know? And there were viruses too...

 Chapter 125: 120 Loyalty to His Majesty the King! _2

    He saw Perna at the next table already bright-eyed and picking up her fork. He quickly stopped her, clearing his throat and saying, "Ahem, you''re in for a treat today. I know a much healthier, more delicious way to cook oysters. Would you like to try it?"

    "Ah?"

    Joseph thought for a moment, asked the oyster vendor for a grill, some garlic, and a few spices, and then gave detailed instructions...

    Half an hourter, on the iron grill, the oyster shells filled with garlic paste and various spices held oyster meat turned golden, sizzling and bubbling with oil. The rich meaty aroma blended with the scent of garlic, wafting over half a mile away.

    Joseph lifted a piece of oyster meat the size of a walnut, thered in garlic paste, to his mouth with a fork and instantly squinted his eyes in delight: Indeed, it was from the best oyster producing area in France! The meat was plump, tender, juicy with a hint of sweetness!

    Paired with spices and garlic paste, grilled over a fire, it was as if the ocean''s freshness and the me''s spiciness melted together in the mouth, as sweet as kissing a beautiful, lovely girl!

    Ah¡ªthis is the vor!

    Perna, on the other hand, had forgotten everything, abandoning all semnce ofdylikeposure, desperately stuffing grilled oysters with garlic paste into her mouth. Even though they were hot enough to bring tears, she was unwilling to stop.

    In this manner, Joseph spent the first day of his vacation apanied by sunshine, the beach, and grilled oysters.

    What he didn''t expect was that shortly thereafter, a dish named "Crown Prince Oysters" would be a sensation throughout Bordeaux...

    Leisurely holidays always fly by, and after having a st all over Bordeaux for eight days, Joseph returned to Yalsen Cer.

    Because the wine had already been brewed.

    In the warm brewing room, dozens of vineyard owners watched the ten or so oak barrels, anxiously awaiting the oue.

    Joseph smiled and gestured to the old nobleman beside him: "Baron Polutak, please, would you do us the honor of checking the brewing for everyone?"

    "At yourmand, Your Highness," Polutak said somewhat nervously as he used a bung extractor to remove the cork from the barrel. He then inserted a hollow ss tube into the barrel and plugged the other end with a finger.

    When he drew the tube out, a good amount of wine had filled the lower end.

    He released his finger, letting the wine from the tube flow into a nearby ss. He sniffed the wine and then took a tentative sip.

    Someone nearby asked anxiously, "Baron Polutak, how is it?"

    Polutak''s eyes sparkled, and he nodded vigorously: "Very good! Although it''s from cer-stored grapes and of average quality, it really has no sour taste at all!"

    Another vineyard owner quickly stepped forward to take the ss, uncaring that someone else had drunk from it, and tasted a sip, immediately eximing excitedly, "Really,pletely devoid of sourness!"

    Polutak sampled from the next oak barrel, tasted, and once again eximed in amazement, "The same, absolutely no sourness!"

    People couldn''t hold back any longer, each taking a ss to taste for themselves, followed by waves of excited praises.

    Once Polutak had checked thest oak barrel and looked back at Joseph, his eyes were filled with nothing but reverence.

    "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, I can confirm that your brewing technique is effective..." he started, then suddenly shook his head, "No, it''s simply perfect!"

    Out of twelve barrels, not one had failed to brew! Polutak was very aware of his own brewer''s abilities, which surely would have been impossible before.

    If, in the past, they brewed twelve barrels and no more than two turned into "vinegar", he would certainly reward the brewer.

    But this time, with the assistance of the Crown Prince''s miraculous brewing technique, not a single barrel had spoiled!

    You should know that this effectively reduced his cost of wine production by nearly 30%!

    While the sess rate of brewing was nearly a hundred percent, the quality of the wine also saw a significant increase.

    This wine, devoid of even the slightest bit of sourness, was definitely a high-end product. Its price would be at least one or two times higher than before!

    He felt his heart pounding with excitement¡ªhe had just made a rough calction, finding that his annual ie would increase by nearly ten thousand livres!

    Clearly, the other vineyard owners had also calcted how much the new technique would benefit them, discussing amongst themselves with unparalleled excitement.

    Suddenly, someone bowed to Joseph and inquired, "Your Highness, may I ask what the cost of this brewing technique is?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Everyone was taken aback and looked at Joseph in unison. True, the ie had doubled, but if the cost had also doubled, then the profit wouldn''t be much greater...

    "I''ve never calcted that," Joseph said, somewhat uncertain, for he had no idea how much it would cost to heat a barrel of water, "But the added cost per barrel of wine should not exceed 1 sou."

    Their eyes immediately lit up.

    One barrel of wine for just 1 sou? Even the casual sips stolen by the cer workers cost more than that!

    Some couldn''t help but smile proudly, saying, "Let''s see how the Vians willpete with us now!"

    Another personughed heartily: "Not just Venice! With the Crown Prince''s brewing techniques, Spanish wine will be no match for Bordeaux."

    "Bordeaux wines will dominate the entire European market!"

    "Exactly, all of Europe will be drinking our wine!"

    "Long live the Crown Prince!"

    Venio raised his ss and eximed loudly, "To the Crown Prince!"

    The others promptly raised their sses in unison, echoing, "To the Crown Prince!"

    Once the vineyard owners'' excitement had calmed slightly and they exchanged nces, the Count of Torendal, speaking for them all, stepped forward and bowed to Joseph: "Your Highness, how might we utilize your brewing technique?"

 Chapter 126: 120: Must Be Loyal to His Majesty the King!_3

    Joseph nodded, his own groundwork having beenid out for so long, was finally about to bear fruit, and he immediately smiled, "The purpose of establishing the French Brewing Technology Association is to pass on the new brewing technology to our members. The technology usage fee is 3% of the selling price per barrel."

    Upon hearing this, everyone was ecstatic. They had been worried that the Crown Prince would demand an exorbitant price, but it turned out to be only 3%. Knowing that just the quality improvement of wine brought by the new technology could double the selling price, 3% was almost like getting it for free.

    Count of Torendal immediately asked, "Your Highness, what qualifications are needed to join the association?"

    Joseph drawled, "That, I haven''t decided yet."

    Everyone was stunned.

    Joseph then looked at Venio and others who had agreed to nt potatoes on arge scale a few days ago: "However, Mr. Venio, Viscount Clement, Mr. Mune, and others have already proven their loyalty to His Majesty the King through their actions. Tomend this loyalty, I believe they will be among the first batch of members."

    Venio and others were overjoyed, never having thought that agreeing to nt potatoes to alleviate the famine among the people would result in such an unexpected windfall!

    Other ntation owners, upon hearing "proven loyalty to the King," couldn''t help but pause, but recalling the recent actions of Venio and others, they quickly found the answer¡ªthey had agreed to nt arge number of potatoes!

    Baron Polutak pondered with his head down, knowing that as long as he could obtain the new winemaking technology, even if the potato yield was not much, the losses could be easilypensated for by the profits from wine. After all, the potato "seeds" were provided by the government, and the ie from wine could at least double.

    With this in mind, he immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to nt ten hectares of potatoes!"

    Joseph looked at him and asked, "May I ask how extensive your vineyard is?"

    "About forty hectares."

    "nt potatoes on one hectare for every four of vines," Joseph nodded slightly, "That roughly shows your loyalty."

    Baron Polutak was ted, "Your Highness, does that mean I can join the association?"

    "Yes," Joseph nodded, "The membership fee is calcted based on the size of the ntation, fifty livres per hectare per year."

    "Membership fee?" Polutak nced unconsciously at Venio and others, and seeing no objection from Joseph, he quickly understood¡ªthey had a discount.

    However,pared to the huge profits that the new brewing technology would bring, this membership fee was negligible. He immediately agreed without hesitation.

    Seeing this, other ntation owners hurried to dere their intentions, jostling each other, "Your Highness, I can also nt thirty hectares of potatoes. Oh, I have a total of one hundred and twenty hectares of vineyards."

    "Your Highness, I am willing to nt twenty-five hectares..."

    "Your Highness, I''ll also nt fifty hectares..."

    As for the "Land Tax Alliance," it was long forgotten by them.

    Joseph smiled and gestured for everyone to register their area with Eman and to sign the nting contract.

    Watching the ntation owners eagerly sign up to nt potatoes, Venio suddenly remembered something and hurriedly approached Joseph, "Your Highness, Count Ledney and others are not aware of today''s events. Would you like me to inform them?"

    He was referring to the few who had asked for leave and not attended the meeting Joseph had convened the next day.

    Joseph sneered and shook his head, "Thanks for the reminder, but it''s not necessary. Not everyone can meet the qualifications to join the French Brewing Technology Association."

    The surrounding ntation owners, upon hearing this, felt a chill down their spines, but at the same time, they were relieved.

    You see, if most of the wine cers start using the new brewing technology, those without it will quickly lose theirpetitive edge and go bankrupt.

    Fortunately, they hadn''t listened to Count Ledney that day; otherwise, their own wine workshops might also have been on the list of bankruptcies.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 127: Chapter 121 The "Disgrace" of the French Guards

    After all the vineyard owners had signed the contracts to nt potatoes, Joseph then kindly expressed that a specialist would soon handle their membership into the French Brewing Technology Association and teach their brewers the corresponding techniques.

    Lastly, he also warmly reminded everyone to beware of those cers that were using the new brewing technology without authorization.

    Pasteurization, when ites down to it, is quite simple; it''s about controlling the temperature and heating time, and those who havee into contact with it could easily leak it out. But now, France has patentws and a patent office, so if anyone dares to use the patented technology casually, they better be prepared to pay until they''re bankrupt.

    The vineyard owners present immediately dered, with shared animosity, that they would diligently supervise everything with all their might.

    After all,petitors are enemies; they wish for fewer rivals so that their own sales would be better. And since they had paid membership and patent usage fees, how could they possibly sit by and watch those who weren''t members "freeload"?

    Even more so, some were already pondering how to buy the bankrupted parties like Count Ledney''s industries at a low price after their downfall.

    After praising everyone''s loyalty to the King, Joseph left the Yalsen Cer.

    As he arrived at the gates of Yalsen Manor, he suddenly pped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten someone. So he instructed Eman, "Count Eman, please invite Mr. Venio over."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Before long, the Crown Prince''s carriage convoy slowly set off, leaving the grape ntation.

    In the carriage, Joseph smiled towards Venio, "Mr. Venio, you see, just as I said, everyone was very eager to request the nting of potatoes."

    Recalling the bet between the two, Venio immediately replied with an admiring tone, "Your Highness, what you have done is simply astonishing. Pleasemand me as you wish; I will do everything within my power to aplish it."

    Joseph nodded with satisfaction, "Then let me thank you in advance for the hard work you will be putting in. The promotion of potato nting in Bordeaux has had certain effects, so there are other simr ces that can also use this method to promote, such as Burgundy, Provence, and so on."

    Upon hearing this, Venio immediately understood the Crown Prince''s intent, his eyes lighting up ¡ª both Burgundy and Provence were wine-producing regions, and although their production was less than Bordeaux, the brewing industry there was also significant.

    As long as they used the new brewing technology as bait, repeating Bordeaux''s script, he believed many vineyard owners would be willing to nt potatoes.

    Joseph added, "Right, Brittany and Normandy can also promote potatoes in this way."

    "Ah?" Venio was puzzled, "Your Highness, but these ces don''t produce wine..."

    Joseph smiled slightly, "But they have the beer industry. My brewing technology is not just effective for wine, it works for beer and spirits as well."

    His eyes wide, Venio eximed, "This technology is simply too incredible!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "It can even be used to preserve milk." Joseph added casually, looking towards Venio with a smile, "I hope you can represent me in these ces, promoting potato nting through brewing technology. Of course, I will provide the necessary staff for you."

    With exceptional oratory skills and passionate about potato nting, Venio was just the right person for the job. With him traveling back and forth, Joseph could save a great deal of energy.

    Immediately, Venio bowed deeply, "Your Highness, it''s an honor to serve you. I will definitely satisfy your expectations!"

    He then discussed some important details with Joseph about the "technology for potatoes" trade, and finally couldn''t resist asking what he had been most curious about recently, "Your Highness, could you tell me how you manage to improve the sess rate and quality of brewing without even being involved in the process?"

    Joseph didn''t hide anything; after all, the "patentw" offered protection, so there was no fear of leaks, "Mr. Venio, failures in brewing and poor quality are rted to the sourness of the wine. Do you know where the sournesses from?"

    As someone who managed a cer and was fairly knowledgeable, Venio promptly answered, "There are several possibilities, such as poor quality of grapes, or the control of brewing time being imprecise..."

    After letting him finish, Joseph shook his head with a smile, "The factors you mentioned may have some effects, but they are not the fundamental cause."

    Immediately, Venio''s eyes widened, "The fundamental cause? What is that?"

    "Lactic acid bacteria."

    "Lactic acid bacteria?" Venio was confused, "That seems to be a type of bacteria?"

    Joseph nodded, "That''s right, it''s the stuff used for making yogurt."

    "But that is yeast." Venio blurted out.

    "That''s a misunderstanding." Joseph corrected him, "In fact, it is somethingpletely different from yeast. It breaks down proteins or sugars, releasingctic acid, which is the source of the acidity in wine.

    "And these bacteria are found everywhere in nature, so during brewing, they easily contaminate the grape pulp or water, thus causing the wine to sour."

    "Fortunately, they are very fragile. They just need to stay in an environment at 60 degrees for half an hour, and they will bepletely dead."

    Thoughtfully, Venio said, "So ording to you, just by heating the raw materials used for brewing to 60 degrees and maintaining it for half an hour, we could solve all the problems?"

    "Indeed so."

    Astonishment spread across Venio''s face, "Is it really that simple?!"

    "That''s how science works, without the process of exploration, the conclusions are often notplicated." Joseph said with a nodding smile.

 Chapter 128: Chapter 121: The "Shame" of the French Guard_2

    ```

    The next morning, as Joseph was having his luggage packed to return to Paris, Governor Montsorro and Venio suddenly arrived in his room.

    Joseph was somewhat surprised, still having two more hours before his scheduled departure time; why had these twoe to see him off so early?

    After the greetings, Montsorro seemed quite embarrassed as he said, "Your Highness, please forgive the intrusion, but after discussing with Mr. Venio, we felt it would be better to inform you about a matter."

    "What is it? Please, speak," Joseph said.

    "Well, Viscount of Joubert, Viscount of Vienna and Baron of Chappelier wish to have an opportunity to show their loyalty to His Majesty the King. I mean, they want to nt some potatoes."

    Seeing that the Crown Prince had no recollection of these names, Venio hurriedly reminded him, "Your Highness, they did not attend the meeting the next day."

    Montsorro continued, "Your Highness, they have expressed a willingness to nt potatoes on half of the cultivation garden''s area."

    Joseph frowned slightly. Venio quickly persuaded, "Your Highness, they know they were wrong and are pleading for your forgiveness..."

    Joseph was aware that these three had also spent a significant amount of money, especially to have the Governor intercede on their behalf.

    It was a ssic case of "Refuse the wine and be forced to drink the dregs." In that case, let them bleed a little more; nting more potatoes would be beneficial nheless.

    So, he said with an impassive face, "Tell them to nt potatoes on two-thirds of the cultivation garden''s area, and the membership fee will be doubled. That will suffice."

    Montsorro''s face rxed, and he promptly bowed, "Yes, Your Highness, they will surely be grateful for your kindness and generosity."

    As for the nobles who had yet to receive the message or were still hesitating, they had lost theirst chance to join the Brewing Technology Association. A bleak future awaited them.

    ...

    A few dayster, the Crown Prince''s carriage entered Paris.

    Looking out the carriage window, Joseph saw that quite a few public toilets had been constructed along the streets, with citizens going in and out. From time to time, there were also carts collecting manure, filled with fertilizer, being pulled by horses towards the outskirts of the city.

    The streets were stered with signs reading "Do Not Urinate or Defecate Anywhere At Will," and police officers were watching passersby with an eagle eye. Anyone who appeared to be about to relieve themselves on the spot would immediately be met with a whistle and a stern reprimand.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The results were quite apparent, with street feces reduced by seventy to eighty percent. However, there were still "fish that slipped through the" who relieved themselves on the streets, leaving behind traces. It was not surprising, as cultivating a habit of public hygiene in citizens was not something that could be achieved overnight.

    At this moment, Paris was bing one of the cleaner and more orderly cities among the major cities of Europe.

    Joseph took a deep breath, feeling that the air in the city was much fresher, no longer bearing that constant sensation of walking through a toilet.

    As the carriage passed the Seine River, whether it was psychological or not, Joseph even felt that the river water had be somewhat clearer.

    In fact, with the reduction of feces on the streets, the pollutants washed into the Seine during the rain had indeed decreased significantly. Even the Parisians drawing water from the river could vaguely sense that the taste of the water was bing "milder."

    This also prompted them to pay more attention to the issue of relieving themselves in public, with many citizens beginning to report those who did so on the streets to the police.

    When the carriage passed a rather deserted public toilet, Joseph instructed the driver to stop, and then he got out of the carriage and curiously entered the facility.

    Inside was arge pittrine, divided by wooden boards into four squatting areas, with handrails thoughtfully installed on the boards. Opposite the squatting areas was a long row of urinals; overall, it was quite well-appointed.

    After relieving himself, Joseph left the public toilet contentedly, but after a few steps, he suddenly felt that something was not quite right.

    He turned around to look - it seemed like everything that should be there was present...

    Suddenly, he realized something and his face darkened¡ªwere there only doors to the men''s toilets?!

    Recalling the public toilets along the way and after questioning Eman, he finally confirmed that indeed, they all only included facilities for men.

    After Eman grasped why the Crown Prince was dissatisfied, he tried to exin, "Your Highness, perhaps they assumed thatdies rarely relieve themselves on the streets."

    Joseph sighed. It was truly bothersome; without his specific instructions, things just wouldn''t be right...

    The carriage resumed its journey, and as it neared the city center, more and more posters promoting fashion week appeared on both sides of the street, along with road signs with arrows and inscriptions in multiplenguages at the intersections.

    ```

    ording to Joseph''s arrangement, more than a month earlier, advertisements for Fashion Week had already been ced throughout Europe, with advertising costs alone totaling over one hundred thousand livres.

    However, the effect was significant, with nobles from all countries now discussing Paris Fashion Week, even to the extent that over seventy percent of the high-end hotels at Tuileries Pce had been booked.

    One could imagine that once Fashion Week officially opened, a massive influx of foreign tourists would pour into Paris, freely spending gold coins, creating a historically memorable g.

    ...

    In the south of Paris, near the suburbs, a vi was hosting a gathering.

    Most of the attendees were military officers. Their circle wasn''t too fond of salons, so gatherings like this became their mostmon way to socialize.

    In an inconspicuous corner of the gathering, a major with teeth ck as pitch swirled his ss and said, "Auror, tell us about the activity patterns of those despicable police officers."

    The tall and lean lieutenant beside him immediately nodded respectfully and said in a hushed tone, "I''ve had my men watch that police training ground for over ten days. They conduct artillery training every three days..."

    The surrounding officers immediately showed looks of disdain:

    "A bunch of stinking police officers have gotten their hands on cannons!"

    "Hmph, they''re lucky if they manage not to shoot the cannonballs into their own camp."

    "Exactly, cannons are not something those sorts of people can handle!"

    Auror continued reporting on the police academy, "On the day they train with the artillery, they''ll have a session in the morning and another in the afternoon, with an interval..."

    After he finished, the major with the ck teeth asked, "Have you investigated all the viges around it thoroughly?"

    Auror nodded, pulled out a map, and pointed to a rectangr shape in the center, "This is that damned training ground, and these circles represent farmhouses."

    The major looked at it for a moment, then pointed to a circle on the north side, "How far is this from the police training ground?"

    "Half a league."

    "A bit far, what about this one?"

    "Slightly over a third of a league."

    "Good, it''s this one. Additionally, there''s a dense forest nearby." The major with ck teeth revealed a cold smile, "Cecilian, you and your men will be responsible for vignce."

    He pointed to the north side of the training ground on the map, "Right here. Auror, you''ll be in charge of transporting the cannon and also removing it after we''ve secured it. If anything unexpected happens, hide in this dense forest first.

    "ording to your intelligence, the police''sst training session is after 4 p.m. If you dy just a bit, night will fall, and then you can calmly return to the barracks."

    "Yes, sir!"

    The major then looked at the blond, short-statured man sitting opposite, "Komu, you and your men will take care of the shooting. You''ll only have one chance to fire, and you must hit that farmhouse, then quickly withdraw into Paris City."

    "Alright, you can count on me."

    "Auror, when''s their next training?"

    "The day after tomorrow, sir."

    "Good. Tomorrow you''ll go again to familiarize yourselves with the terrain, and you''ll take action the day after tomorrow," the major with ck teeth raised his ss and said fiercely, "Cheers! Those lowly police officers dared to insult our General and the French Guard, we must give them a memory they won''t forget!"

    These men were officers of the French Guard.

    Last time, themander of the French Guard, Besanval, had been shamed after being forced to retreat from outside the police school training ground at gunpoint, regarding it as an immense disgrace and ming it all on the head of police school administration and the Director of Paris Police.

    Of course, as a high-ranking officer, Besanval knew that dealing with those two would require political tactics, but his subordinates only wanted to have their revenge immediately.

 Chapter 129: Chapter 122: All the Talents of the World Fall Within My Net

    Joseph''s carriage had just stopped in front of the Industrial nning Bureau''s office building when a disheveled figure suddenly sprang out of the street corner and strode toward him.

    "No closer!" Two guards immediately stepped forward to stop the man.

    When Joseph saw the deep nasbial folds on the face of the neer, he couldn''t help but smile. Wasn''t this the "Piranha," oh no, wrong, Mr. Mara? You''ve finallye.

    He hastily leaned out the window and signaled to Kesode, "Please let Mr. Marae over."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Before long, in the visitor''s room of the Industrial nning Bureau, Mara sat down opposite Joseph, his eyes full of anger, "Crown Prince, you actually used me with such disgraceful tactics! I will definitely make this public!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    After toppling the President of the High Court Vergniaud, Mara was indeed happy for a while, thinking he had done a great service for the Parisians.

    However, half a month ago, when he happened to see the portrait of the Crown Prince, he felt it looked familiar, then it struck him, wasn''t this Mr. Xavier, the young owner of the "Paris Commercial News"?

    He immediately pieced together the events, and realized that the Crown Prince approached him to eliminate his political enemy.

    He had been used!

    So, he stormed off to the Pce of Versailles, only to be told that the Crown Prince was recently working in Paris, and then he rushed to the Industrial nning Bureau, learning that the Crown Prince had gone to Bordeaux...

    He had waited at the Bureau for several days, and today he finally "caught" Joseph and immediately came to confront him.

    Joseph knew he would definitelye and had already been waiting for him.

    Joseph rested his right hand on the arm of the sofa, revealing a rxed smile, "How can you say that, Mr. Mara? It wasn''t exploitation, but fulfillment."

    "Fulfillment? Hmph, a pale excuse."

    Joseph said indifferently, "Pray tell, have you not always desired social justice, wanted to help the oppressed?"

    "Of course, that''s the case."

    "Precisely. Together, we brought the most corrupt President of the High Court to justice, vindicated arge number of people who suffered from wrongful cases, and even caused a significant reduction in the corruption within the entire judiciary. Isn''t that what you wanted to see?"

    "That..." Mara hesitated; indeed, it seemed so. If it weren''t for the Crown Prince''s guidance, the High Court might still be epting bribes, manipting thew, persecuting themon people.

    Joseph didn''t give him time to reflect further and immediately continued, "Mr. Mara, please believe that in punishing corruption, reducing injustice, and improving the lives of the French people, our stances are very much aligned."

    He thought to himself: Only if the people''s lives are better can the monarchy be stable...

    Mara looked at Joseph in surprise, these words sounded like the ims of someone from the liberal camp, yet they wereing from the Crown Prince.

    "You, are you serious?"

    "Time will prove everything," Joseph looked at Mara earnestly, "If, after a few years, the lives of the French people have not improved, then it will not be toote for you to condemn me."

    Mara opened his mouth then frowned,"Regardless, Your Highness, you shouldn''t have deceived me. You didn''t even give me your real name!"

    "You misunderstand me," Joseph said with an innocent look, "Xavier is indeed my middle name¡ªLouis Joseph Xavier Francois."

    "But..."

    "I did not tell you that I am the Crown Prince, but surely you don''t introduce yourself to everyone as ''I am a reporter,'' do you? It''s just a little personal privacy regarding one''s profession."

    After this conversation, the anger Mara felt upon arrival had unwittingly dissipated, leaving him feeling as if there was nothing left to say, and he prepared to rise and take his leave.

    Naturally, Joseph was not going to let him leave just like that.

    He had been nning the Anti-Corruption Bureau for some time now; bureaucratic corruption was a major problem guing France.

    It was difficult for people to resist the temptation of various interests on their conscience alone.

    Not to mention those old-style bureaucrats, even the newly reformed police system, if not supervised, would inevitably end up like the old police force.

    While administrative reform was the cure, establishing a supervisory body was also necessary, at the very least to make the officials think twice.

    The reason Joseph hadn''t pushed forward with building the Anti-Corruption Bureau wasrgely that he couldn''t find the right people to investigate corruption.

    Using existing officials was like having them supervise themselves, which would inevitably lead to collusion and cover-ups. Training new personnel from scratch, on the other hand, was too time-consuming.

    Then he thought of Mara, Demn, and others¡ªsharp-witted and with a wealth of investigative experience. Most importantly, they should be among the least likely in France to collude with officials.

    Moreover, using these "Jacobins" to establish the Anti-Corruption Bureau had two advantages.

    One was that these people couldn''t sit still; if you don''t give them something to do, they would find their own affairs, and they might just trigger the start of a major conflict at some critical moment. So, it''s better to incorporate them into the royal system and keep them busy.

    The second was that based on the experience of dealing with Vergniaud, Joseph found that if people like Mara were used well, they were indeed capable of tearing political enemies to shreds. In the process of his bureaucracy reform and the weakening of the Old Nobility, they could prove to be helpful.

    Joseph gestured for Mara not to hurry off, and said gravely, "Mr. Mara, do you want this country to be more just, more equal, to help more of themon people?"

 Chapter 130: Chapter 122 The Worlds Talents Are All Within My Grasp_2

    ```

    M sat back down on the sofa and slowly nodded, "This is my lifelong ideal, Your Highness."

    "Now there is a chance for you to better realize your ideal. I am preparing to establish a...,"

    Joseph had intended to say "Anti-Corruption Bureau," but suddenly felt that "fair" and "justice" would be more appealing to M, so he changed course, "to establish a Police Department''s ''Justice Investigation Department,'' specifically to investigate corruption, dereliction of duty, and other such issues among officials and police, to uphold the legitimate rights and interests of the public.

    This department will, for the time being, be under the Police Department, but it will not be subject to the police system''s jurisdiction and will report directly to me."

    "I am very much looking forward to you bing a member of the Investigation Department."

    M was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up again and said icily, "You want me to be the Royal Family''s enforcer?"

    Joseph thought to himself that you truly are of the Jacobins, having such a disdain for the Royal Family.

    He smiled, shook his head, and said, "That''s a bit of an unfair statement.

    "The ones you''ll be investigating are not farmers or craftsmen but high-ranking officials and wealthy, powerful nobles!

    "Even if you are an enforcer, you would be the people''s enforcer, not the Royal Family''s."

    "The people''s enforcer?" M repeated these words softly, his eyes gradually bing passionate.

    Joseph immediately struck while the iron was hot, "I can even provide the Justice Investigation Department with a prosecutor. Once you find an issue with an official, you''ll be able to directly prosecute them!"

    Joseph wasn''t worried that M would mp down on his political allies. Although at this time virtually no official was free of corruption, M would merely be an investigator for the Justice Investigation Department, at most a team leader, withyers above him including himself and the department heads, which would ensure that the direction of the crackdown was controble.

    M, with his hands sped together, pondered for a long time and finally lifted his head, "Your Highness, I believe I truly cannot find a reason to refuse. I agree to join the Justice Investigation Department. However, let us agree on this beforehand: if I feel that this institution does not align with what you have described, I will withdraw at any time."

    "That is your right," Joseph nodded, "I believe we will certainly not disappoint each other.

    "Oh, by the way, as for the prosecutor for the Justice Investigation Department, what do you think of the youngwyer who defended the victims in the Vergniaud casest time?"

    M recalled for a moment and said, "Are you referring to thewyer named Danton?"

    "That''s him."

    "He is an honest and brave man," M nodded, "It''s just that he is not a prosecutor of the High Court, Your Highness."

    Joseph smiled, "He will be very soon. And, your friend, Mr. Demn, if he could also join the Justice Investigation Department, that would certainly strike more fear into corrupt officials."

    "Yes, Your Highness, I think so too. I will try to persuade him," M said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    From the second-floor window of the Industrial nning Bureau, Joseph watched M leaving and couldn''t help but muse, "Just one Robespierre short of assembling a Jacobin team. Letting them fight corruption seems like making the best use of their talents."

    ...

    Ennd.

    On the south bank of the Rex River in Birmingham, a man''s voice, somewhat dissatisfied, came from a two-story vi with a light grey fa?ade: "Mr. Dupont, I think I have made myself very clear, I have no interest in your proposal."

    "Mr. Watt, perhaps you could state your conditions," said Mr. Dupont as he walked out of the vi, with a sidement, "I am willing to consider any request."

    A man in his fifties, with a high nose, broad face, and piercing eyes, followed him out, gesturing towards the carriage not far away, "Thank you for the invitation. But my friends are more important to me, and they are all in Birmingham, as well as the Moon Society. France does not have these. I think it''s time for you to get into the carriage."

    Mr. Dupont showed a look of anxious helplessness. For his convenience, the Crown Prince had specially instructed Archbishop Brienne to set the final signing location of the Anglo-French trade negotiations in Birmingham, and in the past few days, he had sought out Mr. Watt three times to no avail in persuading the stubborn man.

    Today, Ennd and France had officiallypleted the signing of the new "Eden Treaty," and by tomorrow at thetest, he would have to return to France. How could he not be anxious?

    Mr. Dupont nodded, then suddenly turned around, taking out hisst resort: "Mr. Watt, in reality, I am here on behalf of someone...,"

    ```

    Just then, a middle-aged man d in a ck short coat, with slightly drooping eyes and an honest-looking face, approached from thene east of the vi.

    When he heard what Dupont was about to say next, he abruptly halted his steps and dodged behind a column.

    "He is a distinguished member of the Royal Family, I swear his status is beyond your imagination," Dupont said, gazing at Watt, "He truly admires your talent and wants to assist you in creating even more brilliant technological achievements, so..."

    Wattughed and shook his head, "You see, I''m notcking anything, money, vi,pany, and family. I really have no ns to leave Birmingham."

    Dupont had no choice but to dete and stop his persuasion, returning to his carriage. Although he did not understand why the Crown Prince held such a high regard for this British craftsman, his mission to bring him back to France was aplete failure.

    The middle-aged man who had hidden behind the column now stepped out, pensively gazing in the direction where Dupont had left. And then he knocked on Watt''s door, handing over somepany documents to him.

    While Watt was upstairs signing, the middle-aged man stopped Watt''s maid, whispering, "Lady Edwina, do you know what that gentleman who came earlier said to Mr. Watt? The one with the ratherrge nose?"

    "I can''t remember," Lady Edwina turned to leave.

    The middle-aged man quickly pulled out his wallet, fished out a one shilling banknote, and handed it to her, "I''m just a bit curious about that man, would you mind recalling for me?"

    "Oh, alright then." The maid took the money and paused, "He was French, and wanted Mr. Watt to go to France to set up a factory. Oh yes, he said France is nning some industrial zone or other, and they will invest a lot of money in steam engine factories, but Mr. Watt didn''t agree."

    "Steam engine factories?" the middle-aged man eagerly inquired, "Did he mention how much money they were going to invest?"

    "Seems like it was 1 million livres."

    As the maid left, the middle-aged man clenched his fists with excitement¡ªa 1 million livres investment, and it was a project under the attention of the French Royal Family!

    It was as if God had handed him an opportunity!

    After he got the documents signed by Watt, he did not return to thepany but followed Dupont''s departure path, asking around until he finally found the hotel where thetter was staying.

    ...

    Joseph looked at the "Salicin Preparation Method Patent Certificate" that had just been delivered to him, nodding his head in satisfaction.

    The French Patent Office, from its organizational structure to its operational mode, copied everything from Ennd, allowing it to be quickly established. To amass patent examiners in a hurry, Joseph had even specifically brought out M. Lagrange, inviting a whole group of experts.

    This resulted in the appearance of the first patent certificate in all of France that he held in his hands.

    Of course, Joseph also made many adjustments to the British model.

    You see, at this time in Ennd, applying for a patent would take at least a year toplete, and the fee could be a shocking several dozen or even a hundred British Pounds!

    Joseph, however, mandated that the approval must bepleted within three to eight months, and the cost must not exceed 10 livres, with the government''s treasury providing subsidies to the Patent Office.

    As news of the Patent Office''s beginning operations spread, the Paris office received a dozen applications every day, with many people from other provinces also en route to apply for patents¡ªcurrently, only Paris had a Patent Office, after all, it was just starting, and expanding too quickly could easily lead to problems.

    Eman''s voice came from outside, "Your Highness, Mr. Dupont has arrived. It seems he has brought a British person with him."

    A British person? Joy sprang in Joseph''s heart, could it be Watt?

    He immediately stood up, "Please invite them to the drawing room."

    Before long, Dupont and a middle-aged man with an honest-looking face entered the drawing room, respectively performing a chest-touching salute, "It''s been a while, Your Highness the Crown Prince, may God bless you."

    "I am honoured to meet you, Your Highness the Crown Prince," said the middle-aged man.

    Dupont, looking somewhat embarrassed, gestured towards the man beside him and introduced him to Joseph, "Your Highness, this is Mr. William Murdoch. He is an excellent steam engine technician, well, that''s what he ims..."

 Chapter 131 : 123 Genius Inventor

    William Murdoch? Joseph seemed to have heard this name before, but he couldn''t recall who it was at the moment, figuring it must be some capable British technician.

    Since the man hade all the way to France, Joseph felt obliged to extend his wee, "I am very weing to you, Mr. Murdoch. I am very much looking forward to your showcasing your skills in France''s steam engine project."

    Seeing that Dupont had only brought Murdoch with him, Joseph sensed that things might not go smoothly.

    He asked the two men to sit down and looked anxiously at Dupont, "What does Mr. Watt say?"

    Embarrassment crept over thetter''s face as he began with some difficulty, "Your Highness, I am sorry, I failed to fulfill your important trust. Mr. Watt has rejected my invitation."

    Although Joseph was mentally prepared, he still frowned upon hearing this, "Is he dissatisfied with our conditions?"

    "No, Your Highness, in fact, he didn''t care about the conditions..."

    After Dupont briefly exined Watt''s situation, Joseph sighed, "Mr. Dupont, you have done your best, there is no need for self-reproach. I will think of other ways."

    Joseph appeared very nonchnt, but in fact, he began to worry.

    He knew very well that to establish a steam engine industry chain in the shortest time, Watt was absolutely crucial!

    Joseph did not hold the arrogance to think that he could handle the entire industry chain on his own. Although his mind was filled with numerous advanced principles of steam engine technology, it was still a long way from those principles bing tangible, functional machines¡ªafter all, he had never actually constructed one by hand.

    Not to mention the difficulty of tranting principles into real machines, even if he had the blueprints for a new type of steam engine, he simply couldn''t build it.

    From the choice of material for the boiler to the specific casting processes. From how to polish the piston walls to the proportion of tolerances reserved. From the cross-sectional shape of the crank to the viscosity of the lubricating oil at the joints...

    To make a steam engine, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of these craft details to consider, and if any one of them is not up to standard, the result is a machine that either constantly malfunctions or delivers low power.

    If it were up to Joseph to lead people in tackling the technology, it would probably take three to five years to solve, but France could not wait that long, and he couldn''t possibly devote all his energy to the steam engine.

    Watt, however, possessed the technology and experience needed to make a steam engine at that time. He was familiar with every part of a steam engine, knew how they should be manufactured, as well as which tools and materials would be needed for these parts.

    With him, it was possible to quickly establish a foundational production line for steam engines in France.

    However, Watt seemed destined not to be involved with France, so all technological craftsmanship would only be figured out slowly by France''s own technicians.

    No one knew how long this process would take...

    Joseph shook his head inwardly, pondering which French technicians were worth cultivating, when he saw Murdoch carefully shifting forward in his seat, nervously saying, "That, Crown Prince, Mr. Dupont told me that you intend to establish a factory to produce steam engines?"

    "Indeed, that is the case."

    "Well, I think perhaps I can be of help."

    "Oh? Are you well-acquainted with making steam engines?"

    Murdoch puffed out his chest, radiating confidence, "Your Highness, if you think Mr. Watt is capable, then I most certainly am. Let''s put it this way, I can do pretty much everything he can. Plus, I have my own patents."

    Joseph looked at the middle-aged man before him with some surprise, "Are you serious?"

    Mr. Dupont hurriedly interjected, "Your Highness, I have verified it, Mr. Murdoch does indeed have a patent for an osciting steam engine and a steam gun in Ennd."

    It was because of these two patents that Dupont decided to bring him to meet the Crown Prince.

    "Your Highness, perhaps you have heard about the ary gear mechanism'' of the steam engine." Murdoch''s tone carried a note of grievance, "In fact, I invented this technology. It is only because I worked at Mr. Watt''spany that, ording to the initial work agreement, this patent was registered under his name." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Thinking Murdoch didn''t believe him, Murdoch''s voice rose a few notches, "Your Highness, if you wish, I can describe in detail the conceptual process of this technology.

    "Oh, and by the way, I''ve also invented a new high-pressure steam engine technology..."

    He continued, then sounded deted, "But Mr. Watt was afraid that the high-powered high-pressure steam engine would affect the sales of thepany''s existing products, so he wouldn''t allow me to publish it, and thus I was unable to apply for a patent."

    Joseph repeated to himself ary gear'' and ''high-pressure steam engine,'' suddenly recalling something and spontaneously eximed, "Mr. Murdoch, are you also the one who invented a gasmp?"

    "Gasmp?" Murdoch looked very surprised, "I do have a scheme for producing gas from coal, but it''s not yet perfected... Do you know Mr. Cumnock? I''ve only mentioned this matter to him."

    Of course, Joseph did not know any Mr. Cumnock, but he was already certain of Murdoch''s identity¡ªthe renowned Scottish inventor, holding multiple patents regarding steam engines, especially the high-pressure steam engine, yetter generations would remember him only for inventing the gasmp.

    More than a decadeter, it would light up the entire London, bing a symbol of British civilisation¡ªthe gas streetmp!

    Seeing the Crown Prince''s apparent interest in him, Murdoch hurriedly continued, "Your Highness, you might not believe it, but many of Mr. Watt''s patents have contributions from me, and some of them were entirely my inventions.

 Chapter 132 : 123 Genius Inventor_2

    "I''m very familiar with steam engine technology. In fact, I''ve always wanted to open a steam engine factory, but Icked the funds. Until I heard from Mr. Dupont that you nned to invest in the steam engine industry, so I immediately came over," he said.

    "Your Highness, if you let me help you build a factory, I swear, I will definitely do no worse than Mr. Watt!"

    Murdock had worked in Watt''spany for over a decade, losing many patents but receiving lowpensation, brimming with resentment, yet for the sake of survival, he had topromise.

    It wasn''t until over a yearter when he invented coal gas technology by dry distition and earned money from the patent for gas lighting that he finally broke free from Watt.

    But Joseph''s steam engine development n gave him another option!

    Joseph had not expected that missing out on Watt, he would scoop up Murdoch.

    This expert''s skills were undoubtedly no less than Watt''s, and he could also help him light up the technology tree for gas lighting. Additionally, he was much younger than Watt and brimming with energy.

    He immediately stood up, nodded with a smile to Murdoch, "Congrattions, Mr. Murdoch, you are now the general manager of the Royal Mechanical Company of France. I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

    Murdoch was startled, then overwhelmed with joy. He''d thought he would need to exert some effort to persuade the Crown Prince of France, but his wish was granted smoothly, and he was directly appointed as the general manager!

    He touched his chest excitedly and bowed deeply, "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I will definitely not disappoint you!"

    "Hmm, I''m also looking forward to your ster performance."

    Then Murdoch, somewhat anxiously rubbing his hands, said, "Your Highness, about the patents for the technologies I invent..."

    On his way here, he had heard that France had passed "patentw," and the infringement of his patents had always been a sore spot for him.

    "The patents should indeed belong to you," Joseph immediately nodded, "However, you must grant thepany exclusive rights to use them."

    "Of course, that''s no problem, Your Highness," Murdoch continued, "also, as you know, I will contribute all of my skills to thepany, and perhaps... I could hold 10% of thepany''s shares, I would be extremely thankful for that."

    Joseph immediately shook his head, "How could that be possible?"

    Murdoch''s face turned pale with apprehension. A 10% share from an investment of 1 million livres was indeed too much.

    He was about to suggest "How about 5%?" when he heard the Crown Prince say, "Given your value, you should at least get 20% of the shares. However, these would be stock options."

    "20%?!" Murdoch was startled, pausing for a moment before asking, "Stock options?"

    "That means you''ll receive 4% of the shares annually, for five years. If you resign during this time, the shares you''ve received up to that point will be voided," Joseph said. After all, as Murdoch was British, Joseph needed to use some modern tricks to keep him tied to France.

    After five years, France would surely have its own mature steam engine development team, and at that point, whether Murdoch stays or leaves wouldn''t significantly impact the team.

    "Your Highness, I really don''t know how to thank you enough!" Murdoch was ecstatic.

    Only five years, and yet he had worked more than a decade for Watt without receiving a single share. Compared to the Crown Prince of France, he was extremely generous!

    Murdock silently swore in his heart: He would build the best steam engines to repay the Crown Prince.

    As lunchtime was approaching, Joseph invited Dupont and Murdoch to have lunch together.

    On their way to the dining room, Murdoch was already eagerly exining his ns to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, choosing Nancy for the factory is very wise. There are many mines there that will buy our products."

    "Once the equipment and manpower are ready, we will start producing 25-horsepower high-pressure steam engines. The efficiency of the water pumping will definitely make the mine owners open their wallets right away!"

    You see, the average power of the steam engines from Watt''spany was around 15 to 20 horsepower, which showcases the superiority of high-pressure technology.

    But Joseph shook his head, "No, the first thing we need to produce are high-precision steam engines to drive boring machines, threadthes, milling machines, and the like. Our main goal is to improve the efficiency and precision of these machining tools, power is not the most important."

    "But," Murdoch reminded, "Your Highness, the devices you mentioned cannot make money, and the initial investment..."

    Joseph smiled slightly, "You needn''t worry about the financial aspect, I will ensure there is ample backing."

    He was pursuing steam engine development initially to foster France''s industrialization, and various machine tools are the "mother machines" of industry. At that time, Europe already had these machining devices, but they were mostly driven by human or water power, which led to low power and poor uracy.

    If they were powered by steam engines, the processing speed and precision would be substantially improved.

    For example, automatic boring and milling machines, such equipment could be widely applied in the arsenal he nned¡ªsurpassing manual production of weapons and equipment in both precision and production efficiency by leaps and bounds, while significantly reducing costs. Most importantly, it would be rtively easy to achieve the standardization ofponents.

    Moreover, with automatic machining equipment, they could, in turn, improve the production speed and quality of steam engines, creating a positive feedback loop. By that point, producing things like pumping engines and steam looms would naturally follow.

    ...

    Southern Suburbs of Paris.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    More than 400 meters north of the Paris Police Academy Training Ground, a ck-painted four-pound cannony hidden in a thicket.

    A French National Guard officer in civilian clothes looked impatiently to the south, asionally ncing at his pocket watch.

    After more than ten minutes, several booms of cannon fire came from the direction of the training ground. The officer immediately perked up and shouted to the soldiers sitting around: "Get up, youzy devils!"

    Six or seven gunners, also in civilian clothing, quickly huddled together, some adjusting the cannon''s direction, others fixing its wheels, while the rest stood by with gunpowder and cannonballs.

    The officer used his telescope to look toward a farm northward, then nced at the shooting parameters he had already calcted in his notebook, manually raised the muzzle, and carefully measured the angle with a protractor.

    "Good, load the gun," he gestured to a soldier nearby.

    The soldier hurriedly poured gunpowder into the muzzle. Another stepped up to ram it down firmly. A third soldier inserted the cannonball, and the one with the ramrod pushed the ball to the bottom of the bore.

    More cannon fire sounded from the police training ground. The officer began timing with his watch, quickly estimating that the police''s training involved firing a round about every three minutes.

    He signaled to his fuse man.

    The young man with the linstock hurried over, nced towards the farm, then back at the officer, his expression struggling as he said, "Sir, it appears there''s only one family of farmers over there, are we really going to fire at them?"

    "Shut up!" the officer red at him, "You just need to follow orders."

    "Yes, sir..."

    As exactly three minutes passed since thest sound of cannon fire, the officer promptlymanded the fuse man: "Fire!"

    The soldier, conditioned to obey orders unconditionally, quickly pressed the linstock to the touch hole. The cannon roared furiously. Thick smoke instantly enveloped the surroundings.

    A four-pound iron ball whistled into the distance, slicing into the farmhouse, throwing wood splinters and straw high into the air. The humble farmhouse immediately copsed on one side.

    Almost simultaneously, a loud explosion came from the direction of the police training ground.

    The French National Guard officer confirmed the hit on the farmhouse with his telescope, a cold smile curling at his lips, then turned and ordered his men to hitch the cannon to the horse and quickly retreat to the northwest.

    Meanwhile, another group of soldiers who had been waiting there fumbled to disassemble the cannon barrel and load it onto a carriage, which promptly fled toward Paris City, while the gun carriage was hidden in the adjacent dense forest.

    In the Paris Police Academy Training Ground, Bertier was discussing the new tactic of "concentrated cannon fire" with Dibowa¡ªalthough his transfer to the French National Guard''s Engineer Battalion had been confirmed, the official orders had not yet arrived, and during this time, he was nearly always at the training ground.

    Indeed, as the Crown Prince had said, there were many new tactics there that fascinated him.

    After another round of cannon firing training, Dibowa frowned and turned to an assistant: "If I''m not mistaken, this afternoon''s training is with three cannons."

    "Yes, sir, two four-pounders and one eight-pounder," replied the assistant.

    "But just now, there were four cannon sts."

    Bertier interjected, "Maybe it was an echo."

    "Doesn''t quite sound like it," said Dibowa, who had a background as an artilleryman and was very sensitive to the sound of cannons.

    He immediately waved to the guards at the training ground: "You men,e with me to check it out."

    "Yes, sir!"

    When Dibowa arrived at the location where the French National Guard had fired their cannon with the police officers, they found nothing but smelled the faint odor of gunpowder in the air.

 Chapter 133: Chapter 124 Crisis PR

    Dibowa crinkled his nose, sensing an ominous premonition, and quickly turned to instruct the police officer, "Antony, spread out and search! Foustan, go back and call for more people, hurry!"

    About half an hourter, arge group of police officers had surrounded the area, and Antony rushed back to report to Dibowa, "Chief, a farmhouse to the north was hit by artillery fire. An old man and his wife died, and the house and animal shed were destroyed."

    "Artillery fire?" Dibowa''s brow furrowed deeply.

    After a while, the other searchers also returned one by one, but nothing of value was found¡ªby then, the sky had already darkened, making it difficult to discern objects more than ten paces away. Moreover, the soldiers of France had been well-prepared, resulting in the police returning without sess.

    The next morning.

    In a small room on the second floor of the Industrial nning Bureau, Murdock was excited yet anxious as he looked at the notes and diagrams in front of him, the bloodshot in his eyes indicating that he hadn''t slept all night.

    The information the Crown Prince had shared was too astonishing, too tempting, leaving him not a shred of desire to sleep.

    He picked up aplex schematic diagram, shook his head, and sighed, thinking to himself: It''s a good thing the Crown Prince of France didn''t dabble in steam engines, otherwise, both I and Watt would probably be out of work.

    These ideas were simply inconceivable, exquisitely brilliant. It was hard to believe that they hade from the mind of a fourteen-year-old boy!

    He had spent most of yesterday and all night understanding the principles of the new throttle valve, and the new safety valve designs the Crown Prince had shared with him, and had a rough idea of their processing design.

    However, there were still many things he hadn''t figured out, the most "terrifying" of which was the principle of the "triple-expansion steam engine." The thermal efficiency was frighteningly high, but at the same time, frightfullyplex.

    What was worse, the Crown Prince had only given him the principle and the concept; the specific mechanical design was up to him toplete.

    He now dared not even think about the words "triple-expansion"; otherwise his brain would immediately throb in pain, clearly already overburdened...

    After a long time, Murdock finally chose to give up, organized the materials, and headed towards the Crown Prince''s office.

    "Actually, Your Highness, there''s no need to hurry," Joseph said with a smile,forting the haggard inventor, "In the short term, you just need to build the existing steam engines. These new technologies can be figured out slowly. Even if it takes five years, eight years, or even ten years to bring them to fruition, it''spletely fine."

    Just kidding, if Murdock really managed to realize all those technologies he had talked about yesterday, the industry of France would take off right on the spot!

    However, there are objectivews of development; without the umtion of lower-tier technologies, higher-tier technologies will always be castles in the air.

    Like the triple-expansion steam engine, which demands extremely high precision and quality in both machining and materials, even if Murdock had a sudden burst of inspiration andpleted the detailed designs, and then physically crafted them, they would inevitably end up exploding the boilers during operation¡ª because the materials and processing levels were far from meeting the requirements.

    The reason Joseph revealed these advanced technologies to Murdock was firstly to give him a conceptual direction in technology, and secondly to attract him to work more steadfastly in France.

    "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness," Murdock appeared somewhat deted, not sure if it was due to exhaustion or a sense of defeat¡ªhe had always thought that although he was a bit inept in handling interpersonal rtionships, he was absolutely a genius in the field of steam engines, never expecting that he still couldn''t make the engine even after someone had spelled out the principles and design concepts for him.

    He sighed and said, "Your Highness, actually, I would like to rmend someone to assist me in researching these technologies you''ve proposed."

    "Oh? Who might that be?"

    "My neighbor and former colleague, Mr. John Sandler, a very talented technician," Murdock said, "You might not have heard of him because his invention, the ''boiler pressure gauge,'' was deemed significant proprietary knowledge by Mr. Watt and has therefore never been publicized.

    "And Mr. Sandler''s current living situation is not very good. I believe, if you offered a suitable sry, I could convince him toe to France with just one letter."

    Joseph felt somewhat embarrassed; at this rate, he was bound to unintentionally undermine Watt''s corner.

    However, all this was because Mr. Watt often "withheld" technicalpensation from his employees, giving Joseph the opportunity to take advantage¡ªwhy not take it?

    "Thank you for your selfless rmendation," Joseph first sincerely thanked him, then mentioned a figure, "120 livres. What do you think, would this be an appropriate monthly sry for Mr. Sandler?"

    Murdock really wanted to say "inappropriate" because it was too high. In truth, just offering half of that sry would be enough to make Sandler set aside everything and board a ship bound for France.

    Honestly, from a personal standpoint, he was quite reluctant to have Sandlere, as it would bringpetitive pressure to him. However, after reading through the technical data provided by the Crown Prince, he knew that he needed to find an assistant, or else based on his own efforts, it would probably take more than a decade to fully grasp those technologies.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Murdock ced his hand on his chest and bowed, "Your Highness, you remain as generous as ever. I will write to Mr. Sandler immediately."

    As he spoke, another matter came to his mind: "Also, Your Highness, I''ve seen that railway infrastructure is being constructed in the center of Paris."

    -l-em,py-r

    Ennd had rail transportation decades ago, but it was only used for mining transportation and had never appeared in cities before.

 Chapter 134: Chapter 124 Crisis PR_2

    ```

    "That''s right, Paris is about to hold Fashion Week, and we will need railcars to transport the guests."

    "What a great concept!" Murdock praised before continuing, "However, if I may speak frankly, your track construction crew might not be quite professional. They had the good idea of using broken stones for the foundation, but when ites to the securing of the sleepers or the precision of the rail instation, it''s rather... well, you understand."

    Joseph thought to himself that he was the one who had told them to use broken stones, and indeed, their technical skills were quite average.

    He quickly asked, "Do you have any suggestions regarding the construction?"

    Murdock waved his hand dismissively, "Your Highness, I''m not particrly skilled inying tracks. But I do know some experts in the field. The mining areas of Birmingham haveid many tracks, and with the recent scarcity of new coal mines, their ie has been very poor."

    Joseph''s eyes lit up, "Mr. Murdock, you must have experience as a headhunter! In just over ten minutes, you''ve found me so many talents!"

    The importance of trackying technicians was self-evident¡ªthe railroad was a necessary technology to advance the train system.

    Without hesitation, he nodded, "Then please extend them an invitation. France will have plenty of trackying work in theing years. We will certainly make theirpensation satisfactory."

    No sooner had he spoken than he saw Eman quickly enter and whisper in his ear, "Your Highness, Baron Frient has arrived, and it seems to be urgent."

    Murdock tactfully excused himself. The Dean of the Police Academy, Frient, entered the office, closed the door behind him, bowed swiftly to Joseph, and said anxiously, "Your Highness, something has happened..."

    "A farmhouse was hit by a cannonball and someone died?" Joseph frowned, "Was it caused by our training?"

    "It shouldn''t be." Frient said with his head lowered, "As per your instructions, the charge for the cannons during training was halved. That farmhouse is 1,800 paces from the training grounds, and even if the gunner aimed poorly, the cannonball could not possibly fly that far."

    "Do you know who did it?"

    "We''re not sure yet. Major Dibowa found gunpowder residue and signs of scorched weeds on the north side of the training grounds. It''s possible that someone fired at the farmhouse from there. But they didn''t catch anyone suspicious."

    Frient took a deep breath, "Your Highness, the most troublesome part is, the farmer is adamant it was the training grounds'' cannon that hit his house.

    "Somehow the news got out, and now there''s a bunch of reporters interviewing that family, with protesters blocking the entrance to the training grounds..."

    Joseph sensed that this was no simple matter, so he gestured to Eman, "Please prepare the carriage, I need to go to the training grounds. Oh, and send someone to inform Mr. Fouche, ask him to go there too."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Shortly after, on the carriage to the training grounds, Joseph said to Frient, "Is there, theoretically, any chance that the training grounds'' cannon could have hit the farmhouse?"

    "Your Highness, if they were fully charged with gunpowder, and with a tailwind, a four-pounder could barely reach 1,800 paces."

    Joseph nodded, "It seems someone wants to frame us, and he must be very familiar with cannons."

    He looked at Frient, "Who around Paris is equipped with four-pounder cannons?"

    "The closest would be the French Guards and the Imperial Guard. Oh, the Mounted Police have some cannons too. A bit further away, there are units like the Lettler Regiment."

    Joseph squinted his eyes. It would be difficult for the Imperial Guard to move cannons out of Versailles without being noticed by everyone. It also seemed imusible for units like the Lettler Regiment to transport cannons from nearly a hundred kilometers away to Paris.

    So it left the French Guards and the Mounted Police as the most likely suspects. But who was it?

    A few hourster, the Crown Prince''s carriage arrived at the Police Academy''s training grounds outside Paris.

    Before Joseph even got out, he saw dozens of people protesting outside the training ground, chanting slogans like "Police Academy endangers the lives of farmers" and "Stop training immediately."

    With a troubled look, Frient said, "Your Highness, today''s papers have already reported the incident. There are people in Paris who say it was us who hit the farmhouse. These protesters came first thing in the morning."

    After a moment''s thought, Joseph instructed Frient, "For now, don''t worry about who did it, start with crisis management."

    ```

    "Crisis public rtions?"

    "You must immediately apany Viscount Besancon and, on behalf of the Police Department, visit that farmer''s family. Promise to help them repair their house and give them 4,000 livres. But remember, in front of the reporters, only mention it as assistance to the family. You must never admit that it was an ident caused by our training, as the detailed investigation is still ongoing."

    "Next, you''re to take police officers with you every day to repair the family''s house, deliver three meals to them, and even help them feed the livestock. At the same time, issue a public statement condemning the attacker of the farmers, and express sympathy for the victims'' plight in a heartfelt manner."

    "I''ll have the press continue to cover this and gradually guide public opinion."

    Joseph then looked at the protesting crowd: "As for these people, try to appease them for now by promising to suspend the cannon training. However, be ready with shields, guarding against agitators causing trouble, but remember not to attack them."

    "Yes, Your Highness, I''ll get right on it."

    Joseph did not enter the training field but first looked at the victims'' plight from a distance before heading to the location identified by Dibowa as the possible site where the crime wasmitted.

    Dibowa had the scene well preserved. Pointing to the marks on the ground, he said to Joseph, "Your Highness, judging by the depth of these wheel tracks, they should be from the cannon''s carriage."

    "And this mound of dirt here, it''s from where the cannon''s base was anchored. Judging by the footprints, there should be seven men and two horses involved, just enough to operate a four-pound cannon."

    "My guess is that these people fired the cannon at the farmhouse at the same time we were training our shooting."

    While Joseph was examining the nearby area, he saw Fouche arriving with the Police Affairs Department team.

    Fouche had already been briefed about the general situation on his way over and immediately began a detailed investigation around the area. After that, he went to the victims'' location and returned with a cannonball.

    "Your Highness, there are only wheel tracks leading to the adjacent forest, and it seems that some of the criminals may have escaped to Paris." Fouche spoke with a grave expression, "Based on these clues alone, it''s very difficult to ascertain their identities."

    Joseph looked at the cannonball in his hands and shook his head: "Wherever there is contact, traces will be left. For instance, this cannonball cannot be fired from every four-pound cannon."

    Because of the limited processing levels of cannons at the time, it was difficult to make the calibers of the cannons exactly uniform, so the cannonballs had to be custom-made.

    "And these wheel and footprints, they all contain useful information. I hope you can utilize them as soon as possible to determine who is trying to frame the police academy."

    "Oh, right, considering the military units nearby that possess four-pound cannons, the probability is highest with the Imperial Guard and the Mounted Police."

    Fouche, quietly repeating "Wherever there is contact, traces will be left," slowly nodded and saluted to Joseph with his hat: "Your Highness, I will find out who is responsible as soon as possible."

    The next day, a messenger from the Minister of the Interior hurried to the Industrial nning Bureau and handed a letter from Mono to the Crown Prince.

    Joseph opened the envelope and saw that Mono had written that there were already numerous nobles who hadined to him about the police department or the police academy because of the farmhouse being shelled, demanding that he close the police academy training grounds.

    Because the Police Department was still officially under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, allints went to the Minister of the Interior.

    And Mono had no choice but to ry the issue to the Crown Prince, who actually controlled the police system.

    "That was quick," Joseph tossed the letter aside, a chill shing in his eyes. "Just don''t let me catch you!"

    ...

    Police Affairs Department headquarters.

    An intelligence officer was reporting the recent investigation results to Fouche: "The Mounted Police have a total of three cannons. As we expected, these guys only know how to bully farmers, and it''s likely been a long time since theyst used a cannon. The hooks and axles are all covered with rust."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Mounted Police were simr to a rural patrol team mixed with tax inspectors and were not part of the police system.

    "It seems we have to focus on the Imperial Guard," said Fouche as he looked towards Prosper. "Have you found anything over there?"

 Chapter 135: Chapter 125: I have accepted this great gift from the French Guard!

    "There''s nothing yet," said Prosper with a troubled expression, "As you know, we haven''t really been in contact with the military before. Just yesterday, my people managed to establish a connection with an officer of the French Guards..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Fouche spoke coldly, "I''ll give you five more days. If you can''t find anything of value, the position of the action team leader can be reced."

    "Yes, sir! I will do my utmost," Prosper could only ept themand with a bitter face.

    Seeing his expression, Fouche knew the difficulty of this mission was extreme¡ªthe army had its own intelligence system, even the secret police hardly dared to stretch their tentacles into military affairs, let alone the Police Affairs Department that had been established for only a few months.

    "Remember, where there''s contact, there must be a trace!" he encouraged his subordinate, "As long as you pay attention to all the details, I believe, you will find what you''re looking for."

    ...

    In the office of the Commander of the French Guards.

    "Are you saying," Besanval stared directly at his subordinate, trying to suppress his anger, "that the shelling of the farm in the southern suburbs was your doing?"

    The Major in front of him nodded with a smug expression, "Yes, General. Rest assured, they did a clean job. That very night, I sent someone to tell that farming household that it was the police training range that hit them and then notified all the newspapers in Paris..."

    "Theodore, you idiot!" Besanval finally exploded, mming the table and yelling, "Who told you to take the initiative?!"

    Yesterday he had heard about the incident at the suburban farm and had thought it was a training mishap at the police school; in the joy of it, he had even contacted several influential nobles to pressurize the Minister of the Interior.

    It turned out to be bloody done by his own subordinates.

    "There are only so many troops around Paris," Besanval ground his teeth, "Others will soon suspect us!"

    "Listen! During this period, you and your people are not to leave the barracks, nor are you allowed to have any contact with outsiders."

    "Oh, Lord, what stupid things have you done!"

    "Yes, yes..." Theodore shrank back, trembling, and retreated.

    Besanval rubbed his swollen and aching palm, shaking his head irritably.

    Although Theodore''s approach was crude, it had already been dark, and surely no one saw that it was the French Guards who did it. As long as he stayed in the barracks, there should be no issues.

    He nced at the newspaper beside him; therge headline read, "Suspected police training field''s cannonball hits farmhouse, resulting in two deaths," yet a cold smile appeared on his face.

    As long as the matter wasn''t leaked, maybe they could indeed take this opportunity to thoroughly deal with the Police Headquarters.

    ...

    At the entrance of the White Narcissus Technical Institute, two middle-aged men who were drunk as lords clung to each other''s shoulders, heading toward a carriage by the road.

    "Valentin, my good friend," the small-eyed man with a French Guards'' standard shirt underneath and a ck overcoat on top beamed with a smile, pping the other man, "Let''s go hunting some time; winter rabbits are so fat..."

    The tall man with a square face, however, waved his hand away, "What''s the fun in hunting? You can only use those tiny shotguns."

    His tongue seemed a bit thick, "Cannons! Only cannons are a man''s true love! Tiru, do you know, if it wasn''t for my leg, perhaps my rank would not be lower than yours?"

    Tiru nodded repeatedly, "Yes, your ancestors, your father, they all made their mark in battle. You have an excellent heritage, you would definitely make a great officer."

    Valentin took a few limping steps out, looked back at the technical institute with a sigh, "Too bad, I''m doomed to waste my life in ces like this. I envy you, able to wear a uniform,mand cannons, crushing all the enemies on the battlefield!"

    "And here I am, from a military family, yet I''ve never even touched a real cannon."

    Tiruughed, "Cannons? What''s so interesting about them? They''re cold and hard..."

    "No, you don''t understand your good fortune. To me, cannons are more adorable than the girls of White Narcissus."

    It suddenly urred to Tiru that this wealthy Valentin Menard, Vte, had taken a liking to him a few days ago at the bar. Over the past week, he had been invited to drink and visit brothels every day, spending a lot of money. Tiru felt a little guilty about it.

    He hadn''t realized that the Vte was so fond of cannons; perhaps this was his chance to repay him a favor.

    Tiru immediately pulled Menard onto the carriage, lowering his voice with the aid of alcohol, "You''ve taken me to White Narcissus so many times, so let me treat you to some fun with cannons."

    Menard responded with delight, "Really? Where are there cannons?"

    "Of course, in the barracks, hehe."

    "But I''m not a soldier, how could I enter the barracks?"

    Tiru patted his chest, "Don''t worry, I''ll take you. The cannons will be at your disposal, and if there''s a chance, I might even let you fire a few shots."

    "Oh, Lord! I don''t know how to thank you, dear Tiru!"

    "We''re friends, why say such things?"

    At twilight, Menard dressed in a French Guards'' uniform, limping behind Tiru, entered the French Guards'' barracks.

    The sentries at the gate glimpsed Tiru''s rank and asked no further questions.

    Outside the storage room where the French Guards kept their cannons, Tiru whispered a few words to the guard on duty and then signalled for Menard to go in.

    "Oh, Lord! Real cannons!" As Menard saw the cannons, he immediately became enthusiastic, stroking each cannon as if they were beloved girls.

 Chapter 136: Chapter 125 The French Guards Great Gift, I Accept It!_2

    Tiru saw his obsessed expression and couldn''t help butugh and shake his head, then he sat down alone in a corner, fetched a bottle of liquor, and began to drink.

    Menard saw that no one was watching nearby, the drunken look on his face disappeared instantly, and he deftly took out a wooden ball from his coat pocket, slightlyrger than a fist¡ªthis was an exact replica of the cannonball that had hit the farmhouse, made by the craftsmen, from the size to the indentations on it, nothing was amiss.

    Menard ced the wooden ball one by one on the muzzle of the six four-pound cannons here, and the sizes of the muzzles of three cannons corresponded roughly to the size of the cannonball.

    He then fished out a long strip of paper from his pocket, which had two parallel lines drawn on it with some vertical marks and irregr circles.

    He took the strip of paper,pared it with the wheels of those three cannons, and quickly ruled out one of them using the width of the wheels¡ªthe strip was actually a rubbing of the wheel tracks from the bombardment site on the north side of the police academy''s training ground.

    The two parallel lines represented the width of the wheels, the vertical marks were the joints where the wheel was riveted, and the irregr circles were signs of wear or damage on the wheels.

    Menard meticulouslypared the remaining two cannons and suddenly, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he murmured to himself, "As expected, where there''s contact, traces are left. And this trace, you''re the one who left it!"

    The cannon in front of him matched the scene''s wheel track perfectly, from the width of the wheels, to the position of the riveting, down to the small notch on the wheel!

    Menard quickly took out a pen and jotted down the number at the tail of the cannon.

    ...

    Joseph was browsing through several newspapers in front of him, nodding slightly.

    The front page of "Paris Commercial News" read "Warmth from Police Headquarters, the Axel family feels deeply touched," followed by an engraving of Besanval holding Axel''s young son and feeding him.

    Axel was the farmer whose house had been struck by the cannonball that day. He had taken his two children to the fields for spring plowing, which had fortuitously spared them from disaster.

    The "Messenger of France" continued to cover the current living conditions of the Axel family, with the headline "Little Benoit Smiles for the First Time, House Completely Repaired by Police Headquarters." The apanying engraving depicted Axel''s house.

    "Voice of the City newspaper" conducted a deeper investigation, the front-page headline read "Culprit May Be Another, Experts Say Four-Pound Cannon''s Range Limited." The content analyzed the slim possibility of the cannons at the police academy training ground hitting a farmhouse 1,800 paces away and showcased the location of the cannon firing discovered by Dibowa.

    With the weapon of public opinion in hand, Joseph''s crisis management was remarkably sessful¡ªParisian public sentiment had now shifted to "touching care from the Police Headquarters for the farmers" and "Officials from Police Headquarters without an ounce of arrogance, extremely close to themon people."

    Even those who insisted the police academy had mistakenly hit the farmhouse mostly held the view that "the Police Headquarters daring to take responsibility, courageous in correcting their fault."

    The newspapers had already reported that the Axel family had received aid of 4,000 livres, which, to a farming family, was certainly a considerable sum. There were even neighboring farmers who enviouslyined, wishing it had been their house hit by the cannon.

    Moreover, Axel had repeatedly told reporters that he had initially believed the rumors and was certain it wasn''t the police academy that had hit his house. And even if it was a misfire from the police academy''s training ground, his family had long forgiven the academy¡ªthe Parisian police were like angels to them.

    Those who had protested outside the police academy''s training ground had dispersed a week ago.

    After this incident of "Director of Police Services personally visits the farmer affected by bombardment," the number of young people signing up at the police academy had even increased from before.

    Joseph, who was reading an article about the matter in "News and Pictures," heard a knock on the door as Eman said, "Your Highness, Mr. Fouche has arrived."

    "Oh? Please let him in."

    Fouche entered the office, first made a chest salute, and then immediately said, "Your Highness, we can now be fairly certain, it was the doing of the French Guards."

    As he spoke, he ced a report in front of Joseph and continued, "This is aparison of cannon details made by the Police Affairs Department. The seven artillerymen responsible for this cannon have also been investigated; six of them left the French Guard''s station on the afternoon of the day in question and returned the same evening, and it is certain they did not go to Paris during that time."

    The Police Affairs Department had deployed many informants throughout Paris, so he was very confident in his conclusion.

    Even though the management of the old French military was rtivelyx, with each soldier having nearly 8 hours of free time every day, so many people leaving the camp at the same time and not going to Paris City definitely indicated a problem.

    Joseph looked at the report and asked, "Is there any very concrete evidence?"

    Fouche shook his head, "Your Highness, we are currently using conjecture to identify the murderer, but none of it is enough to use them."

    Only on m v|le|mp|yr

    Seeing the Crown Prince frown, Fouche immediately stepped forward two paces, his expression cold but his eyes dancing with excitement, "Your Highness, would you like me to arrest those people? I have quite a few ways to make them confess."

    Joseph nced at him, "Where are those people now?"

    "In the camp of the French Guards."

    "No, it''s not possible. Abducting soldiers from the military camp, if anything goes wrong, the consequences would be very serious."

    Joseph looked at the report again and remembered the incident not long ago when Besanval wanted to inspect the police academy training ground and was driven back by the police officers at gunpoint, and he couldn''t help sneering. It seems it was because of this matter.

    He had not expected that to spite the police academy, Besanval would recklessly take human lives. If it hadn''t been for Axel''s good luck in not being home, it might have been a tragedy for a family of six.

    If Besanval knew what Joseph was thinking, he would definitely cry injustice. He was a man with brains, originally nning to utilize the power of the Nobility Group to deal with Paris Police Headquarters, yet he didn''t anticipate having a rash man like Theodore under hismand.

    Joseph tossed the report on the table and took a deep breath. Alright then, you want to y dirty with me, huh? Well, I will not be polite!

    In the past, he had always avoided messing with the military because his political foundation was not stable, and he did not want to alert the Military Nobility. But now that you''ve provoked me, I''ll p you back without hesitation, and the Military Nobility certainly won''t be able to say anything.

    If that''s the case, then I will dly ept this gift from the French Guards!

    Joseph lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered that Besanval had used the excuse of expecting important figures visiting and needing to search the training ground.

    And the important figureing to Paris soon should be the Princess of the Two Sicilies.

    He looked at Fouche and asked, "Do you know who is responsible for escorting foreign royalty when they travel to Paris?"

    "Your Highness, normally, the escort is handed over between the local troops along the way. Once close to Paris, the French Guards take charge. When entering Paris City, the French Guards and the Imperial Guard escort them together until they arrive at the Pce of Versailles."

    Joseph nodded slightly. This was indeed a good opportunity, and he quickly outlined a n in his mind.

    "Count Eman, please prepare the carriage. I want to make a trip to the Pce of Versailles."

    "Yes, Your Highness."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Before long, the Crown Prince''s convoy set out from the Industrial nning Bureau.

    In the carriage, Joseph was exining the arrangements to Fouche when they heard a newsboy shouting from the side of the road, "Get your newspapers! 2 livres a copy. ''Blood de'' gang spotted around Paris, already seven or eight people have fallen victim!"

    Joseph hurriedly ordered the carriage to stop, about to send someone to buy the newspaper, when Fouche immediately reported, "Your Highness, that''s just a road-robbing gang. They don''t even dare to enter Paris City, onlymitting crimes in the countryside. It''s just that they have killed quite a few people, which is why they have drawn attention."

    "A road-robbing gang?" Joseph''s mouth couldn''t help but turn up in a smile, "Add this gang into the mix, and it''s all the more perfect!"

    Once the convoy stopped at the Pce of Versailles, Joseph immediately rushed to the Petit Trianon Pce.

    Queen Mary, who hadn''t seen her son for more than half a month, immediately embraced him joyfully, "My dear Joseph, I thought you had forgotten me."

    Joseph chatted with her about some domestic matters, then suddenly said, "Mother, I want to personally wee Princess Maria Amalia on the outskirts of Paris."

 Chapter 137: Chapter 126 You can absolutely trust my loyalty

    Queen Mary was momentarily stunned upon hearing the words, her heart starting to race. Could it be that her son was so enthusiastic because he was harboring thoughts about the princess of the Two Sicilies?

    "Oh, that''s right," she recalled, "Maria is a very intelligent girl, skilled in astronomy and mathematics. Perhaps it''s these qualities that have attracted Joseph."

    With some reluctance, she nodded: "That would be nice, dear, to show the Princess of the Two Sicilies our warmth and courtesy."

    She then quickly added, "By the way, Clementine will also be arriving in Paris soon. Are you nning to go...?"

    Joseph immediately smiled and bowed: "Of course, Mother, how could I not wee a cousin who hase from afar?"

    He certainly didn''t mind weing more princesses, and it also served to cover up his intent to set a trap for Besanval while greeting Maria.

    The Queen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her son was only being courteous, not more interested in the princess from the Two Sicilies. Clementine, you must work hard and try to capture the Crown Prince''s heart!

    After Joseph had spoken to the Queen, he immediately went to find the chief steward to discuss the ceremony and arrangements for weing the princess from the Two Sicilies in detail.

    "Hmm, I think we should hang ribbons all along the roadsides here," Joseph pointed to the map, "or the bare trees in winter would look too monotonous. And these farmhouses, the princess could see them from afar in the carriage, they need to be well decorated."

    "Yes, Your Highness, I will make a note of all your instructions," the chief steward busily wrote down these requests.

    He knew the princess wasn''ting merely for "tourism," but possibly to be the Crown Prince''s fianc¨¦e, so it was no surprise His Highness wanted to make a grand impression.

    After discussing the weing ceremony with the chief steward, Joseph didn''t return to Paris but instead went to the Crown Prince''s chamber which he hadn''t used for a long time.

    He walked slowly in front of a row of massive arched floor-to-ceiling windows, his gaze sweeping over the rainbow halos reflected on the ss, suddenly turning to Viscount Kesode beside him, "Viscount Kesode, how long have you been the captain of my guard, seven or eight years now?"

    Kesode stepped forward, a bit surprised, and said, "Yes, Your Highness, a full eight years. I was fortunate to be your guard when you were four, and two yearster, Her Majesty the Queen promoted me to captain."

    Joseph turned around: "So, in this world, besides the King and Queen, you are the one I can trust the most."

    Kesode hurriedly lifted his hat and bowed, "By the Almighty, you can surely trust my loyalty, Your Highness."

    Joseph nodded, then looked at him seriously, "Jacques, my friend, I am about to face a challenge that will have a huge impact on me. I need your help very much."

    Viscount Kesode stood up straight, his tone resolute, "Your Highness, I will do anything for you, including giving my life!"

    ...

    On the eastern outskirts of Paris.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Beside the road leading to a nearby town was a small hill, about ten meters tall, scattered with sparse shrubs.

    At the moment, several men wearing greasy coarse jackets and equally dirty felt hats, with various weapons at their waists or on their backs, were lounging on the ground, chatting sporadically.

    "It''s going to be dark in less than an hour,"ined a balding middle-aged man ying with an axe, looking up at the sky unhappily, "Looks like we''re going to wait in vain again today."

    "Even if he doesn''te today, he will definitelye tomorrow," said a red-haired man rubbing his neck while peering down the hill, "That''s tens of thousands of livres. Even waiting a few more days would be totally worth it!"

    The stern-looking man sitting on the edge suddenly spoke, "Colette, if we don''t wait for that man within three days, I will smash your ass with the butt of my gun."

    The redhead shivered and hastily said with a smile, "Boss, the news has spread all over the town; Baron Geddon has sold his house and all hisnd, preparing to marry that widow in Paris."

    "Oh, I saw Geddon''s servants piling up boxes of luggage on the carriage outside his manor."

    The burly man next to him, whose prosthetic hand resembled that of Captain Hook, immediately nodded, "That guy also posted a notice in town recruiting bodyguards. It''s obvious he''s going to leave in a few days."

    Before he could finish his words, urgent whispers came from the top of the hill, "Quick! Here hees!"

    The men, who were idling moments ago, sprang to their feet. The stern man signaled to his subordinates, "As we nned, move!"

    "Yes, Boss."

    They split up and surrounded the road underneath the hill, while the man on top who weighed nearly two hundred pounds yanked on the rope in his hand.

    Dozens of logs that had been prepared earlier rolled down with a rumble, blocking the road that was over ten meters wide.

    The carriage, which had been traveling leisurely, came to a sudden halt. Both coachmen, startled, leaped from their seats and ran towards the distant woods.

    The stern man fired another shot towards the carriage and, along with his men, surrounded the two carriages, shouting triumphantly, "Baron Geddon, we''re just some poor folks, hoping you''ll leave us some silver coins. Otherwise, we''ll just have to give you a few cuts and take the money ourselves."

    He was about to open the carriage door, but suddenly heard a gunshot from behind.

    He felt like he had been hit in the back with a hammer, his body crashing hard against the carriage, then saw the carriage turn red with his blood.

    The other bandits were taken aback, turning around in panic, only to be met with two pistols pointed at Captain Hook and the bald man''s backs from inside the carriage, while several armed men emerged from the bushes on both sides of the road.

 Chapter 138: Chapter 126 You can absolutely trust my loyalty_2

    From atop the mound came the pleas for mercy from a fat man. Several bandits turned their heads and saw a man, not very tall and looking like an ordinary farmer, brandishing a pistol as he pushed the fat man down.

    Before long, except for the dead leader, the other four bandits had their weapons taken and were being held at gunpoint, squatting fearfully on the empty space beside the road.

    A carriage approached from a distance and stopped by the group, and Fouche stepped out from it. To capture this gang alive, he had personallye to this small town, crafting the tale about Baron Geddon, and finally, the "fish" had taken the bait.

    ying with a pistol in his hand, Fouche''s dead fish eyes swept over the bandits as he snorted from his nose, "Hmm, the Blood de Bandits, is it?"

    The fat man who had been on lookout earlier started crying out of fear, "Let, let me go, I can tell you where our boss hides the money..."

    The bald man red at him and said firmly, "Yes! We are the Blood de Gang, and it''s our bad luck to be caught by the military."

    At that time in France, everyone took it for granted that only the military could deal with a ferocious gang like the Blood de Gang; the police were simply not up to the challenge.

    Prosper, who was holding a gun, shook his head with a coldugh, "Who said we are the military?"

    "We''re from the Leckie Gang," Fouche continued, "We''ve got a big dealing up, so we need some extra hands."

    Upon hearing this, the Blood de Gang members all breathed a sigh of relief, realizing they wouldn''t be sent to the gallows, and they all looked up at Fouche, "I''m willing to join your crew."

    "I want to join, too."

    "And me..."

    But Fouche snorted coldly, "However, I only need two people. We''ll have to see who''s more capable."

    With that, he threw two daggers onto the ground, his eyes filled with excitement and madness.

    The bald man and the redhead reacted fastest, immediately pouncing to grab the daggers from the ground and without hesitation, they plunged them into the other two aplices.

    ...

    Southern Suburbs of Paris.

    The trees lining the road leading to the city were decorated with ribbons, looking like beautiful corals growing there.

    In the distance, sparse farmhouses had been painted in pretty white and gold, resembling treasure chests nestled among the corals.

    And on both sides of the forty-meter-wide road between the corals and treasure chests, every five or six meters stood a French Imperial Guard soldier with a rifle. The guard stretched from the suburbs to the Paris City area.

    For two days now, the area had been under martialw, and General Besanval, never weary, had personally led officers to check and recheck this four-league stretch of road¡ªtomorrow, the princess from the Two Sicilies was due to arrive, and ording to the Pce of Versailles'' arrangement, the Crown Prince was alsoing here to greet the princess, so there could not be the slightest slip-up.

    Just then, a group of artisans carrying paint and brushes, led by French Imperial Guard soldiers, were heading towards a farmhouse on the east side.

    General Besanval casually asked the officer beside him, "Who are those people?"

    Thetter replied promptly, "General, they are court painters from the Pce of Versailles. Their credentials have been strictly checked. No problem. They always im here and there isn''t perfect yet, constantly decorating. In my opinion, they just want to snag a bit more funding."

    General Besanval nodded, his face stern, "We can''t let our guard down. We need to keep a close eye on everyone."

    "Yes, General."

    As they spoke, they saw several officers apanied by twenty or thirty soldiers in uniforms that were obviously more imposing and crisp than the Imperial Guard''s,ing towards them.

    "Imperial Guard?"

    General Besanval frowned, but as the group came closer and he could see their faces clearly, he quickly put on a smile, raised his hat in greeting, "Viscount Kesode, what brings you here?"

    Sitting on his horse, Kesode also raised his hat in response, "Pleased to see you, General Besanval. You know, I can''t afford any mistakes tomorrow, so I had to familiarize myself with the surroundings in advance."

    "Who says otherwise?"ughed Besanval, "Look, I''ve been around here a dozen times today."

    Kesode looked towards the wastnd on both sides of the road, "Oh, I''ll go and have a look over there. You continue with your work. After the princess''s wee is done, I''ll treat you to a drink."

    "Ha, I look forward to your invitation."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The two passed by each other, with Kesode seeming very earnest as he had his men carefully check both sides of the road several times.

    An officer beside Besanval nced disdainfully at Kesode''s retreating figure, "Humph, all show. This ce is full of our people, what''s there to see?"

    Besanval waved his hand dismissively, "The Crown Prince ising here, so it''s normal for his guard to do some routine checks."

    Meanwhile, Kesode''s troops passed by a thicket as seven or eight court painters approached from the opposite direction.

    Upon seeing the lead painter''s appearance, Kesode hastily reigned in his horse and signaled to the men behind him. A tall, high-nosed soldier nodded back at him, and, along with two others, slipped into the thicket.

    Kesode''s troops halted in ce, tightly shielding the actions of the three men.

    The high-nosed soldier and his two subordinates swiftly stripped off their military uniforms, revealing the painters'' clothing they had already put on underneath,plete with splotches of paint.

    The three stuffed their military gear into empty paint cans and handed their weapons to the soldiers behind Kesode. Then they picked up the paint cans and, as if nothing was amiss, followed the painters away into the distance.

    On Kesode''s end, as if nothing had happened, they circled the vicinity a few times before returning the way they hade.

    None of the officers or soldiers of the French Imperial Guard noticed that three men had disappeared from the group of more than twenty belonging to the Crown Prince''s Imperial Guard.

    The painters headed cheerfully toward a farmhouse not too far away.

    Among the group, a red-haired man nervously looked around and asked the high-nosed "painter" beside him in a low voice, "Boss, why are there so many soldiers? What exactly are we going to do? Won''t it be very dangerous?"

    The high-nosed man smiled rxedly, "You''re new, so you don''t know the strength of our Leckie Gang. Let me tell you, half of these soldiers around us are our guys."

    As he spoke, he waved at a soldier in the distance. That soldier also waved back nonchntly and responded with a smile. These craftsmen were from the Pce of Versailles, after all¡ªwho knows which high-ranking individual they might work for¡ªso the lower-ranking soldiers preferred to not offend them if possible, treating them quite courteously.

    "It''s really one of our own." The unaware middle-aged "painter" beside him eximed in surprise.

    If you removed his felt hat, you would discover that he was actually bald.

    Indeed, this man and the red-haired man were surviving members of the Blood de Gang. The high-nosed man leading them was none other than Kesode''s confidant, named Audric.

    The matter was so important that Joseph had not even involved Fouche. After thetter had caught the Blood de Gang members, he handed them over to Kesode, and from there on, Kesode was in charge of everything.

    The red-haired man was still notpletely reassured, "Boss, what are we actually going to do this time?"

    Audric recited from the "script", "Robbery. Tomorrow, a nobleman will pass by here with several carriages of gold, which is the money of the discount bank. They have some connections with the military, so they asked these soldiers to act as bodyguards."

    "But what he doesn''t know is that our boss has powerful backers, who have already nted our people inside the army."

    "You all saw just now, no one came to question us."

    He continued to encourage the two thugs, "And our only job is to keep watch from a distance. Once we get the gold, we''ll just hide in those woods behind us. There''s no risk, and afterward, you''ll get at least seven or eight thousand livres."

    As they spoke, the painters had already reached the farmhouse. The homeowner had long been "invited" elsewhere by the French Imperial Guard, leaving only one soldier to keep watch.

    After greeting the guard, the painters dispersed and busied themselves.

    Meanwhile, Audric, along with his two "underlings", casually slipped into the attic and hid in a wooden cab.

 Chapter 139: Chapter 127: Ive Walked on Thin Ice My Whole Life (Asking for Monthly Tickets)

    Over forty minutester, the leading painter looked at the freshly adorned farmhouse, nodded in satisfaction, and beckoned his subordinates to leave.

    The soldiers guarding the house had not noticed that he was holding one more paint bucket than before, and his long-handled brush had disappeared.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Naturally, that paint bucket contained the military uniforms of Audric''s two "younger brothers" and the work clothes of the three men, while the "long-handled brush" was left in the attic.

    When the painters left the area, an officer of the French guards stopped them, checked their identification, and counted the number of people.

    There were eight peopleing, and still eight people leaving; everything was in order.

    The officer nodded for his subordinates to let them pass. Even if he searched them exhaustively, he would not likely check with the soldiers guarding each farmhouse about the specifics of the painters.

    The next morning, the sun cast nted rays on the spacious avenues outside of Paris, and the temperature was so warm it hardly felt like winter.

    Several meticulously crafted white carriages, escorted by more than a dozen cavalrymen, were slowly approaching from the south.

    In the middle carriage, the two beautiful eyes of Princess Louisa Maria of Sicily watched the outside nervously.

    This wasn''t even Paris yet, and she was already deeply shocked¡ª"King''s Avenue" was unnecessarily wide, and the houses on both sides were more refined and beautiful than thest; it seemed as though only nobility lived in the surrounding areas of Paris.[Note 1] Only on m v|le|mp|yr

    However, what made her most nervous was the French Crown Prince she was about to meet, who was called "God''s Favored Son."

    It was said that he had just turned fourteen this year, one year younger than herself, but he had alreadypleted the curriculum of the University of Paris, sessfully overseen the police reforms in Paris, and was even serving as an assistant to the Finance Minister of France.

    This was simply beyond the description of a genius! She herself was studying university mathematics, fully aware of how difficult it was, and more understanding of howplicated it was to govern a country¡ªhow on earth did he do it?!

    Moreover, it was rumored that the Crown Prince had inherited the looks of his mother, with extremely handsome features, slightly curly golden hair, sparkling blue eyes, and facial proportions so perfect they resembled an ancient Greek statue. The girls of Versailles would be excited for months if they could speak a single sentence to him.

    The thought that such an exceptional Crown Prince might be her fiance made Princess Maria''s heart pound furiously.

    While she was lost in her thoughts, the carriage suddenly slowed to a stop. Timothy, the Sicilian ambassador to France sitting opposite her, hurriedly reminded her in a low voice, "Your Highness, it appears the Crown Prince hase to meet you."

    Princess Maria quickly collected her thoughts, checked her clothing, straightened her back, and exhibited a polite and dignified smile.

    Timothy was the first to get out of the carriage to open the door.

    Maria descended from the carriage along the wooden steps, walking gracefully past the reverent attendants. Looking up, she suddenly saw a handsome young man in a dark blue velvet coat, white trousers, and wearing a tricorne hat, smiling at her.

    The elegant curves of his face and his mesmerizing eyes left her mind nk for a split second. She could swear that those who had described the Crown Prince''s appearance to her hadn''t managed to convey even a tenth of his handsomeness.

    Slightly dizzy, Maria stepped forward without daring to meet the Crown Prince''s gaze, hastily lifted the hem of her dress, and performed a deep curtsy, her voice trembling as she said, "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I''m greatly honored that you woulde so far to greet me."

    Joseph quickly responded with a smile and a hand on his chest as a gesture of courtesy, "This is my duty, beautiful Princess. Wee to Paris."

    He embraced the princess with a cheek-to-cheek hug, following traditional etiquette. Hmm, her waist was very slender, her skin smooth and soft, her chest¡ª

    Cough! Joseph quickly interrupted his thoughts. After all, she was just a fifteen-year-old girl; what was he thinking?

    Once the greetings were exchanged, he stepped back two paces, gestured toward the princess''s carriage, and said, "Your Highness, I shall lead the way. The King and Queen are already hosting a banquet at the Pce of Versailles, eagerly awaiting your arrival."

    After another round of pleasantries, Joseph turned back to his own carriage andmanded the convoy to head back to Versailles.

    Maria, seeing that he did not invite her to share a carriage, felt somewhat disappointed. She suddenly remembered she had a rival¡ªthe Grand Duchess Clementine of Tuscany.

    Drums and horns began to sound around her, signaling the convoy was about to set off. She quickly climbed back into her carriage, her heart heavy with the thought: Could it be that the Crown Prince prefers Clementine? She wondered if she couldpete with her.

    ...

    A league away from where Joseph met Princess Maria, in a farmhouse, Audric vaguely heard the sound of the trumpets. He immediately began to rub his sore arms and legs¡ªhe and his two "younger brothers" had been holed up here for an entire night.

    Momentster, dressed as a farmer, Audric carefully crawled out from the cupboard, peeked down from the attic, and saw the guard of the ce dozing against the doorframe.

    He grabbed a short stick prepared under the bed, stealthily descended the attic, and struck the soldier on the head with precision. The guard immediately passed out.

    Audric then pulled out a dagger, tossed it to the bald man who followed him, and made a throat-slitting gesture toward the guard on the ground.

    The bald man swiftly and unhesitatingly stabbed the soldier to death, then dragged the body inside¡ªthe act of killing was as easy for him as drinking a cup of wine.

 Chapter 140: Chapter 127 Ive Walked on Thin Ice All My Life (Vote for Monthly Tickets)_2

    Audric then returned to the attic, flipped out a long-handled brush from under the bed, and moved aside the cloth wrapped around the brush handle to reveal the gun barrel inside. Next, he dismantled the bloated brush head, which concealed a wooden gunstock.

    Soon, a British-made Brown Bess 1742 type flintlock gun was in his hands.

    He found gunpowder and lead shot from the other end of the brush handle, deftly loaded them into the muzzle, and handed the firearm to the red-haired "henchman," instructing him, "When the gold-carrying carriagees byter, shoot in that direction."

    "Huh?" the red-haired man looked towards the distant road, puzzled, "Boss, that''s probably too far to hit anything..."

    "Idiot, we''re just sounding the rm. You''re to shoot to signal our guys, to let them know it''s time to act."

    Audric spoke as he crouched down to pull out another gun from under the bed¡ªa French-made short musket with the stock sawn off, which the Painter had brought in hidden in a barrel. He also loaded it with ammunition and handed it to the bald man: "You fire as well."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Leave it to us, boss!" Both thieves, thinking about the seven or eight thousand livres they would receive just for firing off a couple of random shots, were overjoyed at their luck in joining the Leckie Gang.

    Then, Audric picked up the Chaleville Flintlock Gun of the soldier who had just died, searched for gunpowder and bullets on the body, and after checking that the firearm was already loaded, fastidiously poured out the powder to reload it meticulously.

    Through the window next to the attic, Audric saw the white carriage in his telescope. He recognized the coachman very well¡ªthey belonged to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and were often seen around him.

    Audric immediately had his two mene to the window, while he stepped back a few steps and called out loudly, "Fire!"

    The two thugs, still lost in the fantasy of the Leckie Gang being in full control, fired at the distant carriage without hesitation.

    The quiet outskirts of Paris were suddenly shattered by two booming shots, startling the birds in the nearby woods into flurrying up into the sky.

    Members of the French Royal Guard, from officers to soldiers, all looked as if they had been pped across the face, immediately panicked and looked around to locate the source of the gunshots.

    Besanval''s face turned as pale as death, veins popping on his forehead, as he turned around and bellowed at the orderly officer, "Sound the bugle, sound it right now! Tell the Crown Prince''s convoy to turn around!"

    "What are you waiting for! Protect the Crown Prince and Princess, quick!"

    "Balthasar, Croix, take your men and search!" he himself drew his pistol, scanning the area, "Who dares to be so bold?!"

    The officers of the French Royal Guard had begunmanding their soldiers to fire wildly in the direction of the gunshots in an attempt to suppress the firepower of the secret attackers.

    Inside the farmhouse, the bald man, hearing the persistent gunfire, thought their own men had begun their assault and eagerly turned to ask Audric, "Boss, do you think this will do?"

    But Audric simply smiled faintly, pulled him to the middle of the attic, and stood in the direction of the window, his Chaleville Flintlock suddenly spitting mes.

    An unmistakable bullet hole appeared on the unsuspecting bald man''s chest. The immense force of the bullet flipped him backward, and without even a struggle, he was dead.

    Audric had intentionally reduced the amount of gunpowder earlier, so the shot body wasn''t blown apart, making it difficult to tell that it was a close-range gunshot.

    The red-haired man by the window was stunned by the scene for a moment, but Audric did not hesitate to smash the butt of his gun into his stomach, and while he was doubled over, struck him hard on the back of the head.

    Ignoring the crackling gunfire outside, Audric calmly reloaded the Chaleville, then dragged the now unconscious red-haired man to a column in the attic. Stepping back a few paces, he shot him in the throat.

    After doing all this, Audric surveyed the room to ensure nothing was amiss, promptly grabbed the remains of the long-handled brush he had already packed away, reced the Chaleville in the hands of the dead French Royal Guard soldier, and ran out the back door of the farmhouse.

    Reaching a small grove several dozen steps away, he quickly changed into the previously worn uniform of the Crown Prince''s Guard, hastily buried the remains of the long-handled brush, and then squatted behind a tree, anxiously waiting.

    At the same instant as the first gunshot rang out, Kesode forcefully reigned in the military horse and waved his hand, shouting loudly, "Nobody panic! Everyone gather by the Crown Prince and Princess''s carriage, be on guard against stealth attacks!"

    The French Royal Guard, already disoriented, promptly followed the order, with more than a hundred soldiers encircling the carriage of Joseph and the two Sicilian princesses in the middle.

    When the third gunshot from the direction of the farmhouse rang out, Kesode signaled to his officer with a nce and shouted, "Clement, over there! Take your men and catch the assassin!"

    "Yes!" Clement pulled on the reins, waved his hand and said, "Third squad, follow me!"

    Then, amidst the shocked and admiring gazes of the French royal guards, more than twenty of the Crown Prince¡äs Guard charged towards the distant farmhouse.

    On Besanval''s side, it wasn''t until the fourth gunshot sounded in the distance that he finally confirmed the attacker''s exact location, and immediately pointed with his pistol towards the farmhouse: "There! Adrien, take your men over!"

    "Yes!"

    Clement, leading the third squad, seemed to have not found the right direction at first, running diagonally toward a small grove not far from the farmhouse. After circling a little, he "suddenly realized" and turned his head to charge towards the farmhouse.

    As they passed by the edge of the woods, Audric hurried over in a few steps, took a flintlock gun passed to him from a teammate, and slung it over his shoulder, blending into the group.

    In reality, by this time, the rural wastnd was shrouded in gun smoke from the continuous gunfire, and even if he ran back directly to Joseph, it was estimated that not even the French guards would have been able to see him.

    Clement deliberately slowed his men down, waiting for the French guards to surround the farmhouse first, then, pretending to be in a frantic hurry, he followed them.

    The French guard officer Adrien was hesitating between charging straight in or first suppressing with gunfire when he heard Clement shout, "Cowards! Do you want to wait for them to shoot at His Highness the Crown Prince again?!"

    Adrien jolted, hastily drew his sword, and gestured towards the farmhouse, "Charge in! Capture the assassin!"

    The French guards rushed up immediately and were first met with the sight of the soldiers guarding the farmhouse dead on the ground. Someone nervously fired a volley of shots towards the attic and then cautiously climbed the staircase.

    On the other side, after hearing the gunshots, Joseph immediately locked the carriage door from the inside¡ª a very reasonable reaction, as the first instinct upon being attacked is to prevent the assassin from rushing into the carriage.

    Then, he and Eman quickly removed the wax seals from the carriage door, walls, and wooden table, cing all the wax pieces into their pockets.

    Eman took out a packet of wood shavings from under the seat, scattering them inside the carriage, and finally wedged a ttened lead bullet into the damaged part of the wall on the other side of the carriage.

    Now, the carriage seemed to have two holes, one each on the door and the wooden table. On the opposite wall of the carriage, a lead bullet was embedded, and wood shavings were scattered everywhere inside.

    Clearly, a bullet had hit the carriage.

    Afterward, Joseph stretched his arm towards Eman, giving him an affirmative look, "Come on."

    Eman drew a short sword from his calf, and said with a heavy tone, "Your Highness, I am very sorry."

    As he spoke, the sh of the de passed, and a wound appeared on the right upper arm of Joseph. He immediately felt a piercing pain.

    Eman put away the sword, picked up a sharp-looking wooden shard from the carriage, and, taking a sheep dder filled with chicken blood from his pocket, gently punctured it.

    The chicken blood immediately stained the wood shard, making it look as if it had cut Joseph''s arm when it splintered and flew.

    Eman then sttered some of the blood around the carriage, secured the dder, and with a voice filled with urgency, cried out from inside, "Oh, Lord! The Crown Prince has been shot!"

    "Doctor! Call for a doctor quickly!"

    The heartrending cries drifted out for hundreds of meters, stunning everyone who heard them into standing still, particrly Besanval who felt a "buzz" in his head and nearly fell headfirst from his horse.

    Inside the carriage that followed, Princess Maria was terrified to hear that the Crown Prince had been shot, her face turned pale, and tears "whooshed" out.

    [Note 1] King''s Avenue: Refers to the specially widened roads funded by the French Government, equivalent to the highways of the 18th century.

 Chapter 141: Chapter 128 Oscar-Winning Acting (Seeking Comments)

    "Ah, Holy Mary! Why has such a terrible thing happened..."

    The Sicilian princess covered her mouth in shock, wanting to look out the window but too afraid to even lift her head, huddling in the corner of her seat, incessantly crying, "His Highness the Crown Prince was attacked because he came to pick me up; it''s all my fault... Wuu... It''s all because of me..."

    Next to her, Ambassador Timothy warily nced outside, swiftly drew the curtains, and then handed a handkerchief to the princess, admonishing her in a somewhat agitated, low voice, "Your Highness, please stay calm, this has nothing to do with you."

    Having a handkerchief to wipe away her tears made Maria cry even more fiercely, "What will I do if His Highness the Crown Prince has an ident?"

    "No, that won''t happen," Timothy said hurriedly, trying to reassure her, "Listening to those gunshots, they should''ve been fired from a long distance. Even if the Crown Prince was hit, it shouldn''t be fatal."

    "Really?" Maria recalled the physics she had studied, nodded slightly, her crying gradually turning into sobs, "May God protect the Crown Prince..."

    But then another thought popped into her head¡ªhaving just arrived in Paris, and the Crown Prince was attacked, could this leave a bad impression on him? Would Queen Mary me her for this incident? Perhaps she would be sent back to Sicily immediately...

    Thinking of this, she started sobbing again.

    At that moment, centered around Joseph''s carriage, a crowd of two to three hundred people had gathered. The shouts of people, the neighing of horses, coupled with the asional gunfire, had turned the scene into utter chaos.

    Since the imperial physicians hadn''te along¡ªno one had anticipated the need for a doctor in receiving a "marriage prospect"¡ªa military doctor from the French Royal Guard had been brought over by a cavalry officer.

    That officer dismounted the doctor from his horse, pointed toward the Crown Prince''s carriage, and urgently shouted, "That''s the one, quickly!"

    The military doctor hastened onto the carriage and asked Eman, "Where is the injury?"

    "I don''t know," thetter replied, lookingpletely panicked.

    The military doctor prayed inwardly, hoping desperately not to have the Crown Prince die on his watch...

    Outside the carriage, Besanval rode up as well, observing the chaotic scene around him. He wanted to turn the Crown Prince''s carriage around to avoid danger but was also worried that it would dy his medical treatment, leaving him at a loss as to what to do.

    Not far away, in a farmhouse, a French Royal Guard lieutenant was the first to rush to the attic, only to find two dead bodies lying on the floor.

    He immediately ordered his men to search the area.

    Soon, the soldiers reported back that no others were found.

    The lieutenant confirmed it himself and then reported the situation to Adrien waiting outside. Afterward, Adrien sent the orderly officer to signal that the attackers had been killed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    With the rise of a uniquely rhythmic bugle sound, the troops of the French Royal Guard gradually ceased their aimless shooting and began to form ranks under themand of their officers.

    Upon hearing that the assant had been captured, Besanval hurriedly ordered the Crown Prince''s and the princess''s carriages to return to the Pce of Versailles immediately.

    He personally led over two hundred cavalrymen, with a grave expression, escorting them all the way.

    ...

    In the Pce of Versailles, Queen Mary, in full regalia, hummed a tune while admiring her new wig in the mirror, when Countess Debreninac burst in with a pallid face, rushing forward.

    Queen Mary was about to ask why herdy-in-waiting was acting so rudely today when thetter urgently reported, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince''s convoy was ambushed on the way! It''s said... His Highness is injured!"

    Queen Mary''s eyes widened, she froze for a second, then suddenly swayed and fainted.

    After a while, the Queen was eventually awakened by the offensive smell of smelling salts from the Imperial Physician''s hand.

    She pushed the physician''s hand away forcefully and looked through her attendants for the Countess Debreninac, "Where''s Joseph? How is he?"

    Thedy-in-waiting hastened to support her and spoke softly, "Your Majesty, thetest news that hase back is that the Prince is not in any life-threatening danger. The Royal Guard''s military doctor has already treated his wounds. He should arrive at the Pce of Versailles in about two more hours."

    "Are you sure? No life-threatening danger?" Queen Mary didn''t care about the wig askew on her head, clutching the hand of herdy-in-waiting tightly, her eyes not blinking as she stared at her.

    "Yes."

    "Thank God! Amen!" The Queen made the sign of the cross over her chest, took a few deep breaths, and then struggled to her feet, supported by others, her steps unsteady as she walked toward the Versailles Pce Square. Meanwhile, she ordered loudly, "Quick, have Doctor Grusais go to Paris to treat the Crown Prince on the way..."

    Next to her, Countess Debreninac said, "Your Majesty, the doctors left long ago."

    "Good, very good..."

    Two hourster, arge troop of cavalrymen escorted the two carriages into the Pce of Versailles.

    The nobility, who had been waiting there to wee the Sicilian princess, were now all concerned about the condition of the Crown Prince. Many youngdies were so worried about the incident involving His Highness that they couldn''t stop wiping their tears.

    Queen Mary, her wig removed, shook off Countess Debreninac''s helping hand and rushed towards the carriage. Louis XVI followed her closely, his expression somber.

    The cavalry immediately cleared a path. Through the gaps among the soldiers, the Queen saw the bullet holes in the carriage door, causing her heart to tighten instantly.

    As she opened the carriage door, she suddenly felt dizzy¡ªinside, everything was in disarray, splinters were everywhere, along with traces of blood. Her son was leaning against the seat, covered in blood, especially his right arm. Although it had been crudely bandaged, the entire arm was almost soaked with blood.

    Of course, she couldn''t know that most of it was chicken blood.

 Chapter 142: Chapter 128 Oscar-Winning Acting (Seeking Comments)_2

    ```

    "Jo..." As her trembling lips began to speak, tears immediately streamed down her face.

    Behind her, Louis XVI stared at his son, with his eyes also reddened.

    Doctor Grusais was the first to get out of the carriage, bowed to the Queen and the King, and thenforted them, "Your Majesties, please do not worry. His Highness is only injured and is not in life-threatening danger. He appears to be frightened now and needs to rest as soon as possible."

    "Rest? Oh, yes, of course," the Queen nodded subconsciously and instructed Countess Debreninac, "Quickly, take the Crown Prince back to rest."

    Joseph was "weakly" helped out of the carriage and thenid back onto the stretcher to be taken to his own bedroom.

    The King, the Queen, and a group of nobles immediately followed.

    Josephy in bed, feigning extreme weakness, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. The Queen sat by the bed, her head lowered as she stroked her son''s arm where it was wrapped with thick bandages¡ªthe military doctors had applied nearly a dozenyers at Joseph''s repeated request.

    She wiped away her tears, regted her breathing, turned her head to look at the crowd around her, and her voice was filled with chill, "Who can exin to me why things have turned out this way?"

    Kesode immediately looked towards General Besanval, who stood at the bedroom door with a pale face. Led by him, the others also turned their gazes to themander of the French Guards.

    Under the scrutiny of everyone, Besanval moved to the middle of the room with difficulty, saluted the King and Queen, and stammered, "Your Majesty, it''s... someone fired shots en route..."

    Queen Mary nced at him, "How did the attacker get close?"

    "This, I''m not clear about..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Not clear?!" The Queen frowned deeply, "How many of the French Guards were in charge of surveince?"

    "Three thousand, Your Majesty."

    Queen Mary stood up abruptly, ring at Besanval with eyes full of fury, and shouted, "Three thousand men! What the hell were you all doing that no one noticed the attack?!"

    "Yes, it was..." Besanval''s head hung so low it was almost between his knees as he muttered, "My negligence..."

    Louis XVI stood up, gently patting his wife''s shoulder.

    Queen Mary red fiercely at Besanval once more, then, disregarding him, turned again to the doctor to confirm her son''s condition repeatedly before turning to the officials gathered for a visit, "Count Robel, Baron Weymorel, I want you two to start an investigation immediately. I need to know what exactly happened today!"

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    The head of the Secret Police and the second-inmand of the Queen''s Imperial Guard both bowed and epted the order.

    In the time that followed, Louis XVI and Queen Mary stayed beside the Crown Prince''s bed, not even taking lunch.

    It was only at twilight that Joseph finally "slowly came to."

    The Queen immediately grasped her son''s left hand and whispered gently, "My dear heart, you''re finally awake! How do you feel?"

    "God be praised!" Louis XVI also watched his son with intense concern.

    In a timely manner, Joseph showed the panic and helplessness fitting for a boy of fourteen, looking pitifully at his parents and frowning, "I feel very weak, and the wound is so painful..."

    The Queen was nearly moved to tears again, hurriedlyforting him with a soft voice, "The Lord will protect you, my dear! You will be alright."

    Louis XVI then turned a searching gaze to the doctor standing by.

    The doctor, somewhat helplessly, approached and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince''s wound has been meticulously treated, now all he can do is rest quietly. As for the pain, perhaps His Highness could take some Dover Powder."

    At the mention of Dover Powder, Joseph''s eyelid twitched¡ªthe "Dover Powder" was amonly used painkiller made from opium, not exactly a trifling matter.

    ```

    He hurriedly changed the subject, looking terrified as he said to Queen Mary, "Mother, that bullet flew right between Count Eman and me. If it had been half a foot off, it would have hit my heart..."

    Queen Mary and Louis XVI were both deeply shaken when they heard this and repeatedlyforted their son.

    Count Eman added "insult to injury" by saying, "Your Majesty, although the bullet did not hit His Highness, the splinters from the carriage were also very dangerous. Look, the wound on His Highness is from the splinter that was ejected."

    "Luckily we had God''s protection, otherwise if a piece of wood had pierced His Highness''s eye or something, the consequences would have been too dreadful to imagine!"

    Joseph and his servant exchanged an imperceptible nce, silently apuding each other''s performances.

    It wasn''t untilte at night that Queen Mary and Louis XVI left the Crown Prince''s sleeping quarters, still not having recovered from the shock.

    The next morning at ten o''clock, all the Cab Ministers were summoned to the conference hall. Before the Queeny several sketches. Count Robel was at her side, narrating the investigation findings rted to yesterday''s assassination attempt.

    "This is a British-made 1742 flintlock gun bullet," Robel pointed to a sketch of the carriage interior, "fired through the door and finally stopped by a post on the other side of the carriage. Judging by the prating power, it must have been shot from quite a distance away."

    Anyone investigating would certainly arrive at the same conclusion.

    Because the marks on the carriage were indeed made by a 1742 flintlock gun, fired by Kesode''s own hand, who carefully adjusted the amount of gunpowder to ensure the power was just right.

    Afterward, he used wax to seal the door and carriage''s damaged areas and painted over them. From the outside, it was very difficult to notice. When the "assant''s" gunfire was heard, Joseph removed the wax, recing it with previously collected bullets and wood splinters, recreating the scene of the shooting.

    "What was the identity of the perpetrator?" Brian asked, frowning.

    "They were two gang members," Robel gestured to a sketch of the perpetrators'' bodies, "called the Blood de Gang. They havemitted multiple crimes recently, robbing people on the road and have killed seven or eight people."

    Baron Weymorel, captain of the Queen''s guard, added from the side, "Your Majesty, we have thoroughlypared the bulletins and brought in police from Moretrowan Town for identification, leaving no doubt they were members of the gang."

    Justice Minister Baron Breti was puzzled, "How did they get close to the convoy?"

    Robel pointed to a map and exined, "They must have slipped through the farnd from the east, then took advantage of apse in the Imperial Guard''s vignce to sneak into a farmhouse."

    He and Weymorel were previously perplexed; the farmhouse was more than three hundred paces from the fields, and at the time, at least ten Imperial Guard soldiers should have had sight of the ce.

    After much discussion, they could only attribute it to General Besanval''s negligence, such as gaps in the patrol arrangement orck of discipline among the soldiers, perhaps even sleeping on duty.

    No one would have guessed that the attackers were brought to the scene by the biggest victim himself.

    Robel continued reporting the investigation findings, "Then those two killed the soldiers guarding the farmhouse and hid in the attic. When the convoy passed by, they shot at the Crown Prince with their gun."

    "Upon hearing the gunshot, the Imperial Guard fired at the attic, killing the assants on the spot," Weymorel added.

    After a moment of contemtion, the Justice Minister wondered, "Why did those two guys want to assassinate the Crown Prince?"

    "Hmph, obviously someone paid them a lot of money to do it," Mono snorted coldly, "There are too many plotters who want to ruin the future of France."

    Brian pondered, "Or perhaps, they intended to assassinate Princess Maria, but due to the great distance, the bullet went off course."

    If it was as he suggested, the assassins'' objective would be to provoke a war between two countries. Regardless, the consequences of this attack were extremely serious.

    Queen Mary closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke, "It seems the course of events is quite clear now. Count Robel, please continue your investigation into the mastermind behind this."

    She then looked at Breti, "Now, I want to know, what punishment will the Imperial Guard, especially General Besanval, who was responsible for protecting the Crown Prince''s convoy, face?"

    After pondering, Breti carefully responded, "Your Majesty, I believe General Besanval has been grossly negligent in his duties and should be dismissed and exiled."

 Chapter 143: Chapter 129: The Great Purge Begins (Seeking Double Monthly Passes)

    Queen Mary stared at the sketch in front of her, her face taut with extreme dissatisfaction, "Is the punishment that light?"

    Justice Minister Breti nodded somewhat helplessly, "Your Majesty, ording to the relevant decrees, this is the heaviest punishment for General Besanval. Unless there is evidence to prove that he deliberately allowed the bandits to get close to Your Highness."

    That''s how thews of France were at the time, very lenient towards the nobility. More than a decade ago, Countess Jeanne de Motte, iming to be Queen Mary''s maid, found another woman to impersonate the Queen and tricked the Archbishop of Rouen into buying a ne worth 2 million livres for the "Queen." Jeanne then handed the ne to Count de Motte, who sold it in Ennd.

    It was only when the jewelersined to the Queen about the installment payments not being received that the matter was revealed. The Archbishop of Rouen publicly presented "the Queen''s" personal letters to clear his name, putting the Queen at the center of everyone''s gossip.

    Even for such a serious case, Rouen and Count de Motte were astonishingly released without charge, while Jeanne, because of her nobility, was only sentenced to imprisonment in the Bastille. And the next year she escaped from prison¡ªsome suspected with the assistance of the Duke of Orleans.

    So, considering General Besanval''s situation, exile was truly the limit.

    Queen Mary looked towards Brian, Mono, and others who were nodding in agreement. With no other choice, she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Very well, then let it be exile.

    "However, the ce of exile... I remember we have a small ind in East Africa, what''s it called?"

    Kesode, who had been summoned as an eyewitness, immediately answered, "It is Seychelles, Your Majesty."

    "Right, Seychelles," the Queen nodded bitterly, turning to Breti, "Then that''s where Besanval shall be exiled."

    Seychelles was a good ten thousand nautical miles from Paris. Moreover, with the 18th-century sailing technology, it was not even guaranteed that everyone could survive the voyage from France to there.

    Although Besanval had not yet been sent for trial, since the Queen had decided on Seychelles, there was pretty much no escape for him.

    In the council hall, including the military ministers, no one dared to speak for Besanval. Aside from the King and Queen''s rage, the attack the day before was too severe. Add to that a foreign princess had witnessed everything, making it aplete embarrassment.

    Baron Breti nced at the Queen''s expression and continued, "Your Majesty, regarding the other members of the French Guards... they are all significantly responsible for failing to stop the attackers.

    "Since it is still unclear how those two bandits approached the Crown Prince''s carriage, all the officers and soldiers of the French Guards need to be isted for investigation. Suspects will then be handed over to the military court for prosecution and trial."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Investigation..." The Queen, weary, waved her hand, "Baron Breti, please, along with Wemorel, assist the Gendarmerie in investigating the officers and soldiers of the French Guards.

    "Until they are proven innocent, all officers are to be suspended from duty, and no one is to leave the barracks.

    "Report the results of the investigation to me at all times."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Minister of War Saint Priest heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this¡ªBesanval was certainly finished, but as long as the Gendarmerie and the military court were in charge of the matter, the other officers of the French Guards should be safe.

    After all, they belonged to the same military system; go through the motions, then dere they were not involved in the incident.

    As France''s elite troops stationed in Paris, the officers of the French Guards were mostly quite influential. In the Military Nobility Group, everyone''s interests were entangled. These people had a very widework of connections.

    Setting aside everything else, themander of a cavalry battalion of the French Guards was the cousin-inw of Saint Priest. If Queen Mary had directly assigned Royal Family members to inspect the matter, it would have been very troublesome for him.

    Just when he thought things hade to an end, he saw Kesode bowing to Queen Mary and saying, "Your Majesty, given the performance exhibited by the French Guards, they are no longer suitable to continue guarding Paris. Perhaps, it is time to rece them with a more reliable regiment to ensure its security."

    Queen Mary nodded in agreement and turned to the other ministers, "What do you think?"

    Saint Priest kept his head down and said nothing.

    Minister of the Interior Mono squeezed out an "honest" smile and said, "Your Majesty, the entire French Guards are currently under examination and unable to fulfill their duty of protecting Paris. It''s indeed necessary to deploy other regiments to ensure the defense of Paris."

    The previous evening, Joseph had sent someone to inform him to coordinate with Kesode.

    Brian also nodded and said, "Your Majesty, there is currently no conflict at the Southern Nethends border. Elite regiments like the nder Regiment are somewhat wasted there; it would be perfect to redeploy them to assist in the defense of Paris."

    Baron Breti''s eyes lit up at the words, and he voiced his agreement loudly, "Your Majesty, I also think the nder Regiment is highly suitable."

    Themander of the nder Regiment, like him, was one of the very few among the nobility who were staunch supporters of the King. Having them in Paris would greatly benefit the strengthening of his political power.

    The Minister dealing with the ceremonial conclusion of Ennd-France trade negotiations was in Birmingham. The Foreign Minister was on his way back from Russia, having only reached Austria.

    Therefore, at that moment, there was no one in the council chamber to object. Seeing this, Queen Mary decided on the spot, "Then summon the nder Regiment to Paris. The garrison of the French Guards will be changed to Moretrowan Town."

    She remembered the town that served as their of the Blood de Bandits very well; it was just the ce to send the French Guards to.

    ...

    An hourter, in the gardens of Versailles Pce Square, Duke of Orleans was smiling broadly at Marquis Saint Priest, saying,

    "So at the moment, it''s not appropriate for me to be in touch with the gendarmerie. I must ask you to convey the message. Who could have predicted an attack by bandits? Even Louis XV had faced an assassination attempt right before him; we cannot allow innocent officers to be implicated."

    The French Guards were his stronghold after years of management, especially those officers to whom he had invested over a million livres; he naturally couldn''t just watch them be dismissed or exiled.

    Minister of War confidently nodded, "Rest assured, with this amount of ''campaign funds,'' the gendarmes will definitely turn a blind eye. Even if someone were to be prosecuted, I will handle it at the military tribunal."

    Just now, the Duke of Orleans had promised him a full 250,000 livres; he estimated he could pocket at least half of it since the officers of the French Guards would also bribe the gendarmes, sparing him the need to step in entirely.

    Duke of Orleans, who had missed the earlier meeting, now breathed a sigh of relief and, bowing slightly, indicated, "Then that shall be your task."

    ...

    Inside the Crown Prince''s chambers, dozens of noble youngdies looked on worriedly at the Crown Prince who had been "severely" injured, wishing it had been them who took the attack, and in their hearts, they cursed the ipetent French Guards thousands and thousands of times.

 Chapter 144: Chapter 130: I Have a Date with the Princess (Seeking Double Monthly Passes)

    Suddenly, from the marble square in front of the main entrance to the Pce of Versailles, came the angry shouts of a girl:

    "The guards of France couldn''t even stop two bandits, they must be severely punished!"

    The noble youngdies in the corridor, upon hearing this, nodded and agreed:

    "Yes! It was because of them that the Crown Prince was injured!"

    "I heard it was Besanval''s fault for the gaps in the security setup that allowed the bandits to slip in."

    "I wonder how serious the Crown Prince''s injuries are, and when he will recover..."

    Joseph, hearing the loud condemnation outside, suddenly had a bright idea and hurriedly whispered to Eman to go and thank the noble youngdy on his behalf for her "righteous words."

    Soon, the news that Miss Andreyan had been thanked by the Crown Prince for criticizing the French guards began to spread among the youngdies. So, more girls joined the denunciation.

    By noon, two to three hundred youngdies had gathered outside the Minister of War''s office, loudly demanding that the guards of France be severely punished. Their brothers or male friends were soon pulled into the fray, bolstering the crowd further.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    At that time, Dr. Lamark and his daughter were visiting the Crown Prince at his bedside.

    The injuries to His Highness seem to be stable now," Perna said, letting out a sigh of relief as she concluded her examination and turned to look at her father.

    Lamark nodded, and as he was advising Joseph on some points to be careful of in his recovery, they heard the voice of a Ceremonial Officer: "Princess Maria has arrived¡ª"

    He hurriedly pulled his daughter aside, giving way to the crowd of nobles who hade to watch.

    The two Sicilian princesses entered with red-rimmed eyes.

    Perna, standing next to her father, red fiercely at her, thinking to herself: If it hadn''t been for her insistence on some journey, the bandits wouldn''t have had their chance. Fortunately, with the protection of the heavens, the Crown Prince was not seriously injured.

    However, she failed to realize that her anger stemmed more from the fact that she had been visiting His Highness but had to give way to this young girl.

    And it was also because the girl with a lesser bust might one day be the Crown Princess, while she could only silently take care of his health from the sidelines...

    Joseph, seeing Maria''s tear-reddened eyes, couldn''t help but feel remorse and guilt¡ªbecause of his own efforts to bring down Besanval, she had unwittingly been frightened.

    Maria curtsied, and with a soft, feeble voice asked, "Crown Prince, may I ask if you are feeling better?"

    Joseph smiled and nodded, "Much better, thank you for visiting. Please sit down."

    Maria bowed her head, seeming to struggle to muster the strength to say, "Your Highness, it was because you came to meet me that you were attacked..."

    Joseph quickly waved his hand, "No, no, this is not your fault, please do not me yourself."

    Maria immediately felt a warmth in her heart¡ªhaving been ready to be med, she didn''t expect the Crown Prince to be so forgiving, and her tears started to flow again, "I, Your Highness...sniff..."

    "Hey, hey, don''t cry! I''m really okay!"

    Comforting a crying girl was not Joseph''s strong suit. He rubbed his forehead, unsure of what to say next, when he saw the watching nobles suddenly step aside and take a respectful stance. Then Queen Mary, dressed in a pink and white gown without her hair done, came quickly towards them, waving her arms anxiously,

    "Oh! My God! Why are you sitting up? Lie back down! The doctor said you need rest!"

    Joseph smiled, touched his chest, and bowed his head, "Mother, I''m much better now, don''t worry."

    The Queen had her servants arrange a variety of pastries in front of her son, fussing over him with warm questions, and then her gaze fell on Princess Maria standing aside and her face darkened.

    She had always thought her niece to be the most suitable daughter-inw, and this Sicilian princess as an unwee distraction. Now that her son had even been attacked because of her, her dissatisfaction had grown even stronger.

    Thetter, upon noticing Queen Mary looking her way, hastily wiped away her tears and stepped forward to curtsy.

    But Queen Mary turned her head away, deliberately saying to Countess Debreninac, "Please have the unrted people leave, so as not to disturb the Crown Prince''s rest."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Countess Debreninac promptly turned to dismiss the others, and Maria bit her lip, took two steps back,pleted her curtsy, and then walked away with her maid in tow.

    Joseph, seeing the aggrieved expression on Maria''s face and suspecting that the Queen''s anger was directed at her, felt even guiltier and hastened to call out to her retreating figure:

    "Princess Maria, I''m very sorry for affecting your travels. When I am better, please allow me to act as your guide and show you around Paris."

    Maria stopped in her tracks, turned her head sharply, and her previously dimmed eyes lit up again, thinking to herself: So His Highness is interested... Ah, no, no, at least he doesn''t have a bad impression of me!

    That''s enough!

    She immediately turned fully around, lifted the hem of her gown to curtsy, and smiled, saying:

    "I appreciate your invitation and hope you recover quickly. I will pray for you every day."

    Perna found herself unexpectedly moved: she had known the Crown Prince for so long, and yet he had never invited her to visit anything...

    She shook her head and quickly left the bedchamber, scolding herself: Perna! What are you thinking? Just being able to see the Crown Prince often and perform routine checks for him is already quite good. With your status, how could you wish for more?

    ...

    Four dayster, at the camp of the France Guards.

    A gendarme officer with the rank of general handed over a stack of documents to the Justice Minister, courteously saying, "Baron Breti, does this review of these men seem about right to you?"

    Thetter nodded, signed the documents, and then stamped them several times with the seal on his ring.

    The five officer names on the document from the France Guards, as well as the four reviewed the day before yesterday, were all on duty elsewhere on the day the Crown Prince was attacked, and were basically above suspicion, thus the review process was swift.

    Another, older gendarme officer, his face caked with a thickyer of powder, took the documents from him and smiled, saying, "Then I will apply to Marquis Saint Priestter on to reinstate them - oh, and Colonel Obin and others from day before yesterday - to their positions."

    Breti and Wemorel exchanged nces and nodded, saying, "Alright, General Astou, I will also report to Her Majesty the Queen about the situation here."

    Just as General Astou was about to hand the documents to the clerk, Breti''s assistant, holding onto his hat, hurried over and whispered a few words to the Justice Minister, then handed him another stack of materials.

    Thetter frowned as he opened the materials and, after only a few pages, pushed them across to Astou, clearing his throat and saying, "General, it seems we can''t yet conclude the review of those men we were just discussing."

    Astou looked at the materials with puzzlement, and on the very first page he saw - an usation that Colonel Paul Bertrand de Aubin, three years earlier, embezzled funds for military uniforms.

    On the next page was an usation against another officer who hadpleted the review, having identally crippled a soldier the year before.

    For six or seven pages, there were usations against the officers they had reviewed.

    He turned to Breti with a frown, "Where, where did thesee from?"

    "I don''t know either; this morning, someone delivered them to my assistant. Regardless, we can''t pretend we haven''t seen these things."

    In a small office in Paris, over ten miles away, Mr. Demn, the newly appointed head of the second action team of the Justice Investigation Department, watched M, who was furiously scribbling away, and said hesitantly:

    "Mr. Mara, these things you''re writing about, there''s no evidence for them... Isn''t it rather inappropriate to make usations without evidence?"

 Chapter 145: Chapter 131: Thorough Investigation of the French Guards (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    M put down his pen and looked up at Demn, "Camille, you know as well as I do that the rumors about those shameless officers only omit their misdeeds, and hardly ever wrongfully use anyone.

    "Besides, what I''ve written are only ''maybe'' and ''signs indicate,'' and the officers won''t be convicted on this basis. The gendarmes will definitely conduct a detailed investigation. Wouldn''t it be great if they actually found hard evidence?"

    He continued to write the denunciation letter, "What I regret the most is that the Justice Investigation Department doesn''t have the capacity to go after those bastards in the army."

    Indeed, once Joseph had learned that the gendarmerie would be responsible for reviewing the French Guard, he immediately began the next step of his response.

    He first had Fouch¨¦ hand over some dirt on French Guard officers to M, arge part of which were heard from an officer named Tiru during the previous investigation into the shelling of a farmhouse.

    In tune with M''s character, he naturally couldn''t tolerate these vile officers and soon began his investigation. And through his reporter contacts, he uncovered even more sordid stories about the officers¡ªalso "thanks" to the widespread corruption and violence in the old army, which made it so easy to find a wealth of material with just a bit of digging.

    After that, Joseph had someone "casually" inform M that the Justice Minister and the gendarmerie were conducting arge-scale investigation into the officers and that perhaps they could use some leads.

    M generously shared everything he knew about the officers with the Justice Minister.

    At the French Guard barracks, the gendarmerie department had to reopen investigations into officers who had already been cleared.

    With the Justice Minister and the Queen''s Guard''s second squad leader watching over them, they couldn''t very well acquit anyone openly, so, in less than three days, some of the reported content actually revealed some leads.

    The gendarmes had no choice but to invest more manpower and effort, and undertook an evenrger-scale investigation...

    In this manner, nearly half a monthter, the review of the first batch of nine officers had still not beenpleted.

    And there were more than two hundred mid-to-high ranking officers in the entire French Guard, with even more junior officers.

    All these men were now confined to the barracks, anxiously awaiting the impending review, but the more anxious they became, the slower the review process seemed to go.

    The feeling of having a sword hanging over one''s head, yet never falling, was the most agonizing.

    Moreover, these officers previously had at least eight hours of free time every day, which they could spend enjoying themselves in Paris, but now they were stuck sitting in the barracks, missing out on parties and women, and even the food was just the coarse meals provided by the barracks. To them, this was hardly different from being in prison.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Soon, rumors began to spread through the barracks that the Queen, furious about the attack on the Crown Prince, was taking out her anger on the French Guard and was nning to exile all the officers.

    Of course, this was also a rumor spread by Joseph''s men.

    The officers, already in a constant state of fear, had long lost the ability to calmly discern truth from falsehood. Hardly anyone questioned these rumors, which became more and more exaggerated as they spread.

    As a result, the officers began to use all their wits and desperately reached out to their contacts for help. Almost half of the Military Nobility Group was stirred.

    The Duke of Orleans also heard about the situation in the French Guard barracks and once again sought out Minister of War Saint Priest, promising to increase the "activity funds" if he could ensure the protection of those officers¡ªafter all, they were his support in the army.

    This time, though, Marquis Saint Priest dared not ept this "windfall," because he simply had no idea how to handle the situation.

    In recent days, quite a few influential military nobles had approached him or written personal letters, urging him to conclude the review of the French Guard as soon as possible.

    If it were an ordinary case that few people knew about, he could have handled it quietly, but the situation with the French Guard required daily reports to the queen. Moreover, journalists somehow obtained letters denouncing the officers, and now all the major newspapers were reporting on the investigations of those officers.

    With so many eyes watching, even if he wanted to influence the oue, he couldn''t find an opening to do so...

    That night, in the vi of an officer in the Southern Suburbs of Paris, Saint Priest was contemting strategies with several senior members of the Gendarmerie when an aide-de-camp of General Astou from the Gendarmerie burst in, panic-stricken, and whispered a few words in his ear.

    Astou''s face was a picture of shock, "Really?!"

    The aide-de-camp had a pained expression, handing over a newspaper: "General, it''s already been published. It''s said that the Justice Minister has also received evidence."

    Saint Priest and the others hastily took a look: "General Astou, what''s happened?"

    Astou said with a dark face, "Have you heard about the incidentst month in the Southern Suburbs of Paris? A farmhouse was shelled, killing two people?"

    The others nodded in response.

    Astou pointed to the newspaper and said, "There are reports saying it was done by the French Guard, and theyter pinned the me on the Paris Police Academy. It seems Breti has already received evidence."

    Early the next morning, outside the French Guard''s camp, there were already hundreds of protesters gathered, demanding severe punishment for the murderers of the Axel couple.

    It was only because the barracks were rtively far from the city center that the number of protesters was not even higher.

    The previous shelling incident had caused a major stir, but Joseph had cleverly managed the crisis through public rtions. However, this time the boomerang hit the French Guard, and they had no means to respond.

    Breti, acting on the clues received, had the Gendarmerie find the cannon that had really shelled the Axel House and arrested all the gunners responsible for operating it.

    After interrogation, the gunners, already under extreme stress, quickly confessed and named their officer, eventually implicating Theodore, the Major of the French Guard''s second artillery battalion.

    The news spread, and all of Paris was shaken. People took to the streets, angrily demanding the execution of Theodore and the other murderers.

    At the same time, many also gathered outside the Paris Police Academy to apologize for having wronged it previously.

    The act of the Paris Police Headquarters, despite being falsely used, in helping to repair the Axel family''s home and providing thousands of livres in aid, became widely praised. Their reputation soared.

    For a time, the Paris Police almost became the epitome of "caring for the poor" in people''s mouths. Even on patrol, they carried their heads higher than usual.

    That day, the number of young people who came to enroll at the Police Academy directly exceeded five hundred. The Dean of Academic Affairs, Frient, had to temporarily close the enrollment entrance.

    ...

    Pce of Versailles.

    Bertier looked cautiously toward the direction of the Crown Prince''s chambers, nervously preening and readjusting his appearance, feeling quite uneasy.

    Although he had not yet assumed his post, he was still amander in the French Guard, and he did not know whether the Crown Prince would vent his anger on him for thispse in the Guard''s protection.

 Chapter 146: Chapter 132 New Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Bertier

    Major Bertier took a deep breath and walked into the Crown Prince''s bedroom through the guards, immediately bowing to Joseph with a hand on his chest:

    "Your Highness, how are you feeling?"

    Joseph sat up in bed, smiled, and nodded:

    "I am much better, Captain. I''m d you coulde to see me."

    He then had Eman excuse the spectating nobles from the room on the pretense of needing rest.

    "Captain?" Major Bertier was taken aback, thinking the Crown Prince had misspoken, and hurriedly reminded him in a low voice, "Your Highness, I am only apanymander¡­"

    Joseph, as if he hadn''t heard, gestured to the chair beside his bed, "Please, take a seat.

    "Oh, right, do you remember the military reform measures I discussed with you before?"

    "Yes, Your Highness." Major Bertier nodded.

    Although the Crown Prince had only mentioned it briefly during an exercise at the police academy, Bertier had since visited the academy often and Dibowa had thoroughly introduced him to the prince''s military reform n.

    "I am particrly impressed with the ''Conscription Regtions'', ''Promotion System,'' and the ''Establishment of the General Staff''."

    "Oh? It seems you already have a considerable understanding of the reform content." Joseph nodded appreciatively, "So, what do you think of my military reform n?"

    Relieved that the Crown Prince had not brought up the matter of the French Guard, Major Bertier immediately expressed what he''d been wanting to say since discussing it with Dibowa:

    "Your Highness, although France has what appears to be a very strong army, it is, if I may be so bold... more like a decaying tree from the inside. The loss in the Seven Years'' War is a testament to that.

    "Our generals seem to have realized this and have made some changes, but in my opinion, it''s still far from enough.

    "I took part in the American Revolutionary War. Our troops held no advantage even when facing the British Army.

    "And your reform proposal almost corrects all the shorings of the current army and introduces many innovations, which is exactly what France needs right now!"

    Joseph immediately responded:

    "Then, do you think it''s possible to implement the reforms now?"

    Major Bertier immediately frowned, and after a moment, shook his head and said:

    "It would be very difficult to carry out. Just adjusting the promotion system would meet with opposition from almost all officers."

    Currently, the officer ss in France is firmly controlled by the nobility. Firstly, it is extremely difficult formoners to enter military academies, and even if they can, most specialize in engineering or technical fields, almost never touching uponbatmand.

    Upon graduating from military academies and entering the army, it is impossible formoners, no matter how capable they are, to rise above the rank of junior officer.

    In fact, not justmoners, but even lesser nobility are unlikely to be majors. Apart from suppression and exclusion by the hereditary military nobility, the costs of promotion are not something lesser nobles can afford.

    Yes, in contemporary France, military officer promotions require arge payment. The higher the position, the higher the fee. Even some not so wealthy major nobles get stuck in the same position for over a decade upon reaching the rank of colonel because they can''t afford the promotion.

    Furthermore, like the bureaucratic system, military officer positions in the French Army can also be bought with money. And these purchased officers hold the samemand authority as officers who graduate through regr military channels!

    Such missioned officers through financial contributions" ount for a full third of the French Army.

    This meant that if a full-scale war broke out, at least a third of the French soldiers would be fighting the enemy under themand ofplete amateurs. The oue is not difficult to imagine.

    An important aspect of the military reforms proposed by Joseph was the merit-based promotion system, where rank would be determined by ability and military achievements, regardless of background. Additionally, no fees would be required for promotions, and the sale of military positions would be strictly prohibited.

    Undoubtedly, this would elevate more talented individuals to the higher echelons of the French Army, but it would also break the military nobility''s monopoly on officer positions, leading them to fiercely resist the reforms.

    "Yes, what you say is quite correct," said Joseph somberly, "Not just the promotion system, but changes to weapon procurement, recruitment, and the system of military honors will all encounter opposition from those people."

    Bertier''s expression became somewhat despondent.

    Although he was of minor nobility, he was a victim of the existing military system¡ª he had nearly gone into debt to attain his current rank of Major. And this time, in order to join the French Guards, he had nearly drained his finances and still fell far short. If not for the Crown Prince''s generous assistance, he would have shamefully returned to Soissons by now.

    "Yes, Your Highness. Thus, military reform will be an exceedingly long process..." he said in a low voice.

    "That may not be the case," Joseph suddenly smiled, "For instance, right now, there is an opportunity that could allow my reforms to take the first step immediately."

    He looked at Bertier, "Of course, this would also require your assistance."

    Thetter immediately stood and bowed, "Your Highness, I am at yourmand."

    "Thank you, Major Bertier. Oh, first of all, you are to be promoted to the position of infantry regimentmander."

    "Ah?"

    ...

    "Baron Breti says you have a way to calm things down?" the Minister of War, Saint Priest, eyed the middle-aged man before him with skepticism.

    If there were any other option, he certainly wouldn''t believe that a mid-ranking officer could solve the current troubles.

    What he hadn''t anticipated was that the inspection of the French Guards would evolve into its current state.

    People like Theodore, who were responsible for the massacre at the Axel Farmhouse, had already been handed over to the military court, but this did little to diminish the public''s dissatisfaction with the French Guards, especially after the news of the Crown Prince''s attack spread, angering the Paris popce even more.

    The Crown Prince, who spearheaded police reform and improved the security in Paris, had a very high reputation among the citizens, which caused more and more people to protest outside the French Guards'' barracks. The residents of the Saint Antoine District in particr continuously threw dirt at the camp and shouted curses, nearly on the verge of storming inside.

    Meanwhile, arge number of noblewomen blocked his office, demanding a rigorous investigation into the officers responsible for the attack on the Crown Prince, making it so he hadn''t dared show his face in his office for a long time.

    At the same time, the military was constantly pressuring him to protect the officers of the French Guards...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    When he was at his wit''s end, the Justice Minister told him that a mid-level officer named Bertier might be able to resolve the predicament. Desperate, he decided to meet with the man.

    Bertier, seated opposite, appeared somewhat constrained:

    "General, do you know why people have continuously reported the officers of the French Guards, even bringing up the affair at the Axel Farmhouse?"

    "Oh? Do you have some inside information?"

    Bertier immediately replied ording to Joseph''s ''script'':

    "Yes, General. To my knowledge, it''s because Her Majesty the Queen is extremely furious about the Crown Prince''s injury, and wants to vent her anger by punishing the officers of the Guards."

 Chapter 150: Chapter 136: Crown Princes Guard Corps

    The over two thousand soldiers and officers on the Mars Field were all a bit dizzy.

    A few days ago, they thought they were the most unlucky people in the world, inexplicably wrapped up in the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, then subjected to scrutiny, and even believed they might be exiled.

    But now, they felt like the luckiest people in the world, having mysteriously joined a new legion and been inspected by the Crown Prince himself. The Crown Prince had also announced a host of new regtions, giving them a future filled with hope.

    If they weren''t standing in formation right now, they would really want someone next to them to kick them, to verify that this was not just a dream.

    After a good while, Joseph signaled for the soldiers to be quiet, and then continued to announce several rules concerning military achievements, constion payments, retirement pensions, and even preferential treatment for the families of soldiers.

    With the experience from before, the soldiers and officers were extremely excited, but they forcibly suppressed their emotions and maintained discipline at the scene.

    Having finished talking about the military reform projects that directly affected the interests of the soldiers, Joseph took two small booklets from Bertier standing beside him, held them up, and waved them: "Other military discipline codes or systems will be distributed to each of you by your unitmanderster, so I will not repeat them here."

    He put away the booklets, looked around at all the soldiers in the field, and said loudly, "No matter what your background was or what the number of your current unit is, within the legion, you can all call yourselves the Crown Prince''s Guard Corps from now on!"

    "Of course, you must also prove with your actions that you are worthy of this title.

    "The training you''ll undergo from now on will be even stricter, and the demands on you will be higher, but all this will bring you more honor. Anyone who feels they can''t ept this can apply to leaveter and go back to the¡ªoh, what''s it called now?"

    Bertier hurriedly said softly on the side, "It''s the Merit Corps, Your Highness."

    Joseph nodded, "You can return to the Merit Corps at any time."

    All the officers and soldiers present automatically disregarded this option.

    Are you kidding, to give up a clear path to promotion, a sry that wouldn''t be embezzled by officers, and a high constion payment, to go back to the already rotten Merit Corps?

    "Crown Prince''s Guard Corps"¡ªjust the name sounded imposing; perhaps they would be directly promoted to the Royal Guard.

    If anyone couldn''t make that choice, they must be fooling themselves.

    Is it just more training, stricter demands? That''s nothing! Who hasn''t suffered before bing a soldier, whether as a farmer or a craftsman, and weren''t those times more strenuous than now?

    Little did they know, the Crown Prince loudly said, "The first challenge you will face is to prove that you are at least better than the police, better at fighting. Oh, no, not the police, but the as-yet-ungraduated students of the Paris Police Academy."

    The officers and soldiers on the field allughed inside. They were, after all, once the elite forces of France, daring topete with the King''s Guard.

    And the police? What were they but ruffians and hooligans hired by the government, who had maybe undergone one police reform¡ªcould they even reach the heavens? If they couldn''t even beat those guys, wouldn''t that be a joke?

    However, they would soon find out just how ridiculously wrong they were.

    Finally, Joseph signaled to two officers nearby: "These are your paymasters. From now on, every month, they will bring people to deliver your sries directly to you. If you have any problems with your sry, you can even write directly to me withints.

    "Now, the paymasters will conduct your first pay distribution."

    And so, amid the pleasant process of disbursing pay, the first inspection of the Crown Prince''s Guard Corps came to an end.

    The soldiers, counting the silver coins in their hands, all had faces blooming with joy.

    The lowest tier of troop payroll had been raised from 13 livres to 15 livres, and sergeants had been bumped up from 17 livres to 20 livres.

    Although the sry may not seem high, the soldiers were provided with food, lodging, and uniforms, meaning all of this money could be sent home and was more than enough to support a family of four or five.

    After leaving the Mars Field, Joseph immediately headed to the Paris Police Academy.

    Not even half a league out, he saw a military camp under construction, which would be the new grounds for his Guard Corps.

    From the beginning, he had no intention of sending the corps back to Moretrowan Town. Half a month earlier, he had purchased a plot ofnd here and began constructing the campsite.

    As for the issue of being away from the garrison, he had Colonel Bertier apply to the Minister of War for "extended training leave," and, after coordinating with the current Paris Legion stationed in Paris, no one else interfered.

    On the training ground of the Paris Police Academy, Joseph, the academy''s principal, mobilized the cadets for the "joint exercise" scheduled a few dayster.

    After the mobilization speech, he visited the office of the Provost Marshal to inquire about recent recruitment.

    "There are currently more than 1,300 cadets in the academy?" Joseph asked Frient with a hint of surprise.

    Thetter nodded respectfully, "Your Highness, due to the Police Headquarters'' assistance to Axel and his spouse, the number of people signing up for the academy has surged recently. If not for theck of school buildings, we would possibly already exceed 1,500."

    Joseph fell silent, as he had originally intended to instruct the academy to increase recruitment. It seemed that this was no longer necessary.

    He then instructed Frient, "From now on, cadets may choose to be bat police'' after graduation, or join the army. As for the army''s systems and benefits, Colonel Bertier will have someone deliver the details to you.

    "As for those who qualify in the Elite ss examination, they can take up directmissions as officers."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Frient had already heard from the Crown Prince about the establishment of abat police force.

    It was essentially a team dressed in police uniforms, equipped with infantry weapons, and even provided with some cavalry. Their dered purpose was tobat vicious gangs, such as the Blood de Gang¡ªthose who dared to attack the Royal Family.

    Two dayster, the Crown Prince''s Guard Corps weed over five hundred cadets from the Paris Police Academy to the Mars Field.

    The two forces were to conduct a joint exercise, which was essentially a contest of military skills.

    As soon as the cadets entered the field, they startled the guardsmen of the Guard Corps¡ªtheir uniforms were crisp, their formations neat, and their presence impressive. Were these really a group of not-yet-graduated police cadets?!

    What the guardsmen found most difficult to ept was that the cadets were armed with thetest model of Charleville 1776 flintlock guns!

    It should be noted that even France''s King''s Guard had only started to rece their weapons with this model three years ago, and to this day, a third of its soldiers were still using the old model from the Seven Years'' War¡ªthe 1763 flintlock gun.

    And at the very back of the cadets'' ranks, there were actually over 30 cavalrymen... oh, they should be more urately called mounted policemen. Your next chapter is on m v|l-e''-NovelBin

 Chapter 148: Chapter 134 Go, Pika... uh, Mr. Mara! (Seeking double monthly passes)

    Joseph immediately thought of the bankers who had been pouringrge sums of French funds into Ennd and couldn''t help but grind his teeth in hatred. If he could dig up dirt on these fellows, it would not only please people immensely, but it would also effectively regte the financial industry.

    However, Joseph immediately felt a sense of detion, as there were still too many targets in the banking industry, and these people were not government officials, which would likely raise objections from Mara, the "Friend of the People," should the Justice Investigation Department look into them.

    If only there was a representative figure in the banking industry who was also an official...

    At that moment, an idea suddenly struck him¡ªthere was indeed such a person!

    Though he was no longer an official, he had served as the Finance Minister for a considerable time and had close ties with the banking industry. In fact, he was precisely a banker himself.

    The period when Necker was in charge of France''s finances was exactly when France started down the irreversible path of sustaining its budget by relying on high-interest loans. His sessors as Finance Ministers also wanted to break free from the vicious cycle of taking out new loans to pay old debts but were forced to continue borrowing due to the high-interest pressure.

    A chill shed in Joseph''s eyes. Based on Necker''s various maneuvers, it would be a real surprise if there were no problems.

    Sending the Justice Investigation Department to investigate him now would not only divert Mara''s attention, but if they actually found something, it might lead to a chain of unscrupulous banking tycoons.

    The next morning, Joseph sent Eman to the office of the Finance Minister to retrieve all the financial records from when Necker was in charge of the national treasury (he was a Swiss and couldn''t directly hold the title of Finance Minister, but his authority was not diminished), which filled four entire hand carts.

    Joseph instructed Kesode to have the guards escort these documents to the office of the Justice Investigation Department.

    Sure enough, without a word from Joseph, Mara came to him by himself the next afternoon.

    Joseph used his old method on him.

    He started by harshly condemning how Necker colluded with banking industry magnates to maliciously increase financial expenditures, then taking out massive loans from banks, and in turn, funneling exorbitant interest to them. Afterward, he described the severe harm the national financial crisis had caused the French people.

    Finally, he pointed the "piranhas" in the right direction¡ªgo forth, for the French people, and tear Necker apart!

    However, this time Mara seemed extremely hesitant, "Your Highness, please forgive my frankness, but Mr. Necker has a very good reputation. During his tenure managing the nation''s finances, the revenue and expenses were almost bnced. You wouldn''t be trying to smear him because he publicized the Royal Family''s extravagant waste, would you?"

    Joseph smiled. Necker indeed knew how to package himself¡ªhistorically, during the convening of the Estates-General, all three estates had a favorable view of him, and even Louis XVI saw him as a savior.

    But as someone well-acquainted with history, Joseph was quite clear about the misdeeds this individual hadmitted.

    "Mr. Mara, a viin won''t have the words ''bad person'' written on his face. The Justice Investigation Department is there to see through surface disguises and uncover the real darkness within."

    Joseph leaned forward, speaking in a low voice, "Do you know where the first loan that Necker secured for the government after bing head of the national treasury came from?"

    Mara, who had clearly browsed through those financial records, flipped open his notebook and nced at it, "A Swiss Bank..."

    "Exactly," Joseph nodded. "Do you know that this bank was owned by Necker and his friends?"

    Mara was taken aback, then shook his head.

    Joseph said coldly, "Which means, the first thing Mr. Necker did upon taking office was to secure a significant deal for his own bank, and the interest rate was quite high to boot.

    "There is more you don''t know."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "For instance, Mr. Necker coborated with his friends in the English banking industry when he was young, using a substantial amount of funds to specte on the grain trade between France and Ennd, which caused the price of grain to skyrocket at that time."

    "Also, for example, in order to secure the position of Treasurer-General, Mr. Necker spent hundreds of thousands of livres and added his own bank equity, bribing numerous high-ranking officials¡­"

    No longer able to contain himself, Mara stood up and said, "Your Highness, I will investigate all of this, but it may just prove that you are biased against Mr. Necker."

    Joseph smiled and nodded, "I look forward to you bringing greater justice to the people of France."

    Continue reading on m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    After bowing respectfully, Mara was about to leave when Joseph added, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Mara, did you just say that the financial revenue and expenditure during Necker''s term seemed to be stable?"

    "Yes, Your Highness, that is a fact."

    "The fact is, the so-called bnce of revenue and expenditure is based on excessive borrowing. The interest on the loans is not obvious in the short term, making it seem as if the financial situation is alright, but the interest rolls up more and more. The harm will only be apparent after more than a decade.

    In other words, a significant portion of the current fiscal deficites from the loans of that period."

    "Thank you for your advice, Your Highness," Mara said again, bowing before turning and leaving somewhat agitatedly.

    Having diverted Mara''s attention away from the French Guards, Joseph then summoned Baron Breti and hinted at him that he could be more lenient in his review of the French Guards officers.

    Breti was initially appointed as Justice Minister through the support of the Crown Prince and Archbishop Brienne, plus auditing the officers which was a thankless task that could easily make enemies, so he immediately agreed.

    ...

    At the French Guards barracks, the number of letters reporting officers suddenly decreased, and the inspection process of the Gendarmerie sped up considerably.

    Marquis Saint Priest, upon hearing the news, was quite surprised that Bertier really had such influence and thus he streamlined all the procedures, almost immediately signing themission to promote Bertier to Lieutenant Colonel and appoint him as themander of the third infantry regiment of the French Guards.

    However, just after noon, Bertier came to him, indicating he had run into a little problem.

    "So, what does your close friend demand now?" Saint Priest asked with a frown.

    "Ah, it''s like this, he has a younger brother, who recently graduated from the military academy and is currently just a junior lieutenant," Bertier recounted the Crown Prince''s request, "He hopes his brother could serve as a battalionmander or something simr in the French Guards."

    Marquis Saint Priest let out a long sigh, once having given away the cow, could he really begrudge giving a piece of the harness?

    He nodded immediately and said, "Let it be as he says. Tell him to quickly go to..."

    "He studied Cavalry Command, so he hopes it will be a Cavalry Camp."

    "All right, all right! Whether it''s Cavalry or something else, just do it," Saint Priest rubbed his forehead hard, already numb to it all and just wishing for this nightmare to end soon.

    Bertier acted quickly; after being promoted as regimentmander, he immediately went to the French Guards'' barracks with Dibowa and Audric, a cousin of Kesode, to start selecting his troops.

 Chapter 149: Chapter 135: With the Army in Hand, the World is Mine! (Happy New Year)

    The selection of regr soldiers was rtively easy, prioritizing those with good records while eliminating those with a history of viting military discipline or havingmitted crimes. A selection of over 1,700 soldiers,bining an infantry regiment and a cavalry camp, waspleted in a matter of days.

    Screening officers was a more troublesome matter.

    Following the orders of the Crown Prince, Colonel Bertier eliminated all the senior officers, leaving only captains at the highest rank.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    There was no need to worry about ack of intermediate and senior officers because among the captains, many had the capability to serve in higher positions but were held back simply due to their humble origins orck of money.

    Promoting some of these outstanding individuals was far more effective than relying on the inherited officers forbat capabilities.

    Among the remaining officers, those of high noble birth were also dismissed, and a further selection was made to remove those of low character, with the entire screening processsting over ten days beforepletion.

    Upon receiving the report that Bertier''s troop organization had beenpleted, Joseph "miraculously" got out of his sickbed and removed the bandages from his arm¡ªhe had actually recovered from his wounds a while ago, leaving only a fine scar.

    The next day, he came to Paris to attend the public trial of Theodore, the mastermind behind the shelling of the farmhouses, along with several of his subordinates.

    The so-called trial was just a formality, carried out to quell public outrage; the verdict had in fact been decided several days earlier.

    Theodore and Komu, who had given the order to fire on the scene, were sentenced to beheading, while the others received various punishments such as imprisonment or forcedbor.

    When the judge of the military court announced the verdict, a thunderous cheer erupted from the za in front of Paris City Hall.

    Many people shouted, "Vengeance for the Axels," and a rain of stones was hurled at Theodore. Had it not been for the Gendarmes shielding with their shields, the culprits would have met their end right there without need for an execution ground.

    Subsequently, Joseph ascended and proimed amid the cheers of the crowd:

    "The injuries I sustained in the attack have healed. After inspecting, the ''pests'' within the France Guard have been thoroughly purged, and the rest of the officers and soldiers are innocent. I hope everyone will refrain from disturbing them further."

    Immediately, the people began to shout again:

    "Thank God, the Crown Prince is unharmed."

    "Praise the Crown Prince''s mercy."

    "May God grant the Crown Prince good health."

    "Long live the Crown Prince!"

    At the same time, newspapers under Joseph''s control also began to coborate, cing all the me on Besanval, Theodore, and others, promoting the idea that none of the other members of the France Guard were responsible.

    However, it was tough on the few officers who were initially reported, as their crimes of corruption or assaulting soldiers were confirmed, and they became the sacrifices to appease the public rage.

    Less than a weekter, the investigation of the France Guard came to an end. The once buzzing public opinion quickly forgot about the matter.

    The officers and soldiers of the France Guard, having narrowly escaped disaster, were overjoyed and wanted to celebrate, but they were suddenly reminded that the responsibility of guarding Paris had been handed over to two regiments dispatched from the nder Regiment¡ªnow renamed the Paris Legion.

    They, meanwhile, had been stripped of the title of France Guard and renamed the Merit Corps, relegated to a remote small town...

    However, a portion of them soon saw a ray of hope¡ªtheir new Lieutenant Colonel Bertier, along with Audric''s cavalry camp, took them from their station in the Merit Corps and headed to the familiar Mars Field in the Southern Suburbs of Paris.

    These more than 2,200 individuals were essentially the elite of the former France Guard.

    And the newly appointed Commander of the Merit Corps, the Marquis of Merit, looked at the remaining 1500-plus officers and soldiers with great helplessness.

    Given the current situation, which capable officer or one with connections would want to take over the mess that was the French Guard? The Marquis was the unfortunate scapegoat who had been sent to clean up the mess.

    Before he had taken up his post, he had heard of the tremendous influence of Colonel Bertier, who had resolved the crisis facing the French Guard. As such, the Marquis dared not utter any word against the actions of Bertier and Audric, acting as if they were not his subordinates at all.

    On the Mars Field, the more than two thousand officers and soldiers brought by Bertier stood in neat formation, watching the viewing tform with anxious hearts, uncertain of what instructions their new Commander would give.

    However, the first to ascend the viewing tform was a young man dressed in blue and white military uniform, followed by their Commander and a few officers surrounding the youth.

    Joseph watched the soldiers below, his heart full of excitement and relief.

    Having been in this world for so long, he finally had an army that would obey hismandspletely!

    Although the numbers were not vast and even the officers were notplete, this was a starting point of special significance¡ªthe integration of royal and military power. From this point on, he truly possessed the capacity and means to alter the future of France!

    No, perhaps all of Europe would be utterly changed from this moment!

    Below the tform, a bugle call sounded, and an officer called out loudly, "Present arms!"

    The signaler immediately waved his gs rapidly, executing a few gestures. Two thousand soldiers simultaneously lifted their rifles in salute.

    Joseph tipped his hat in acknowledgement, nodding inwardly at the level of training of these soldiers, after all, the elite forces tasked with guarding Paris.

    The officers below shouted again, "Attention!"

    It was then that Joseph spoke out loud, "I believe everyone here recognizes me. Today, I represent the Royal Family to visit His Majesty''s most loyal troops."

    The signaler immediately waved his gs to pass on themand, and the soldiers on the field responded in unison, "Long live the King!"

    Joseph continued, "From now on, you will serve as a model for all French soldiers, bing a new type of military unlike any before!"

    The officers and soldiers below were extremely surprised. They had thought that after the incident involving the attack on the Crown Prince, their military careers had no hope left. But unexpectedly, the Crown Prince had suddenlye to visit them and even said they should be a model for French soldiers?

    However, once the Crown Prince had only mentioned the entirely new promotion and pay systems, everyone was unable to keep calm, momentarily forgetting their discipline, and began whispering to each other.

    "One can be promoted to be a mid-level officer without being nobility?"

    "The Prince said, ''capable of being promoted to any position,'' which means including high-ranking officers."

    "Advancement is based solely on ability and military merit! Thank God, we all have a chance to be officers now!"

    "Promotions won''t require any fees, that is the most crucial point!"

    "Did you hear? The Prince said, from now on, the pay will not go through the officers but will be distributed directly into our hands by a paymaster."

    "Heard it! The paymaster is appointed directly by the Minister of War, so we don''t have to worry about our pay being withheld anymore!"

    "The Prince also said he would increase the pay. Oh, thank God, thank the Crown Prince!"

    Joseph did not make the officers maintain order, knowing that just these two reforms were enough to win him the absolute support of the more than two thousand officers and soldiers.

 Chapter 150: Chapter 136: Crown Princes Guard Corps

    The over two thousand soldiers and officers on the Mars Field were all a bit dizzy.

    A few days ago, they thought they were the most unlucky people in the world, inexplicably wrapped up in the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince, then subjected to scrutiny, and even believed they might be exiled.

    But now, they felt like the luckiest people in the world, having mysteriously joined a new legion and been inspected by the Crown Prince himself. The Crown Prince had also announced a host of new regtions, giving them a future filled with hope.

    If they weren''t standing in formation right now, they would really want someone next to them to kick them, to verify that this was not just a dream.

    After a good while, Joseph signaled for the soldiers to be quiet, and then continued to announce several rules concerning military achievements, constion payments, retirement pensions, and even preferential treatment for the families of soldiers.

    With the experience from before, the soldiers and officers were extremely excited, but they forcibly suppressed their emotions and maintained discipline at the scene.

    Having finished talking about the military reform projects that directly affected the interests of the soldiers, Joseph took two small booklets from Bertier standing beside him, held them up, and waved them: "Other military discipline codes or systems will be distributed to each of you by your unitmanderster, so I will not repeat them here."

    He put away the booklets, looked around at all the soldiers in the field, and said loudly, "No matter what your background was or what the number of your current unit is, within the legion, you can all call yourselves the Crown Prince''s Guard Corps from now on!"

    "Of course, you must also prove with your actions that you are worthy of this title.

    "The training you''ll undergo from now on will be even stricter, and the demands on you will be higher, but all this will bring you more honor. Anyone who feels they can''t ept this can apply to leaveter and go back to the¡ªoh, what''s it called now?"

    Bertier hurriedly said softly on the side, "It''s the Merit Corps, Your Highness."

    Joseph nodded, "You can return to the Merit Corps at any time."

    All the officers and soldiers present automatically disregarded this option.

    Are you kidding, to give up a clear path to promotion, a sry that wouldn''t be embezzled by officers, and a high constion payment, to go back to the already rotten Merit Corps?

    "Crown Prince''s Guard Corps"¡ªjust the name sounded imposing; perhaps they would be directly promoted to the Royal Guard.

    If anyone couldn''t make that choice, they must be fooling themselves.

    Is it just more training, stricter demands? That''s nothing! Who hasn''t suffered before bing a soldier, whether as a farmer or a craftsman, and weren''t those times more strenuous than now?

    Little did they know, the Crown Prince loudly said, "The first challenge you will face is to prove that you are at least better than the police, better at fighting. Oh, no, not the police, but the as-yet-ungraduated students of the Paris Police Academy."

    The officers and soldiers on the field allughed inside. They were, after all, once the elite forces of France, daring topete with the King''s Guard.

    And the police? What were they but ruffians and hooligans hired by the government, who had maybe undergone one police reform¡ªcould they even reach the heavens? If they couldn''t even beat those guys, wouldn''t that be a joke?

    However, they would soon find out just how ridiculously wrong they were.

    Finally, Joseph signaled to two officers nearby: "These are your paymasters. From now on, every month, they will bring people to deliver your sries directly to you. If you have any problems with your sry, you can even write directly to me withints.

    "Now, the paymasters will conduct your first pay distribution."

    And so, amid the pleasant process of disbursing pay, the first inspection of the Crown Prince''s Guard Corps came to an end.

    The soldiers, counting the silver coins in their hands, all had faces blooming with joy.

    The lowest tier of troop payroll had been raised from 13 livres to 15 livres, and sergeants had been bumped up from 17 livres to 20 livres.

    Although the sry may not seem high, the soldiers were provided with food, lodging, and uniforms, meaning all of this money could be sent home and was more than enough to support a family of four or five.

    After leaving the Mars Field, Joseph immediately headed to the Paris Police Academy.

    Not even half a league out, he saw a military camp under construction, which would be the new grounds for his Guard Corps.

    From the beginning, he had no intention of sending the corps back to Moretrowan Town. Half a month earlier, he had purchased a plot ofnd here and began constructing the campsite.

    As for the issue of being away from the garrison, he had Colonel Bertier apply to the Minister of War for "extended training leave," and, after coordinating with the current Paris Legion stationed in Paris, no one else interfered.

    On the training ground of the Paris Police Academy, Joseph, the academy''s principal, mobilized the cadets for the "joint exercise" scheduled a few dayster.

    After the mobilization speech, he visited the office of the Provost Marshal to inquire about recent recruitment.

    "There are currently more than 1,300 cadets in the academy?" Joseph asked Frient with a hint of surprise.

    Thetter nodded respectfully, "Your Highness, due to the Police Headquarters'' assistance to Axel and his spouse, the number of people signing up for the academy has surged recently. If not for theck of school buildings, we would possibly already exceed 1,500."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph fell silent, as he had originally intended to instruct the academy to increase recruitment. It seemed that this was no longer necessary.

    He then instructed Frient, "From now on, cadets may choose to be bat police'' after graduation, or join the army. As for the army''s systems and benefits, Colonel Bertier will have someone deliver the details to you.

    "As for those who qualify in the Elite ss examination, they can take up directmissions as officers."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Frient had already heard from the Crown Prince about the establishment of abat police force.

    It was essentially a team dressed in police uniforms, equipped with infantry weapons, and even provided with some cavalry. Their dered purpose was tobat vicious gangs, such as the Blood de Gang¡ªthose who dared to attack the Royal Family.

    Two dayster, the Crown Prince''s Guard Corps weed over five hundred cadets from the Paris Police Academy to the Mars Field.

    The two forces were to conduct a joint exercise, which was essentially a contest of military skills.

    As soon as the cadets entered the field, they startled the guardsmen of the Guard Corps¡ªtheir uniforms were crisp, their formations neat, and their presence impressive. Were these really a group of not-yet-graduated police cadets?!

    What the guardsmen found most difficult to ept was that the cadets were armed with thetest model of Charleville 1776 flintlock guns!

    It should be noted that even France''s King''s Guard had only started to rece their weapons with this model three years ago, and to this day, a third of its soldiers were still using the old model from the Seven Years'' War¡ªthe 1763 flintlock gun.

    And at the very back of the cadets'' ranks, there were actually over 30 cavalrymen... oh, they should be more urately called mounted policemen. Your next chapter is on m v|l-e''-NovelBin

 Chapter 155: Chapter 141: Auguste 1788 Model Caplock Gun

    Afterward, the collective trial firing of the percussion cap guns by the police school instructors began.

    After trying out the new guns, everyone appeared incredibly excited. They knew what it meant to have the shooting speed increased by three to four seconds.

    Joseph himself also fired a few shots and just felt a huge recoil; the butt of the gun made his shoulder sore. Moreover, in terms of loading speed, even Louis XVI was streets ahead of him.

    Well, as for the Crown Prince, his strengthy in his intellect; firing guns was a task best left to Kesode.

    Soon, Principal Frient discovered another advantage of the percussion cap gun, "I feel that this gun has greater firepower than the 1776 model."

    Joseph nodded inwardly, as no leaking from the ignition chamber meant more of the explosive force of the gunpowder was acting on the bullet, definitely increasing the firepower.

    An instructor standing by nodded, "I feel it too. Moreover, this gun doesn''t spray gunpowder smoke in your face when firing, so it won''t sting your eyes."

    Of course, this was also due to the elimination of the ignition chamber. The ignition chamber was close to the shooter''s face, and the leaked gas from there would seriously interfere with the sight, which was not a problem with the percussion cap gun.

    The excitement continued with shots and discussions until they had used up the seventy to eighty percussion caps they brought, and only then did they stop, reluctantly.

    The fact proved that Louis XVI''s craftsmanship was extremely superb; each gun was fired nearly 40 times in session without any issue.

    Only the King stood aside with a look of wistful grievance. He hade here to try shooting, but in the end, he had only fired two shots. And due to his social anxiety, he found it hard to ask these strangers for a gun...

    The empty guns were collected by Louis XVI''s attendants. Frient looked towards Joseph and asked, "Your Highness, are these two new guns made in Charleville? What are they called?"

    Charleville city was thergest firearm manufacturing site in France; most of the new guns were developed there previously.

    Joseph, however, turned to Louis XVI and bowed, "No, these guns were personally crafted by His Majesty the King."

    Louis XVI smiled shyly but happily. He wanted to add that the gun was designed by the Crown Prince, but his social anxiety made him stammer, and he couldn''t exin clearly for a long time.

    "As for the name of the gun," Joseph pondered for a moment, "I suggest calling it the ''Auguste 1788 model'' percussion cap rifle."

    Everyone shouted the new name of the gun, and there was another round of cheering, "Auguste 1788 model! The best gun in all of Europe!"

    "This is the new era of firearms, the Auguste 1788 model!"

    "Long live the King!"

    Louis XVI''s full name was Louis Auguste.

    Joseph was very clear that currently, the greatest prestige of the Royal Family still rested with his father. Raising his father''s prestige meant increasing the prestige of the entire Royal Family. As for himself, he was still operating behind the scenes, and it was more impactful to bestow the honor on his father.

    Louis XVI was taken aback at first, but when he heard the surrounding shouts and praises, his heart blossomed with joy, and he immediately began to imagine the majestic sight of guns bearing his name sweeping through enemies across Europe. The regret of not having fired more shots earlier had long since vanished.

    He did feel as though he had stolen the Crown Prince''s credit, but since his son had so enthusiastically given him the right to name it, he surely couldn''t disappoint his son''s kind intentions.

    Afterward, Louis XVI, surrounded by a crowd, toured the police school training ground, watched the police officers'' drill exercises, and then embarked on the return journey, feelingpletely satisfied.

    In the carriage, Louis XVI reflected on this brief outing¡ªthere was none of the usual pageantry of a convoy, only heartfeltmendations from the people. This filled him with sheer exhration and joy.

    Joseph smiled from across the room. "Father, I n to build a gunsmithing factory near Paris to produce the new percussion cap guns. When the timees, I''ll need you to guide the craftsmen in the manufacturing process."

    "A new gunsmithing factory?" Louis XVI was somewhat surprised. "Won''t you produce them in Charleville?"

    Joseph replied subconsciously, "These guns are an important means of controlling the military, of course..."

    Louis XVI''s eyes sparkled with rity. "Control the military? But the military is very loyal to me."

    Joseph silently rubbed his forehead, not knowing how to exin to his father¡ªif you really had control over the military, you wouldn''t have failed to move a single troop into Paris during the crisis.

    He had to redirect. "Loyal to you, ah, yes, of course.

    "It''s just that the percussive cap guns areplex to fabricate. Currently, you have aprehensive grasp of the entire process. We can''t expect you to go to Charleville and teach the other craftsmen, right? So it''s best to produce them directly near Paris.

    "Besides, there are other new types of weapons in the future that will require your expertise in research and manufacturing. Having the factory right next to the Pce of Versailles will also be more convenient."

    Louis XVI was immediately convinced and nodded slightly. "Building a new factory will cost quite a bit of money. Hmm, I can provide 500,000 livres now, is that enough?"

    Joseph was moved¡ªit''s not every day you find a good employee... ah, no, a good father who funds research and development.

    He quickly replied, "That should be enough, and if it''s not, I''ll contribute some more. Oh, and don''t forget to send someone to the gun factories in Charleville, Saint-etienne and others to recruit skilled craftsmen so we can start manufacturing the new guns as soon as possible." Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    Joseph had calcted that with the King''s personal summons and the chance to live in the prosperous Paris, those craftsmen would surely find the offer irresistible.

    This way, his armament factory could be up and running in no time.

    Once the percussion cap guns were made, thebat power of his Guard Corps would instantly be the best in all of Europe!

    He then remembered that a real strong army can''t stay on the training grounds forever; it''s the smoke of the battlefield that would rapidly foster their growth.

    When ites to ces, North Africa was a good training ground¡ªits armies weren''t as strong as those in Europe, nor as weak as the natives in America.

    But how to circumvent those British and intervene in North Africa?

    ...

    A few hourster, the carriage entered the Versailles Pce Square. It was Joseph''s carriage; he needed to drop off Louis XVI first, and besides, he wanted to talk to Brian about grains and the North Africa matter.

    As soon as father and son alighted from the carriage, Joseph caught sight of a figure dressed as a priest respectfully waiting outside the gate while Louis XVI frowned slightly, pretended not to see, and hurried past.

    Seeing the priest''s despondent look, Joseph asked Louis XVI in a low voice, "Father, is Principal Talleyrand here to discuss something?"

    Louis XVI sighed. "It''s about his promotion to Archbishop."

    "And then?"

    "He''s qualified and the Church agrees. It''s just that your mother is unhappy that he once spoke ill of her in private, so she''s holding back on signing off his promotion. He alwayses to plead with me."

    Joseph nodded silently to himself; Talleyrand was definitely talented, and this was a good opportunity to bring him into his service.

 Chapter 152: Chapter 138: Cutting Costs and Increasing Revenue

    General MacArthur, a renowned five-star critic from the United States, once said, "The sky is high, the earth is wide, but Daddy is the biggest." A summons from Daddy must certainly be the highest priority.

    Joseph, feeling helpless, looked towards the carriage and gestured to Eman, "Let''s head to the Pce of Versailles first, and then look at them in detail on the carriage."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Before long, several carriages drove out from the Industrial nning Bureau.

    Inside the carriage, Joseph opened the envelopes one by one.

    The letters were from the three "white gloves" who had been tasked with purchasing grain overseas for him; for secrecy, they used codednguage.

    Joseph then took the codebook from Eman and began to read with effort.

    In the letters, the "white gloves" first reported on the situation of the grain procurement, which was generally optimistic. The first two batches totaled nearly 70,000 setiers of grain from ces like Ennd, North Africa, Eastern Europe, 10,000 setiers of corn, and over 30,000 setiers of potatoes.

    A setier was amonly used unit of measure at the time, with one setier being 4.43 bushels. As for how much grain that represented... well, that varied.

    Because a bushel is a volume unit. In practice, it was filled with grain in arge barrel, and when full, it constituted one bushel. For example, when filled with grain it would be about 45-50 French pounds, and for potatoes, between 55-60 French pounds.

    In other words, in this period, the three "white gloves" had already purchased nearly twenty million pounds of grain from around the world.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Moreover, ording to them, in line with Joseph''s instructions, every time they arrived in a new ce, they would spend money to find someone influential locally, and ce an announcement in the newspapers iming that the year was expected to be bountiful, with grain supply possibly outstripping demand.

    After all, it was still early before the autumn harvest, so the statement could be freely made.

    Subsequently, the local price of grain would begin to slide, and that''s when the "white gloves" would move in to make their purchases, leaving immediately once the prices started to rise even a little bit. So, they had acquired these tens of millions of pounds of grain at basically standard prices.

    Joseph did some quick calctions in his head and figured that at this rate of procurement, by July, before the hail came, about five hundred million pounds of grain should be purchasable.

    Of course, relying on this grain alone would not be enough to ovee the great famine, but now a third of the French provinces had nted potatoes, and the grain yield was expected to rise significantly and not bepletely wiped out by the hail.

    With efforts from both sides, getting through this winter safely should not be a problem. As for next year... that would have to be dealt with one step at a time.

    Of course, another issue was that the French Government needed to have the funds to pay for these five hundred million pounds of grain.

    Sure enough, in thetter half of the letters, the "white gloves" mentioned that the first two allocations of funds were nearly exhausted and asked His Highness to allocate the subsequent funds as soon as possible.

    In addition, they also inquired about where the grain piled up in Le Havre was to be transported within the country.

    Joseph couldn''t help but rub his temples, as transportation was also an extremely troublesome issue. Of course, in the end, it was still a matter of money.

    You see, the transportation capabilities of this era were quite poor, and even using the cheapest river transport, the cost would double the price of the grain.

    He had seen in a report from Valerna before that of the five million livres used to purchase potatoes in the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, nearly half had been spent on transportation costs. Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    And this was the result of the Governor''s orders to cooperate fully along the way; otherwise, the expenses would be even higher.

    Speaking of river transport, Joseph suddenly remembered that this year''s drought would lead to some waterways drying up. They would then be forced to transport grain bynd, increasing costs several-fold.

    Historically, during the Feuints'' time in power, they used many means to requisition grain from other provinces to alleviate the food shortage in Paris, only to fail to get the grain to Paris in time because of the exorbitant cost ofnd transport.

    And the fact that the people of Paris could not eat bread was one of the major reasons for the Feuints'' eventual resignation.

    Therefore, while river transport was still running normally, it was imperative to transport the grain from Le Havre to various ces as soon as possible.

    That was yet another substantial sum of money.

    Joseph calcted that Paris Fashion Week was about to open, and it should be able to make some money, but the gap was stillrge.

    The ie from Paris Angel Company now had arge portion subsidizing the Crown Prince''s Guard Corps, leaving only a little over two hundred thousand livres each month.

    The paper mill was still under construction and would not generate profits for at least three more months.

    The winemaking industry itself didn''t collect much in patent fees, and it was not yet the season for mass production.

    As for the industrial park in Nancy, it goes without saying that it still needed constant investment. Profits were not even worth considering.

    Joseph looked out the car window at the streets speeding by and sighed inwardly; money was truly easier spent than earned.

    It seemed that he needed to further intensify efforts to increase ie and reduce expenditure.

    As for generating ie, he had always been working on it. The remaining were projects that requiredrge investments and had long cycles; they were not likely to yield profits in the short term.

    Another option, which was what the current European powers were engaged in, was colonial expansion.

    Since the Age of Discovery, colonies had been the major source of funds for countries. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, they provided a massive amount of resources and also served as markets for product dumping.

    Therefore, colonization was absolutely the necessary path for a country to be wealthy and powerful.

    The current fiscal difficulties of France werergely due to the loss of vast colonies to the British after the defeat in the Seven Years'' War, leading to a drastic plummet in overseas earnings.

    Joseph naturally began to ponder suitable locations for colonial development.

    First, the Far East was definitely beyond their power to meddle in. Historically, it wasn''t until nearly a hundred yearster, after France hadpleted the industrial revolution, that it re-engaged in the Far East.

    As for the Americas, they were almost entirely within the spheres of influence of Ennd and Spain. Although rich, the distance was too great, making it difficult to project power. For the moment, it would be good enough if France could maintain its current colonies in the Caribbean Sea.

    After considering all options, he found the choice historically made by the French to be the most sensible: North Africa.

    Close to France, it boasted vast areas of fertilend, particrly Egypt, a world-ss strategic location. If they could seize Egypt and threaten the British by developing the Suez Canal, France could gain a significant strategic advantage.

    However¡­ Joseph immediately furrowed his brows, as Ennd regarded France as a mortal enemy and closely monitored every French move.

    If France showed any sign of gaining a foothold in North Africa, the British would definitely interfere. Historically, as soon as Napoleonnded in Egypt, his maritime supply lines were cut off by the British.

    Thus, the most important thing about getting a hold of North Africa was how to deceive the British¡­

    He thought hard for a long time but could not grasp the key. So, he had to temporarily let it go.

    Since it was not easy to increase ie in the short term, Joseph turned his thoughts to how to cut costs.

    He reflected on the current major expenditure items of the French Government and was startled to find that thergest expenditure was actually the interest on the debt.

    The interest payments exceeded two hundred million livres every year!

    If he had that money, neither famine nor industrial development would be an issue.

    However, the loan agreements were clear, and as time went on, the interest would only umte.

    Joseph knew that in just two years, the French Government would need to pay over four hundred million livres in interest¡­

    Note 1: The Suez Canal had not been developed in 1788. Trade from Asia to Europe had to go around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, a journey of over ten thousand nautical miles. However, taking the Suez Canal reduced the distance to only five thousand nautical miles. So whoever controlled the Suez Canal could control Europe''s trade!

 Chapter 153: Chapter 139: The Ultimate Weapon (Request for Double Monthly Votes)

    The current situation in France is such that it should thank Providence simply for being able to pay the interest on its debts, as for repaying the principal? Ha, one doesn''t even dare to dream of it in one''s sleep.

    Joseph''s face tightened as he shook his head, thinking to himself that it would be great if all those banks that lent to the government could just go bankrupt...

    Besides debt interest, another major "bleeding point" of France''s finances is taxation.

    The French Government now entrusts most of its tax collection to "Tax Farmers." Every year, Tax Farmers pay a lump sum to the government, after which they are free to collect taxes.

    Estimates byter historians suggest that the actual amount of taxes collected by Tax Farmers each year exceeds the fee they pay to the government by more than one-eighth.

    Based onst year''s tax revenue in France which totaled 500 million livres, one-eighth amounts to forty million. This money goes straight into the pockets of the Tax Farmers.

    In fact, the profits of Tax Farmers may well exceed this figure, as some statistics show that nearly 20% of tax revenues are pocketed by them.

    That is to say, if the Tax Farmers'' system were abolished, the French Government could increase its annual ie by at least forty million livres!

    Of course, attempting tax reform is extremely difficult.

    One very important reason for this is that the Tax Farmers are also creditors of the French Government. They pay the entire annual tax fee to the government at the beginning of the year and only then collect the taxes.

    If the Tax Farmers'' system were suddenly abolished, it would mean the French Government would have no tax revenue for a year!

    Joseph suddenly realized that whether increasing revenue or decreasing expenditure, neither was an easy matter...

    As he pondered, the Versailles Pce Square came into view.

    Joseph stepped down from his carriage when a court official, who hade to deliver a message from Louis XVI, quickly approached from the car ahead, a wide smile on his face, "Your Highness, the King said he''s waiting for you at the Royal Workshop."

    Joseph nodded his thanks to the man and headed towards the King''s lock-making workshop.

    Just as he rounded the column in front of the staircase, he encountered a man with a look of distress on his faceing towards him¡ªit was Nico Herve, the Minister of the Interior.

    Upon raising his head and seeing the Crown Prince, Nico Herve promptly bowed, "I haven''t seen you in a while, Your Highness. May the Lord bless you."

    Joseph smiled back at him, ready to ask about the signing of the "Eden Treaty," when Nico Herve seemed rather listlessly to make his excuses and left.

    Joseph, somewhat surprised, looked at Eman, "He seems to be troubled by something?"

    Eman caught up with Nico Herve''s attendant and asked in a low voice before returning to ry to Joseph, "Your Highness, it seems that Earl Nico Herve wasn''t in the best of spirits during the negotiations with the British. Archbishop Brienne reprimanded him for it, so he''s feeling a bit down."

    Joseph nodded, understanding that Nico Herve really didn''t appear to have much diplomatic talent, but it wasn''t too worrying as the content of the Anglo-French trade negotiations had already been agreed upon by himself and the British Ambassador Hartley, so it was unlikely to affect the treaty signing.

    By the time Joseph arrived at the entrance of the Royal Workshop, the door was opened from the inside, and out shuffled a middle-aged man dressed as a Priest, with a round pancake face and thick lips, sighing heavily.

    The Priest, upon seeing Joseph, paused briefly before putting on a radiant smile, and enthusiastically greeted and bowed to the Crown Prince.

    Seeing the Crown Prince looking puzzled, Eman quietly informed him at his side, "Your Highness, this is Principal Talleyrand of the Saint-Denis Monastery."

    Talleyrand? Joseph blinked, recalling the shrewd political survivor who had managed to thrive through several major eras including those of Louis XVI, the National Assembly, Napoleon, and Louis XVIII?

    Talleyrand once served as the Archbishop of Autun before sessively bing Napoleon''s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Louis XVIII''s Prime Minister.

    It''s hard to say in other respects, but in diplomacy, he was definitely a first-ss master.

    Joseph nodded and smiled at Talleyrand. Before he could exchange a few words, he heard Louis XVI''s voiceing from the workshop, "Joseph, is that you? Oh, dear, I''ve been waiting for you for so long,e in quickly."

    Talleyrand gracefully bowed and excused himself. Joseph stepped into the workshop and bowed to Louis XVI, cing his hand on his chest.

    The King didn''t wait for him to finish his ritualistic words and came over excitedly, grabbing him and almost dragging him to the workbench. Pointing at something covered with blue cloth on the table, he asked mysteriously, "Guess what this is?"

    Joseph guessed that it might be the finished caplock gun, but he still exaggeratedly said, "Is it... a pile of jewelry?"

    Louis XVI shook his head proudly, "No, this is something far more precious than jewelry."

    As he spoke, he yanked off the blue cloth, "It''s the world''s best gun, developed by me and my dearest son!"

    Then, two caplock guns that had been meticulously polished and were as beautiful as works of art appeared before Joseph.

    "Don''t you want to give it a try?" Louis XVI gestured towards the guns.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Joseph nodded, reached out and picked up one of them, examining it closely.

    The positions of the barrel, trigger, and stock were basically the same as the Charleville 1776 flintlock gun, probably using mature parts.

    The biggest changes were in the lock and the priming chamber.

    The lock had been altered from the beak-shaped flintlock to a hammer shape. The priming chamber waspletely removed, reced with a date stone-sized cylindrical prominence.

    Joseph pulled the lock hard. Immediately, Louis XVI took a brass "green bean" from a wooden box beside him and handed it to Joseph.

    Looking at the percussion cap in his hand and then at the wooden box, which still held dozens of caps scattered inside, Joseph thought to himself: Theck of safety precautions is appalling. Lucky there wasn''t a fire, that would have been quite the spectacle...

    He inserted the cap onto the nipple. Louis XVI hurriedly pointed to an empty space in the corner, indicating it was for test firing. It seemed he had already tried many times there.

    Joseph pointed the gun at an empty space and pulled the trigger, producing a "puff" sound. The gun wasn''t loaded with gunpowder, only a little smoke from the burning fulminate mercury billowed from the barrel.

    From the force and stability of the lock, Joseph could clearly tell that there was absolutely no problem with this gun.

    The finest craftsmen of France would indeed not disappoint; he now had another powerful weapon in his own hands!

    "Craftsman Louis XVI," however, seemed not quite satisfied with his performance, muttering, "I had thought it would be ready a month ago, but the airtightness issue turned out to be veryplex."

    He gestured towards the Pce of Versailles waterwheel system outside the window, "If it weren''t for the British boring machine you rmended, oh, and your invention of the ''spiral micrometer'' that was a great help, maybe this gun would still have leakages now."

    "You are truly the greatest master in this world!" Joseph lifted the gun in his hand and praised, "Without you, this gun probably wouldn''t have appeared until decadester."

    Louis XVI squinted with pleasure, then said in a low voice, "Let''s go to the woods east of the square to test fire. I often go there to try out guns."

    Joseph, however, smiled and shook his head, "Testing guns in the woodscks atmosphere. Let''s go to the shooting range and fire a few shots there!"

 Chapter 154: Chapter 140 Everywhere You Look Theres a Business Opportunity

    The father and son shared a knowing smile and promptly set out.

    Upon leaving the workshop, Joseph headed towards the Marble Courtyard, only to see Louis XVI turn towards the tea room.

    He quickly followed and asked in surprise, "Father, aren''t we going to the shooting range?"

    "Indeed," Louis XVI nodded. "While they prepare the carriage, we can have a cup of tea, some pastries, and change our clothes in the meantime."

    It then urred to Joseph about Louis XVI''s super luxury carriage weighing 1.5 tons; with all his travel necessities, it would take no less than 40 minutes to prepare.

    He eagerly caught up to Louis XVI, "Dear father, you''re going as a master gunsmith to inspect your work, there''s no need for such ceremony. Why not take my carriage instead?"

    Louis XVI blinked, hmm, a master gunsmith, huh? That does sound interesting, very stylish.

    He heeded the advice and after a quick change of clothes, he left the Pce of Versailles and climbed into his son''s grey-ck carriage.

    The King''s Guard saw their majesty''s carriage take off, exchanged perplexed nces, and hastily mounted their horses to follow in a fluster.

    Shortly after leaving, Louis XVI started to grumble, "Joseph, this carriage is too bumpy¡­ Had I known, I would have waited for mine to be ready."

    Joseph asked in surprise, "Isn''t your carriage bumpy?"

    "Indeed, my carriage has over ten sets of springs installed under the chassis." Louis XVI, the "tech geek", proceeded to outline the construction of his carriage.

    "Spring suspension?!" Joseph eximed in amazement. He had been mulling over inventing such a thing, and now someone else had already made it. "Who made your carriage?"

    "The same workshop that manufactures carriages for the court."

    After inquiring in detail, Joseph learned that carriages with spring suspension had been around for decades.

    However, these springs had to be manually coiled, resulting in low production and inconsistent quality. The springs used in carriages sold for 30 livres each, and they often broke, needing recement every two or three months.

    This meant that a carriage with spring suspension easily cost a thousand livres or more. The King''s custom model was even more expensive.

    Of course, other than the cost, the fragility and maintenance issues also deterred people from using such carriages.

    The price was so high? A smile crept across Joseph''s lips; truly, opportunities abound for the observant.

    If leaf springs could simply solve the problem, why bother with coil springs? It seemed he could develop a new business in carriage making.

    If only he''d known how valuable this was, he could have developed it sooner and saved his backside a few months of difort.

    Southern Suburbs of Paris.

    Inside the police training school, all the instructors and students were swept up in excitement and agitation, for the King had made a surprise visit.

    Apanied by the senior staff of the police school, Louis XVI nodded and smiled kindly at the students, then turned to Joseph and whispered, "I can''t believe you''ve built such arge military school!"

    Joseph quickly corrected with a smile, "Ah, it''s a police school, for training policemen."

    Louis XVI gestured towards the neatly formed Bertier Regiment in the distance, "Aren''t those soldiers?"

    Joseph didn''t hide it from his father, "Actually, I have trained an army to test some ideas for military reforms. They sometimese here to train."

    "Military reforms?" Louis XVI said with a smile, "Like what the Marquis of Louvois did?"

    Marquis of Louvois was Louis XIV''s Minister of War and had led the military reforms of the time, which significantly enhanced thebat effectiveness of the French Army. One could say that the Sun King''s fame was built upon the armies organized by Louvois.

    However, Louis XVI didn''t truly believe that the fourteen-year-old Crown Prince coulde up with any substantial military reform.

    All Joseph could do was vaguely respond, "Ah, somewhat simr, I suppose."

    "I am truly proud of you, my son!"

    As Louis XVI was speaking, he caught sight of the target range not far away and his eyes lit up, with his pace quickening.

    When he arrived behind a row of earthen walls hundreds of meters wide, instructors had already set up more than a dozen human-shaped wooden boards 40 paces away.

    1.5 paces are about 1 meter. So 40 paces would be about 26 meters.

    The instructor, knowing that it was the King himself shooting, naturally set the targets a little closer, so as to avoid embarrassment should His Majesty keep missing.

    Under everyone''s watchful eye, Louis XVI eagerly took the Caplock Gun and cartridge bag from his attendant''s hand, immediately pouring in the gunpowder, ramming it down, then adding a lead ball, ramming it down again, and finally pulling back the firing mechanism and affixing a percussion cap onto the touchhole.

    The entire sequence of actions was extremely smooth, showing that he had performed the loading and firing process too many times recently while designing this gun.

    With a loud "bang," the bullet shot forth, grazing the shoulder of a wooden target.

    The instructors and followers around instantly burst into praise, while people like Frient and Dibowa were focusing on the odd firearm instead.

    Joseph, noticing their hesitant expressions, smiled at Dibowa and said, "Major Dibowa, would you like topare shooting speeds with His Majesty?"

    Having served for over ten years, Dibowa was one of the fastest marksmen at the police school.

    Seeing that Louis XVI was also eager to try, Dibowa respectfully bowed his chest and nodded, "As you wish, Your Highness."

    He picked up a Charleville 1776 Flintlock Gun and hung his cartridge bag around his waist.

    Joseph then loudly dered, "Begin!"

    The twopetitors immediately sprang into action, with Dibowa''s movements clearly faster, pouring in gunpowder, drawing the ramrod to ram down, and loading the bullet. Meanwhile, Louis XVI had just managed to pour in the gunpowder.

    Dibowa was leading all the way, tilting his powder sk to pour into the pan when Louis XVI had just finished ramming down the bullet.

    However, as Dibowa pulled back the firing mechanism and raised the gun to aim, he heard the "click" of the King''s firing mechanism next to him.

    He was startled, realizing that the King was less than two seconds behind him!

    He had been practicing loading and shooting regrly since military academy, a routine he had performed for over a decade, to the point where he could do it blindfolded. And yet, the King, who usually only used a gun for hunting and even had servants to load it, was now only a little bit slower than him!

    The two guns fired one after the other, separated by two seconds, causing everyone present, except for the King and his son, to stare in amazement.

    Dibowa gave Louis XVI a chest bow and, while focusing on the gun in thetter''s hand, said, "Your Majesty, I beg your pardon, but may I have the honor of examining your firearm?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Of course," Louis XVI passed the gun over, thoughtfully including a percussion cap and said, "You''ll need this to fire."

    Only then did Joseph pick up another Caplock Gun and began to exin to Dibowa how to operate it.

    When Dibowa learned that the gun eliminated the step of pouring the priming powder and required three fewer actions than operating the flintlock, his breathing became rushed with excitement, "Your Majesty, may I please fire it once to try?"

 Chapter 155: Chapter 141: Auguste 1788 Model Caplock Gun

    Afterward, the collective trial firing of the percussion cap guns by the police school instructors began.

    After trying out the new guns, everyone appeared incredibly excited. They knew what it meant to have the shooting speed increased by three to four seconds.

    Joseph himself also fired a few shots and just felt a huge recoil; the butt of the gun made his shoulder sore. Moreover, in terms of loading speed, even Louis XVI was streets ahead of him.

    Well, as for the Crown Prince, his strengthy in his intellect; firing guns was a task best left to Kesode.

    Soon, Principal Frient discovered another advantage of the percussion cap gun, "I feel that this gun has greater firepower than the 1776 model."

    Joseph nodded inwardly, as no leaking from the ignition chamber meant more of the explosive force of the gunpowder was acting on the bullet, definitely increasing the firepower.

    An instructor standing by nodded, "I feel it too. Moreover, this gun doesn''t spray gunpowder smoke in your face when firing, so it won''t sting your eyes."

    Of course, this was also due to the elimination of the ignition chamber. The ignition chamber was close to the shooter''s face, and the leaked gas from there would seriously interfere with the sight, which was not a problem with the percussion cap gun.

    The excitement continued with shots and discussions until they had used up the seventy to eighty percussion caps they brought, and only then did they stop, reluctantly.

    The fact proved that Louis XVI''s craftsmanship was extremely superb; each gun was fired nearly 40 times in session without any issue.

    Only the King stood aside with a look of wistful grievance. He hade here to try shooting, but in the end, he had only fired two shots. And due to his social anxiety, he found it hard to ask these strangers for a gun...

    The empty guns were collected by Louis XVI''s attendants. Frient looked towards Joseph and asked, "Your Highness, are these two new guns made in Charleville? What are they called?"

    Charleville city was thergest firearm manufacturing site in France; most of the new guns were developed there previously.

    Joseph, however, turned to Louis XVI and bowed, "No, these guns were personally crafted by His Majesty the King."

    Louis XVI smiled shyly but happily. He wanted to add that the gun was designed by the Crown Prince, but his social anxiety made him stammer, and he couldn''t exin clearly for a long time.

    "As for the name of the gun," Joseph pondered for a moment, "I suggest calling it the ''Auguste 1788 model'' percussion cap rifle."

    Everyone shouted the new name of the gun, and there was another round of cheering, "Auguste 1788 model! The best gun in all of Europe!"

    "This is the new era of firearms, the Auguste 1788 model!"

    "Long live the King!"

    Louis XVI''s full name was Louis Auguste.

    Joseph was very clear that currently, the greatest prestige of the Royal Family still rested with his father. Raising his father''s prestige meant increasing the prestige of the entire Royal Family. As for himself, he was still operating behind the scenes, and it was more impactful to bestow the honor on his father.

    Louis XVI was taken aback at first, but when he heard the surrounding shouts and praises, his heart blossomed with joy, and he immediately began to imagine the majestic sight of guns bearing his name sweeping through enemies across Europe. The regret of not having fired more shots earlier had long since vanished.

    He did feel as though he had stolen the Crown Prince''s credit, but since his son had so enthusiastically given him the right to name it, he surely couldn''t disappoint his son''s kind intentions.

    Afterward, Louis XVI, surrounded by a crowd, toured the police school training ground, watched the police officers'' drill exercises, and then embarked on the return journey, feelingpletely satisfied.

    In the carriage, Louis XVI reflected on this brief outing¡ªthere was none of the usual pageantry of a convoy, only heartfeltmendations from the people. This filled him with sheer exhration and joy.

    Joseph smiled from across the room. "Father, I n to build a gunsmithing factory near Paris to produce the new percussion cap guns. When the timees, I''ll need you to guide the craftsmen in the manufacturing process."

    "A new gunsmithing factory?" Louis XVI was somewhat surprised. "Won''t you produce them in Charleville?"

    Joseph replied subconsciously, "These guns are an important means of controlling the military, of course..."

    Louis XVI''s eyes sparkled with rity. "Control the military? But the military is very loyal to me."

    Joseph silently rubbed his forehead, not knowing how to exin to his father¡ªif you really had control over the military, you wouldn''t have failed to move a single troop into Paris during the crisis.

    He had to redirect. "Loyal to you, ah, yes, of course.

    "It''s just that the percussive cap guns areplex to fabricate. Currently, you have aprehensive grasp of the entire process. We can''t expect you to go to Charleville and teach the other craftsmen, right? So it''s best to produce them directly near Paris.

    "Besides, there are other new types of weapons in the future that will require your expertise in research and manufacturing. Having the factory right next to the Pce of Versailles will also be more convenient."

    Louis XVI was immediately convinced and nodded slightly. "Building a new factory will cost quite a bit of money. Hmm, I can provide 500,000 livres now, is that enough?"

    Joseph was moved¡ªit''s not every day you find a good employee... ah, no, a good father who funds research and development.

    He quickly replied, "That should be enough, and if it''s not, I''ll contribute some more. Oh, and don''t forget to send someone to the gun factories in Charleville, Saint-etienne and others to recruit skilled craftsmen so we can start manufacturing the new guns as soon as possible." Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    Joseph had calcted that with the King''s personal summons and the chance to live in the prosperous Paris, those craftsmen would surely find the offer irresistible.

    This way, his armament factory could be up and running in no time.

    Once the percussion cap guns were made, thebat power of his Guard Corps would instantly be the best in all of Europe!

    He then remembered that a real strong army can''t stay on the training grounds forever; it''s the smoke of the battlefield that would rapidly foster their growth.

    When ites to ces, North Africa was a good training ground¡ªits armies weren''t as strong as those in Europe, nor as weak as the natives in America.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But how to circumvent those British and intervene in North Africa?

    ...

    A few hourster, the carriage entered the Versailles Pce Square. It was Joseph''s carriage; he needed to drop off Louis XVI first, and besides, he wanted to talk to Brian about grains and the North Africa matter.

    As soon as father and son alighted from the carriage, Joseph caught sight of a figure dressed as a priest respectfully waiting outside the gate while Louis XVI frowned slightly, pretended not to see, and hurried past.

    Seeing the priest''s despondent look, Joseph asked Louis XVI in a low voice, "Father, is Principal Talleyrand here to discuss something?"

    Louis XVI sighed. "It''s about his promotion to Archbishop."

    "And then?"

    "He''s qualified and the Church agrees. It''s just that your mother is unhappy that he once spoke ill of her in private, so she''s holding back on signing off his promotion. He alwayses to plead with me."

    Joseph nodded silently to himself; Talleyrand was definitely talented, and this was a good opportunity to bring him into his service.

 Chapter 156: Chapter 142: Letter from Catherine II

    Joseph nced again in the direction of Talleyrand and said to Louis XVI, "Father, if hees to bother you again, just send him to me. I have a way to persuade him."

    Louis XVI, relieved at the thought of ridding himself of the persistent priest, readily agreed, "Then I must thank you, Joseph."

    As he spoke, he found himself thinking back on the glory and praise the caplock gun had brought him today, and he couldn''t help but look at his son wistfully, "Joseph, if you have any other ideas for new weapons, you must tell me right away."

    Joseph smiled and nodded, thinking to himself that he definitely couldn''t let you sit idle. Every day you''re idle is a huge loss to the modernization of France''s armaments.

    "For now, instruct the craftsmen on how to make caplock guns. I do have a concept for rifled guns, but it''s not yet mature. Once I have it figured out, I will surely tell you."

    The principle and structure of the rifled gun, of course, were already in existence, but Joseph feared his father''s focus on this would affect the construction progress of the armory, so he had no choice but to withhold it for now.

    "Rifled guns?" Louis XVI was somewhat puzzled, "Haven''t people already made those?"

    Josephughed and gestured dismissively, deliberately lowering his voice, "The current rifled guns are very difficult to load. The bullet has to be hammered into the barrel, and it can even get stuck halfway down. My design for rifled guns allows for very easy loading, almost as smooth as smoothbore guns."

    Louis XVI''s eyes instantly lit up, "Good Lord, what kind of brain have You bestowed upon my Joseph?!"

    He clutched his son''s arm tightly, excited, "Then you must hurry! Soon, we''ll have another gun that will shock all of Europe!"

    "Of course, dear father."

    After talking about the glorious moment at today''s training ground for a while longer, Joseph bid farewell to the king, who was beaming with pride, and went straight to the Finance Minister''s office.

    Brian hurried out to meet him, smiling warmly, "Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince, it''s wonderful to see that your injury has healed! Thank God for His protection!"

    He did indeed care deeply for Joseph''s well-being, having visited almost daily for fear that the Crown Prince might suffer an unforeseen event.

    Joseph quickly made the sign of the cross over his chest, "Thank God. And thank you, Archbishop Brian."

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    As they sat down, Joseph remembered the encounter with the Minister of Civil Registration from the day before and asked, "Archbishop Brian, I hear that Earl Nico Herve''s trip to Ennd wasn''t so smooth?"

    Brian sighed and nodded, "Yes, he''s indeed not very good at those kinds of situations, reacting slowly to various diplomatic maneuvers and often misspeaking... Oh, he even got the King of Ennd''s lineage wrong in public."

    He paused, then looked at Joseph and continued, "Moreover, after the huge embarrassment we dealt Vilran, he came as if nothing had happened to report to me about going to Russia. Not to mention resigning."

    Joseph frowned upon hearing this. He had previously agreed with Brian to send Foreign Minister Vilran off to Russia and miss the Anglo-French trade negotiations, fully expecting him to resign in anger. Yet he hadn''t anticipated Vilran''s remarkable self-control.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In fact, Vilran had thought of resigning even before reaching Russia, but the Duke of Orleans repeatedly requested that he stay. With no choice but to save face, he continued to linger in the Cab.

    Because he was the Duke of Orleans'' only political ally left in the Cab. Losing him was something the Duke of Orleans could not ept.

    Brian said with some difficulty, "Your Highness, if Vilran does not leave, then about Earl Nico Herve..."

    Joseph knew that ording to the agreement made during the dismissal of Brian, Nico Herve was supposed to be the Foreign Minister.

    He shook his head slightly, "Earl Nico Herve isn''t suited for diplomacy either.

    "Let''s do this, I will think of a way topensate him."

    "What do you n to do?"

    "The Count of Nicoae is still better skilled with registry work. We can have him start nning the identity card system."

    "Identity card?"

    Joseph smiled and said, "It''s about issuing a card to every citizen of France. It will have a unique number to distinguish each individual''s identity."

    "Why issue these..." Brian, after all, was capable of holding the position of Chief Minister, and had hardly spoken half a sentence before realizing the key point, "It can be used to levy the Poll Tax."

    "There are many other benefits," Joseph said. "For example, it can be used for screening spies, wanted criminals. It can prevent welfare fraud. It facilitates identity recognition, and prevents fraud and so forth."

    Of course, Joseph''s main reason for promoting the identity card was for taxation and trade convenience. In the future, it could also be used in the colonies to strengthen the sense of national identity.

    Brian nodded, "The Count of Nicoae has always wanted to do something noticeable. And this will involve every single person in the country. He should be satisfied."

    Joseph added, "We could even include the signature of the Minister of Registry on the identity card to confirm its validity."

    "That would be perfect."

    Joseph then thought of Vilran and frowned involuntarily, "We must continue to marginalize Vilran; we need to rece the Foreign Minister with our person."

    Brian immediately nodded in gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness."

    From his perspective, it was because of the impeachment that Vilran had offended him, which was why the Crown Prince was so intolerant of him.

    In fact, Joseph was more concerned with consolidating the politicalndscape and maximizing the weakening of the Duke of Orleans'' power to pave the way for future reforms of the Old Nobility.

    Speaking of Vilran, Brian remembered his report from a few days ago and hurriedly said to Joseph, "Your Highness, Vilran did bring back some news from his mission to Russia."

    He stood up, took several papers from the drawer, and handed them to Joseph, "The Empress of Russia is very concerned about our interest in the Russo-Turkish war. She repeatedly told Vilran that it was the Ottomans who initiated the war, attempting to invade Russian territory in Crimea and Georgia, and attack the Russian fleet. They had no choice but to counterattack.

    "Oh, this is a copy of a letter from Empress Catherine to the King."

    <img data-y-imgId="10116661" data-y-path="/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10116661/705fad0a1bd5980f47e6e1b74c63608ezvnbsrH75v7ifp6.jpg">

    Joseph didn''t care who was right or wrong between Russia and the Ottomans. The important thing was that the situation there could be exploited by France.

    He looked at Catherine''s letter and saw the Empress very politely say some words regarding the amity between Russia and France, then urged France to support her by dering war on the Ottomans. She even suggested that it could be presented as a new Crusade led by France.

    Brian added from the side, "ording to Vilran, the Empress of Russia also hinted at the possibility of a marital alliance between Russia and France."

    Joseph smiled. A marriage alliance with Russia, for the time being, brought no substantial benefit to France.

    However, when he read the line "support Russia''s campaign against the Ottomans," he couldn''t help but narrow his eyes¡ªconsidering that North Africa, from west to east, including Algiers, Tunisia, Egypt, etc., although de facto independent countries, were still nominally provinces of the Ottoman Empire.

    If France allied with Russia against the Ottomans, wouldn''t there be a pretext to intervene in North Africa as part of the effort to strike at the Ottomans?

 Chapter 157: Chapter 143 Foreign Policy (Double Monthly Pass Needed)

    Furthermore, with Russia''s concern, if the British interfere with France''s actions in North Africa, Russia would be the first to issue a protest against Ennd.

    Joseph returned the letter to Brian, "What do you make of this?"

    Thetter pondered, "Allying with Russia may not be of much benefit to us in the short term, but in the future, it could be used to constrain countries like Austria and Prussia, and even have a certain influence on the British."

    Joseph thought to himself that Brian''s political vision was indeed not bad.

    And he knew that the result of this Russo-Turkish War would be aplete victory for Russia, forcing the Ottomans to sign the Treaty of Jassy. From then on, the entire north coast of the ck Sea would belong to Russia.

    Historically, the first toe out in support of Russia was Austria, gaining huge political and strategic benefits as a result,

    But this time, Joseph could not let these advantages fall into someone else''s hands again.

    He immediately nodded, "I agree with your view. Therefore, at the next Cab meeting, you can propose an initiative to ally with Russia and take a tough stance against the Ottoman Empire. In fact, dering war on the Ottomans could also be one of the options."

    "Very well, Your Highness, I will begin preparations," Brian acknowledged.

    After a series of previous events, Brian had essentially bepliant to Joseph''s advice.

    Having discussed international affairs, Brian naturally brought up domestic matters, speaking with admiration, "Your Highness, I have seen the report on potato cultivation in all the provinces. I really don''t know how you persuaded those people to nt so many potatoes. This should make this year''s food supply quite ample."

    Joseph sighed silently: Being barely enough to eat would be good, where would there be a surplus¡­

    He quickly instructed, "Archbishop Brienne, although the potatoes are nted, we must still pay attention to irrigation tobat drought. If possible, I suggest that each parish be equipped with some steam pumping machines. One machine alone can irrigate dozens of acres ofnd."

    In France, "parishes" were actually administrative units of viges and towns.

    Joseph''s suggestion was not without aim. France did not have manyrge coal mines, but there were many small coal mines scattered across the country. With an appropriate mining policy, it was easy to meet the coal needs of vige and town inhabitants.

    On this basis, it would also promote the sale of steam engines and form a virtuous cycle.

    "This..." Brienne pondered, "The parishes around Paris might manage, but those in more remote areas probably can''t afford this expense."

    Joseph remembered the situation of the farmer Geiszler''s family and nodded slightly, "We could establish some small parish banks, specifically for lending to farmers. However, we need to restrict the interest rates for these banks to prevent them from bing tools for exploiting farmers."

    Brian immediately agreed, "Your suggestion is excellent. I will formte a policy right afterwards."

    Joseph then thought of the food transportation issue and continued to give instructions, "Also, we must consider that during the dry season food will not be transportable.

    "Therefore, I suggest that each major city should establish strategic grain reserves, appoint officials to manage them, and set up regr storage, retrieval, and inspection mechanisms. Right, especially for Paris, we should build two more."

    France had always been a major grain-producing country in Europe and previously had no concept of establishing grain reserves.

    With some confusion, Brian asked, "Your Highness, there isn''t much grain right now, building grain reserves would leave them empty."

    "I''m already thinking of ways for the grain. You just need to issue the decrees to the governors of the provinces as soon as possible," Joseph responded.

    Although Brian felt that with the substantial amount of potatoes, this year''s food crisis should be safely ovee and did not understand why the Crown Prince was still so cautious,

    out of absolute trust in Joseph, he still agreed without hesitation.

    ¡­

    Joseph emerged from his meeting with Brian as dinner time approached and had no choice but to stay overnight at the Pce of Versailles.

    After dining with Queen Mary, he returned to the Crown Prince''s bedroom to find Principal Talleyrand already waiting for him there, respectfully.

    This was indeed a very active man, smart too; no wonder he had survived several reigns unscathed. Joseph appraised him internally and nodded to the bowing Talleyrand, "Please take a seat, Principal Talleyrand. What brings you to me sote in the day?"

    "Your Highness, King Louis XVI said that you are the only one who can save me."

    Talleyrand proceeded to tell him about the obstacles he faced in his promotion to Archbishop. Between the lines, he painted himself as unfairly treated, as pitiable as a homeless kitten in a snowstorm, not uttering a single negative word about Queen Mary.

    Joseph couldn''t help but admire his eloquence; no wonder he was the strongest diplomat during Napoleon''s era, truly skilled.

    Joseph, however, decided not to beat around the bush and asked directly, "What did you do to displease Her Majesty the Queen?"

    Talleyrand paused briefly, then sighed, "Your Highness, you are aware that there have been some rumors about the Queen. I was foolish enough to believe some of them and discussed them with others¡­ The Queen came to know of this."

    Joseph inwardly thought: it doesn''t seem too serious. When ites to cheering up the Queen, he was quite confident. If he spoke a few words on behalf of Talleyrand, that should be enough to resolve the issue.

    So, he looked at Talleyrand and said, "I can help you with this matter."

    "Really?!" The other man was so moved he almost cried, "Your Highness, you truly are an angel sent by the Lord to save us all!"

    Joseph quickly raised a hand to stop his ttery, "It''s nothing, Principal Talleyrand.

    "However, you should indeed thank His Majesty who has been worried and working hard on your behalf."

    "Yes, yes. His Majesty is always so concerned about me." Talleyrand looked at Joseph with a probing gaze, "That¡­ could you give me some advice on how to thank His Majesty?"

    Joseph smiled slightly, "I hear that His Majesty intends to build a firearms factory soon."

    Talleyrand seemed thoughtful and nodded at the information.

    ...

    The following day, Joseph personally ordered the royal confectioner to make a dozen exquisite desserts and took them to Petit Trianon Pce.

    Queen Mary looked at the array of cakes, puddings, and pastries on the table, her eyes twinkling like stars.

    Joseph picked up a piece of puff pastry cake, fed it to the Queen, and while she was in high spirits, he quickly spoke of Talleyrand''s issue.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Queen Mary, hugging her smart and amiable son, was in no mood to care about Talleyrand. After hearing a few good words from Joseph about Talleyrand, especially his desire to do something for the country, she graciously promised her son she wouldn''t hold Talleyrand''s past mistakes against him any longer.

    All went smoothly.

    Joseph then sent for Talleyrand. After the Priest apologized to the Queen with his exceptional oratory and acting skills, she forgave him. Talleyrand took a deep breath of relief and left.

    Upon leaving the Queen, Joseph saw Talleyrand waiting for him at the entrance of Petit Trianon Pce.

    The Priest approached, overflowing with gratitude. He had sought King Louis XVI for over a year without resolving the problem but was amazed that the Crown Prince had managed it with just a table of desserts.

    Without Joseph''s intervention, it wouldn''t have been until the end of the year, after Talleyrand''s father''s death, that he would have been promoted to Archbishop under the Queen''s pity.

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    Joseph asked casually, "By the way, Principal Talleyrand, how much do you know about the situation in North Africa?"

 Chapter 158: Chapter 144: Ill Eat You, Barbary Pirates!

    "North Africa?" Talleyrand seemed slightly taken aback by the Crown Prince''s sudden mention of the topic, pausing for a moment, "I do know a bit about the situation. Your Highness, what would you like to hear?"

    "Anything, the more detailed the better."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Limping, Talleyrand followed alongside Joseph, musing, "North Africa, broadly speaking, is located on the southern coast of the Mediterranean. From west to east, there are several countries, including Moro, Algiers, Tunisia, Tripoli, Egypt.

    "Ah, how should I put this? Aside from Moro, the others might not really be considered countries. Depending on the needs of different situations, they can change at any time between Ottoman provinces and states..."

    He suddenly realized that the Crown Prince probably didn''t want him to talk about these basic geographical concepts, and hurriedly shifted to discussing the political system, "Currently, Moro is under the rule of the wites Dynasty.

    However, in recent decades, rebellions have frequently erupted there, and the court struggles are very intense, their Sultan often having just taken the throne for a few years, would meet an untimely death. In short, Moro is now very weak and relies on dispatching Pirates to plunder merchant ships in the Mediterranean to maintain its finances..."

    Talleyrand quickly nced at the Crown Prince, saw that he was very interested, and then continued, "To the east of Moro is Algiers¡ªan establishment built by Pirates, oh, they could also be called the Ottoman Navy, it''s all about the same¡ªtwo hundred years ago.

    "Those Pirates took control of the Berbers, who originally lived in Algiers, but faced immense pressure from the Spanish Navy and thus voluntarily became an Ottoman province, seeking Ottoman support.

    "Later on, the Ottoman sent an elite Imperial Guard there. After a hundred years, the Ottoman had lost control of the distant Algiers. The stationed Imperial Guard became the rulers. At present, Algiers'' Imperial Guard, Pirates, and the locals have formed a Congress, which elects the Governor of Algiers.

    "Oh, by the way, their navy, or what we consider Pirates, holds great power in Algiers. There have been several Governors who were originally Pirates."

    Joseph smiled and nodded, "You''re providing great detail, please continue."

    "Oh, certainly, Your Highness. Adjacent to the east side of Algiers is Tunisia, an area that is notrge but very rich. Almost the entire country is good farnd, abundantly productive.

    "However, Tunisia ended its nearly half a century of repeated coups just twenty years ago. Now their Pasha, oh, simr to a Governor, is Hammuda Bey.

    "Due to the previous wars, Tunisia no longer has the prosperity of the past, and additionally, as Algiers participated in the earlier coup in Tunisia, the rtionship between the two is extremely poor. Algiers often even raids Tunisia''s border.

    "However, our textiles, ss, wines, and other goods are very popr in Tunisia. It is ourrgest market in North Africa.

    "Of course, Tunisia is also one of the old strongholds of the Barbary Pirates. Our merchant ships are looted from time to time. The Navy needs to go there for clean-up operations frequently.

    "Actually, we''re rtively lucky. After all, a powerful fleet is stationed at Toulon. Merchant ships from Denmark, Sardinia, and the Americans are robbed even more. Oh, did you know, to avoid Pirate raids, the Americans have to pay the Pirates millions of livres in tribute every year?"

    Joseph furrowed his brow, "Why do I always hear you mention Pirates?"

    "Oh, yes, Your Highness." Talleyrand nodded, "The Mediterranean has always been a paradise for Barbary Pirates.

    "They were originally a part of the Ottoman Navy, responsible for attacking the merchant ships of Catholic countries. However, as the Ottoman Empire weakened, it gradually lost control of the navy, which then turned to piracy. They established bases throughout North Africa and even ruled as Governors¡ªlike in Algiers."

    "The Barbary pirates had received formal naval training, so they were far more formidable than ordinary pirates. They roamed the Mediterranean, attacking all merchant ships, unless those ships'' countries had already paid them tribute. Each year, European countries had to spend a significant amount of money to ransom hostages captured by the pirates."

    "Moreover, the Barbary pirates would raid the northern Mediterranean coasts of Europe, enving the inhabitants and selling them into very in North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, or Arab regions."

    "The Spanish Navy had repeatedly struck against the Barbary pirates for over a century, but the pirates were firmly rooted in the states of North Africa¡ªTripoli being one of their bases¡ªmaking them impossible to eradicate."

    As Principal Talleyrand repeatedly mentioned the "Barbary pirates," Joseph suddenly remembered that in a little over a decade, the famous Barbary Wars would break out¡ªthe Americans, fed up with being plundered by Barbary pirates, would deploy nearly their entire naval force to the Mediterranean to fight against the pirates.

    However, it wouldn''t be until several decadester, with the help of France, that the Barbary pirates werepletely subdued. And during that time, the United States once spent 20% of their national fiscal ie on ransom payments to the pirates!

    Suddenly, Joseph''s eyes lit up and he excitedly patted Talleyrand on the shoulder, "Thank you for the reminder, Principal Talleyrand! I think it''s time we resolved to eliminate this Mediterranean menace."

    Previously, he had been fixated on following the historical route that Napoleon took in the North African campaign, starting from Egypt. But at the moment, France was not powerful enough to reach for Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire was still strong and would surely reinforce Egypt¡ªEgypt was nominally an Ottoman province.

    But the Barbary pirates had given Joseph a new train of thought.

    He could start with the Barbary pirates, striking at the pirate strongholds in North Africa, and then turn their territories into war spoils.

    Moreover, eradicating the pirates was a popr cause, especially with the Americans, who had been severely affected and would surely offer robust support. The Spaniards were likely to contribute as well.

    With that in mind, if the British wished to interfere, firstly, they would have no excuse. They couldn''t very well say, "I oppose the eradication of the Barbary pirates," could they? Secondly, they would alienate the United States and Spain. Taking into ount the factor of a Franco-Russian alliance against the Ottoman Empire, Russia would also definitely support French actions in the Mediterranean.

    If Britain were to stubbornly go it alone, perhaps France could even form an "Anti-English Alliance" of sorts. That would be a significant gain.

    Thus, France''s North African strategy began to take shape along the rural paths outside the Petit Trianon Pce.

    However, Talleyrand expressed his doubts, "Your Highness, the Barbary pirates have a vast influence. Eradicating them requires a substantial investment of funds. With France''s current fiscal condition, I fear..."

    Joseph smiled and shook his head, "No, Principal Talleyrand, this campaign against the pirates will only make money, without requiring too much funding."

    He stopped walking and looked at Talleyrand, "Perhaps you would like to take on a diplomatic position."

 Chapter 159: Chapter 145 The Bus Carriage and the New Shock Absorption System

    Talleyrand immediately showed a look of surprise, "I will follow Your Highness''s orders in all respects."

    Joseph nodded, "I hope you can serve as a diplomatic advisor and go on a mission to the United States."

    "Good, good, I am willing to go! Thank you, Your Highness!" Talleyrand hadn''t expected that today, in addition to gaining the Queen''s forgiveness, he would also receive this unexpected reward.

    At this time in France, after the dissolution of the "Society of Jesus," the Church had beenpletely transformed into the "Ministry of Education" and "Civil Administration," in addition to some relief work. Although it possessed significant wealth, it no longer had any real power.

    Therefore, the priests were all sharpening their heads to get a job in the government, which was considered truly making one''s mark. Among them, Archbishop Brienne was a standout.

    And the fact that Joseph could offer Talleyrand a position with real power was a great promotion indeed.

    Of course, Joseph also valued his diplomatic talents and just happened to need someone in diplomacy to rece Vilran after his downfall.

    He gestured for Talleyrand to continue walking, "I need you to make a trip to the United States as soon as possible to join them in fighting against the Barbary pirates.

    "Of course, this will require them to pay a certain fee."

    Talleyrand instantly understood why the Crown Prince had said earlier that "fighting pirates would only make money."

    Joseph continued, "They are now paying over a million livres annually in tribute to the pirates. "

    "Yes, Your Highness," Talleyrand hurriedly said, "about 220,000 US dors."

    At that time, the US dor was pegged to gold coins, with 1 US dor being worth about 5 livres.

    Joseph nodded, "Add to that the ransom for the crew of their merchant ships that have been kidnapped."

    Talleyrand said, "It is said thatst year they paid over 130,000 US dors to ransom captured sailors."

    "That''s a total of over 1.7 million livres," Joseph smacked his lips, "let them pay one-third, 600,000 livres annually, as the fee for the French Navy''s assistance inbating the pirates."

    Talleyrand''s eyes twitched; wasn''t the Crown Prince going to eradicate the pirates? How had it suddenly turned into assisting the Americans?

    But he immediately disyed the quality of a diplomat, nodding seriously, "This amount is very reasonable, Your Highness."

    "Furthermore...

    Joseph truly wanted to recover the tens of millions of livres loaned to the Americans during Louis XVI''s support of the American War for Independence, but that debt had an agreement, and the payment deadline was far from due. The Americans, with French loans and materials, as well as support from the French military, had driven off the British.

    However, after their independence, they turned around and flirted with the British, greatly undermining France''s strategy to weaken Ennd.

    Remembering his father''s extravagant generosity, Joseph felt a sense of frustration.

    He pondered for a moment before saying, "Let the Americans return the tens of thousands of flintlock guns they were given that year. That batch of goods did not have an agreement, and we have the right to demand it back. Right, they must also bring the matching gunpowder and lead bullets."

    The firearms supplied to the Americans at that time were thetest model, the Charleville 1763 type. This batch of guns also had some value.

    Talleyrand''s eyes twitched again; the Crown Prince should have gone into the lending business¡ªhe certainly could have made a fortune.

    Joseph continued to instruct, "Let the Americans directly transport this batch of guns to Russia. They are to bear the shipping costs."

    "Ah? To Russia?"

    Joseph nodded, "You will also go to Russia with the guns. I will send another senior diplomat to present a note to their Empress, indicating that we can join forces against the Ottoman Empire. You will then assist with the diplomatic work, striving for Russia''s support for our actions in the Mediterranean area.

    "Oh, those guns are to demonstrate our sincerity in supporting Russia''s war against the Ottoman Empire. Of course, the Empress could express her gratitude with a few million pounds of potatoes. Russia will cover the shipping costs."

    The Russo-Turkish War? The Mediterranean? Potatoes? Even with Talleyrand''s exceptional intelligence, it took him a few seconds to rify the connections between these elements, and he looked at the Crown Prince with eyes filled with shock.

    This series of maneuvers tied together unrted global events to serve as aid without spending a single "Gold Coin", thereby pleasing the Russians.

    What he found even more unbelievable was that, judging by the tone of the Crown Prince, all these matters of state would be carried out ording to his wishes.

    The Crown Prince had such great influence in the Cab?!

    He hastened to bow and said, "Yes, Your Highness, I understand what to do."

    Joseph smiled again and said, "If you can prove your abilities during this diplomatic mission, I''ll consider promoting you to a more suitable position."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Talleyrand was so moved that he scrambled to find all the words he could to assure he would remain loyal to His Highness and do his utmost to fulfill His Highness''smands.

    ...

    In a carriage-making workshop in Paris, Joseph pointed at a carriage, turned upside-down and still in production, and told the craftsmen beside him, "Just leave one spring here; remove the others."

    A middle-aged craftsman immediately responded nervously in a low voice, "Your, Your Highness, a luxury carriage must have good shock absorption. If we use only two springs..."

    Joseph smiled and said, "No problem, we''ll switch to leaf springs."

    The middle-aged craftsman said with a worried frown, "Your Highness, leaf springs are formon carriages. They have poor shock absorption."

    "Are you talking about those leaf springs?" Joseph gestured towards a ck carriage nearby being fitted with two palm-wide, almost two-meter-long steel bars under the carriage for shock absorption.

    The craftsmen all nodded in agreement.

    Joseph took up a pen and paper, sketching and exining, "Those leaf springs are too primitive.

    "Like this, stack four steel bars of different lengths, fix them together, and then ce the axle on top of the middle of the steel bars.

    "Add a set of such steel bars to each wheel. Oh, use medium-carbon steel... ah, one with moderate hardness and toughness. You''ll have to try a few varieties before deciding which to use."

    The youngest craftsman showed an expression of sudden realization: "Right! If one steel bar isn''t enough, use four. If two sets aren''t enough, use four sets. That way, we can achieve a much better shock absorption effect!"

    The aforementioned middle-aged craftsman added, "We always used leaf springs to support the carriage but never thought to apply them directly to the wheels. This way, when the road surface is uneven on both sides, the wheels can lift to different heights, reducing the tilt of the carriage."

    Seeing that the craftsmen seemed to grasp the principle, Joseph then instructed, "Please expedite the production of the entire leaf spring system. By next week, before Paris Fashion Week, we must use these leaf springs for shock absorption on public carriages."

    The carriages were basically built; switching from coil springs to leaf springs should be feasible within a little over a week''s time.

    Joseph added, "As long as it doesn''t dy the public carriages, you''ll earn two extra months'' wages."

    The craftsmen became excited at once, each of them patting their chests to guarantee the carriages would be manufactured on time.

    After Joseph thought of this business opportunity with the carriages a few days ago, he immediately spent over a hundred thousand livres to acquire a famous carriagepany in Paris.

    The funds came from those allocated for building a firearms factory¡ªTalleyrand, to thank King Louis XVI for supporting his promotion to Archbishop, had donated 200 thousand livres to the King for the factory. Thus, the funds initially provided by Louis XVI were "diverted" by Joseph.

 Chapter 160: Chapter 146 Preparing for War

    Leaf springs were a well-established technology, and Joseph had simply tasked the craftsmen with adapting it for a new application, so the technical discussions with the craftsmen were concluded rather quickly.

    Upon leaving the carriage workshop, Joseph entrusted his newly appointed workshop manager, "Mr. Raspina, your most important task now is to recruit skilled craftsmen as quickly as possible¡ªeven if it means spending more to poach them from other workshops."

    "Yes, Your Highness, I will make sure it is done," responded the manager from Parma, nodding with respectful haste.

    Joseph continued, "Once the new leaf spring suspension prototypes areplete, our workshop will only manufacture the chassis while the carriage bodies will be custom-ordered from other carriage workshops, using only the most luxurious materials and essories."

    Raspina cautiously said, "Your Highness, this will make the costs very high¡­"

    "Don''t worry about the costs; we will have plenty of profit margins."

    Joseph smiled and added, "Remember, all carriages must bear the engraving ''Royal Certified'' on the body and ''Royal Carriage standard chassis'' on the rear. The word ''chassis'' should be engraved smaller."

    Getting a "Royal Certification" was simple for Joseph; a word with his mother would do the trick. As for "standard with the Royal Carriage," it required offering one of his own produced carriages to his father, so he could take it for a few spins. Of course, it could only be the same in terms of the chassis.

    The court officials would certainly raise objections if the carriage bodies were identical too.

    "Next, we need to increase our advertising efforts. I''ll have a word with the Paris Commercial News for the best spot. Paris Fashion Week ising up, and you must seize this opportunity to make our carriages thetest trend among the nobility."

    Joseph was quite confident about the sales prospects of his carriages.

    His design, which faithfully copied the shock-absorbing structure of a modern small truck, would match the current spring suspension in terms offort, but at only a tenth of the cost. This allowed for arger budget to be spent on enhancing the luxury of the coach, and even then, the overall cost of the carriage was much lower than those using spring suspension.

    This meant that the selling price could be reduced ordingly.

    Currently, spring suspension carriages were a rarity, only affordable by the very wealthy¡ªa definitive symbol of ultra-luxury, akin toter epoch''s Maybach and Porsche.

    Joseph nned to set the price of his new carriages at around 60% of the spring suspension models, roughly equating to the cost of a Mercedes or BMW inter times. Those nobles who couldn''t afford "ultra-luxury" were bound to eagerly embrace a "Royal Certified" carriage that appeared even more luxurious than the ultra-luxury models and matched them infort.

    The only thing that worried Joseph was the workshop''s production capacity.

    If demand truly exceeded supply, he considered opening the patent to other workshops for a fee. Unlike the brewing technology patent, where he charged only 3% royalties¡ªa decision meant to persuade ntation owners to grow potatoes¡ªcarriage production was purely amercial operation. The patent fees would have to be at least 30%.

    ...

    The next day, in the eastern hall of Pce of Versailles where the Cab was conducting its meeting in the usual orderly fashion.

    "Is this sufficient?" Queen Mary asked as she returned the document appointing Talleyrand as a senior foreign advisor to Brienne, with her signature already on it.

    Brienne promptly nodded with reverence, "Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

    The ministers present didn''t pay much attention to a Cleric Lang, and since the position of foreign advisor wasn''t considered crucial, they passed the appointment almost immediately after Brienne made the proposal.

    Archbishop Brienne tucked away the appointment document and signaled his assistant to distribute copies of the letter from Catherine II to those seated.

    Although this is a letter, the content is actually a diplomatic document, and there is nothing that needs to be kept confidential. Readtest stories on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    "The origin of the Russo-Turkish War," said Brian, "wasst year when the Ottoman Empire demanded the return of Crimea from Russia and attacked Russian escort ships.

    "As for the current state of the war, the Ottoman forces have attacked Kinburn Port several times, but have been repelled by the Russian Army each time. Especially at the end ofst year, when the main force of the Ottomans was almostpletely annihted by Suvorov''s Corps, halting their offensive. On the Russian side, they are gathering troops and warships."

    Vilran, the Foreign Minister who had just returned from Russia, added, "ording to what I heard in Saint Petersburg, the Empress of Russia is very determined this time and ns to take Ochakov in one fell swoop."

    Ochakov is a strategic stronghold between Russia and the Ottoman Empire; whoever wishes to attack the other must pass through here. It also serves as an important military port overlooking the ck Sea.

    Brian continued, "At present, it seems very likely that Austria will support Russia and send troops to attack the Ottoman Empire. While Sweden is gathering forces and appears to be preparing to support the Ottomans from the north and strike at Russia."

    Queen Mary slightly furrowed her brow as if speaking to herself, "So what?"

    "Your Majesty," Brian hurriedly analyzed for her, "although Hamid I has reformed the military and made full preparations, looking at the previous battles, Russia still holds the advantage. Moreover, Saint Petersburg is very eager for us to join the war against the Ottomans, for which they should be willing to offer some benefits."

    Hamid I is the current Ottoman Sultan.

    Brian exchanged a nce with Joseph and continued, "If we involve ourselves in the Russo-Turkish conflict, now would be a good time."

    The Queen was somewhat puzzled, "But our troops would have to cross Austria and march four thousand miles to reach Crimea."

    Joseph interjected, "Your Majesty, we don''t need to go to Crimea. If Sweden can support its ally from Russia''s north, we can also make a move on the western side of the Ottoman Empire."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "The Crown Prince is absolutely right," said Brian. "Merely by showing our strength in the Mediterranean, we can greatly constrain the Ottomans'' deployments."

    Upon hearing that there was action to be taken in the Mediterranean, the Navy Minister immediately became interested, "I agree with Archbishop Brienne''s view. If we just take a cruise around the Gulf of Sidra and receive Russia''s gratitude for it, that would be very cost-effective strategically."

    Joseph sighed internally, What are you thinking? Where do we have the military budget right now to unt our might around the Ottoman Empire? Wouldn''t it be more lucrative to take advantage of the situation near the Barbary Coast?

    The Gulf of Sidra, located in the southeast Mediterranean near the southern coast of the Ottoman Empire, indeed presents a significant threat to the Ottomans but is also far from France. Currently, France cannot truly go and attack the Ottoman homnd, or else it would be helping Russia out of a predicament.

    Meanwhile, the Barbary Coast lies in the central western part of the Mediterranean, near the southern coast of France, and connects to North Africa to the south. This is where France''s interests truly lie.

    He hurriedly said, "Marquis Castries, our target for this operation should be the Ottoman naval forces in the western Mediterranean."

    "The Ottoman Navy in the western Mediterranean¡­" It took the Navy Minister a full two seconds to catch on, "You mean the Barbary pirates?"

    "Yes," Joseph nodded. "Including their naval bases."

 Chapter 161: Chapter 147: The Professional Qualities of a Diplomat (Seeking Double Monthly Votes)

    The Navy Minister took a moment before he understood that the naval base the Crown Prince referred to was in ces like Algiers and Tunisia, where Barbary pirates were entrenched.

    "However, in the Barbary Coast region, the impact on the Ottoman Empire would be limited. The Gulf of Sidra might be more..."

    Seeing him persist, Joseph subtly gave Brian a look. Thetter immediately cleared his throat and said, "Marquis of Castries, you know that our finances are extremely tight, so there is no additional allocation for this operation."

    No funding? Hearing this, the Navy Minister''s enthusiasm deted, muttering, "But even showing force near the Barbary Coast requires funds."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph smiled, "That''s why we need to bring in the United States and Spain for a joint operation."

    Queen Mary looked with interest at her son, "Joseph, why involve Americans and Spaniards?"

    "Because the Americans can pay," Joseph said. "Their merchant ships in the Mediterranean are often attacked by the Ottoman Navy. We can ask them for 600,000 livres to help protect their merchant ships."

    "Oh, and since we''re doing a joint operation, the United States will also need some decent warships. I believe they would be willing to buy a couple of escort ships from us."

    The United States of now is not the world police ofter years. They had just recently founded their country and were as poor as ghosts, with virtually no navy. Selling them two of France''s old escort ships would make those ships the main force in their navy.

    The Queen nodded, "What about the Spaniards?"

    "They can provide warships. The Barbary Coast has a lot of Spanish interests, and they are more eager than we are to expel Ottoman power from there."

    Without missing a beat, Brian chimed in, "Your Majesty, I think that the Crown Prince''s proposal is highly feasible."

    Queen Mary smiled in agreement, the Americans would provide money, the Spaniards would provide ships, and France would gain favor with Russia. Could there be a better deal?

    She turned to Brian, "Archbishop Brienne, please draft a detailed n for the operation against the Ottoman in alliance with Russia, and for activities in the Mediterranean. Submit it to me as soon as possible."

    "Yes, Your Majesty. Actually, the corresponding ns have already been drawn up." Brienne ced a thick stack of documents in front of the Queen.

    "Oh, your efficiency is truly astonishing."

    "Thank you for your praise," Brian smiled and continued, "I intend to send Viscount Leonidas as the King''s representative to Russia. If the Empress of Russia offers suitable terms, we might even agree to dere war on the Ottoman Empire."

    Just as Queen Mary was about to nod, the Foreign Minister, Vilran, frowned and said, "Archbishop Brian, it was I who brought back the Empress Catherine''s letterst time. Why rece me with Viscount Leonidas for this mission?"

    Brian thought, of course, it was to prevent you from taking credit for this diplomatic achievement.

    However, on the surface, he said earnestly, "Earl Vilran, there are other, more important tasks for you."

    Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    "Oh? What could be more important right now than a mission to Russia?"

    "You will represent His Majesty the King of France on a trip to Constantinople."

    Constantinople was the capital of the Ottoman Empire known as Constantinople, and in modern times as Istanbul. However, "Constantinople" was the name given after the Turkish people captured it; Catholic countries still preferred the name given by the Romans - Constantinople.

    Vilran was taken aback, "To Constantinople for what?"

    "It is very important," Brienne said gravely. "We must minimize the chance of the Ottoman Empire turning its sights towards the Mediterranean as much as possible.

    "So, you must convey to Hamid I that we are striking at the Barbary pirates to secure free trade in the Mediterranean."

    Several Cab Ministers inwardly chuckled upon hearing this, having just now been resolutely talking about attacking the "Ottoman Navy," the subject had swiftly changed to the "Barbary pirates."

    Vilran immediately realized this was a setup against him. Did the Ottomans even have time to "shift their focus to the Mediterranean" with Russia exerting such pressure on their northern front?

    But what could he say? Could he say "I won''t go"? Wouldn''t that just give Archbishop Brian a pretext to dismiss him?

    Just then, the previously silent Duke of Orleans suddenly spoke up, "Archbishop Brian, if we were to ally with Russia, it would surely enrage the Ottomans. Given the circumstances, sending Count Vilran to Constantinople might be quite unsafe."

    It was not the first or second time that the Ottoman Empire had detained or even killed envoys from Catholic countries for various reasons. Of course, those countries often treated Ottoman envoys with simr discourtesy.

    Joseph immediately looked at Vilran and spoke earnestly, "Count Vilran, this is the time to demonstrate your professionalism as a diplomat!"

    Vilran, frustrated, could only nod with a gloomy face, "I shall fulfill the mission as an envoy."

    Brian discussed some further details of the operations in the Barbary Coast. Once Queen Mary had signed the action n, he smiled and pulled out another document, "Next, we need to discuss a proposal put forth by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince regarding the establishment of grain reserves in major cities."

    Suddenly, Joseph had an idea and said to Vilran, "Count Vilran, upon arriving in Constantinople, you must immediately inform our ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, instructing him and the embassy staff to return to France as soon as possible."

    "Ah?"

    "We might dere war on the Ottomans, which would put them in grave danger."

    Vilran''s face nearly turned green¡ªafter all this talk, you know it''s not safe there! Why aren''t you saying the ambassador to the Ottomans should show "diplomatic professionalism" now? So it''s just me who needs to be professional, is that it?!

    With clenched teeth, he forced out a few words, "Alright, I will remind them of that."

    Subsequently, everyone began discussing the proposal concerning grain. Since there was a consensus on this matter, the proposals were smoothly passed.

    Joseph even managed to secure an additional three million livres in special funding for purchasing grain. This was all the money the French finances could muster for now.

    After the Cab meeting concluded, all the ministers left satisfied, except for Vilran and the Duke of Orleans, who had grim expressions.

    Joseph stepped out of the golden door, recalling the message Freselle had sent that morning about thepletion of preparations for the Paris Fashion Week, and decided to check on the Tuileries Pce.

    Just as he rounded a corner in the corridor, he suddenly felt as if he was being watched by eyes filled with silent resentment.

    He quickly turned to look and saw two Sicilian princesses bowing their heads and kneeling quietly to the side, paying their respects.

    What was wrong with the young girls?

    Joseph suddenly pped his forehead¡ªof course, he had promised to take them sightseeing around Paris, but had been so busy hepletely forgot...

    He hurriedly stepped forward and ced his hand over his heart in a gesture of politeness, smiling, "Beautiful princesses, would I be so honored to have the pleasure of exploring Paris with you?"

    Princess Maria''s eyes instantly cleared of any silent resentment, and she smiled radiantly, nodding repeatedly, "Thank you for your invitation, Your Highness, I would be delighted!"

 Chapter 162: Chapter 148: Eden Amusement Park (Seeking Double Monthly Tickets)

    Northwest side of the Pce of Versailles.

    In the music room of the Petit Trianon Pce, Queen Mary signaled the musicians to pause and turned her head to look at a court official standing by, frowning as she asked,

    "Are you sure you heard correctly?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Yes, Your Majesty. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was having a carriage prepared at that time. By now, he and Princess Maria should have already left the Pce of Versailles."

    Queen Mary became somewhat anxious¡ªthis official was in charge of looking after the princesses of the Two Sicilies. He had just reported that the Crown Prince intended to take Princess Maria to Paris for leisure.

    If Clementine doesn''t arrive in Paris soon, my son''s heart may well be captured by that Italian girl!

    The Queen sighed, "My poor niece, your luck is really too bad." Originally, Clementine had left very early with ns to first take a ship to Marseille and then proceed to Paris.

    But just after she had embarked, a storm broke out in the Tyrrhenian Sea¡ªaround January each year, the Mediterranean weather often isn''t so calm.

    For safety, her escort decided to take and route, heading north through Echitar over the Alps, and then into France. Although it was a significant detour, if everything went smoothly en route, she would still arrive in Paris before the princesses of the Two Sicilies.

    Poor Clementine hadn''t even left Tuscany when news came of a serf uprising in the southwest of Austria due to Emperor Joseph II''s reforms on serfdom¡ªyes, those foolish souls actually opposed the reforms that granted them freedom!

    Afterwards, poor Clementine had no choice but to wait for the storm in the Tyrrhenian Sea to subside before setting off. Now, after continuous travel, she had just reached the vicinity of Navarre, still three to four days away from Paris.

    Queen Mary wrote a letter urging her niece to hasten her pace and handed it to a messenger to send out, praying in her heart that her son must not fall in love with Princess Maria¡­

    On the Champs-Elysees in Paris, at the Paris Angel Exclusive Store, the Crown Prince''s Guard stood shoulder to shoulder in two rows, separating the Crown Prince and the princess from the other nosy customers.

    Indeed, this was the first ce Princess Maria wanted to visit. It seems all women can''t resist the temptation to make themselves more beautiful.

    The princess, having applied exquisite makeup and dressed in a light purple puff dress, was stunningly beautiful.

    She surveyed the luxuriously packaged cosmetics, silently noting their functions, her eyes sparkling with delight, yet she modestly picked only a few products, directing the staff to hand them to her maid.

    Joseph, remembering his n that led to an assault causing undue harm to Princess Maria, had been nning to make it up to her. When he saw her interest in the cosmetics, he immediately ordered the staff to bring a Gold Card and gave it to Princess Maria.

    She held the golden card worth a thousand livres, her heart bubbling with happiness¡ªCrown Prince''s heart must indeed have a ce for me, giving such a valuable gift on our first "date"! God, I am truly grateful!

    Afterwards, Joseph helped her choose a whole lot of cosmetics, including the youthful version of "Noblewoman''s Joy"¡ª"Young Miss''s Health" liquid supplement, a whole big package, and instructed the staff to deliver it directly to Maria''s room at the Pce of Versailles.

    Stepping out of the store, Maria looked at Joseph with eyes brimming with smiles and asked softly, "Crown Prince, where shall we go next?"

    Joseph recalled his original n to check the preparations for Fashion Week and thought it would be perfect to give the princess a preview experience; perhaps she would even have some valuable feedback for improvements.

    "Let''s visit the Tuileries Pce. You may have heard that Paris Fashion Week is about to be held there. The venue is now almost fully set up."

    "Hmm, I''ll take your advice."

    As the carriage left the Paris Angel Exclusive Store, Joseph had not expected that journalists were already writing articles about the "Crown Prince''s visit to the store with the two Sicilian princesses, presenting Gold Cards as a token of his sentiments."

    Outside the Tuileries Pce.

    Princess Maria''s gaze passed over arge area of vis currently under construction and immediatelynded on the tall circr structure to the north side of the Tuileries Garden. She pointed curiously and asked, "Your Highness, what is that used for?"

    Joseph followed her pointing finger and nced at it, replying, "Oh, that is called a Ferris wheel; it''s an amusement park ride. You can sit on it and be taken up high to get a panoramic view of Paris.

    "By the way, around the Ferris wheel is an amusement park with many fun things to do. If you''re willing, please allow me to take you for a visit."

    "I''d be delighted, thank you, Your Highness."

    Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the world''s first dedicated amusement park¡ªthe "Eden Amusement Park."

    Through the white fences, one could see steam engine-powered carousels, Ferris wheels, pirate ships, houses of horrors, coffee cups, and other rides inside, along with some traditional amusement projects like slides and swings on the side.

    Of course, limited by technological factors, most of the facilities were nowhere near asrge as those inter amusement parks. For example, the Ferris wheel was just over ten meters high.

    Its main structure was modified from a water wheel, which was nothingpared to the hundred-meter-tall behemoths ofter times, but for the people of the eighteenth century, this was already a very novel and shocking thing.

    As Maria stepped through the entrance of the amusement park, she excitedly looked around, not much different from the little girls ofter times visiting amusement parks.

    However, what first caught her attention was the carousel, which looked full of fairy tale colors. She turned her head and asked Joseph carefully, "Your Highness, may I y on this?"

    "Of course, you can give it a try," Joseph said with a smile and nodded, then signaled the amusement park''s operator to start the ride.

    The carousel was powered by a 12-horsepower steam engine. Naturally, the steam engine was a product of the Watt Company. France''s own steam engine manufacturing nt was still in the nning stages.

    After waiting for more than twenty minutes, white smoke started to billow out of a small cabin next to the carousel, where the steam engine that powered it was located.

    Subsequently, the huge wooden base began to turn slowly. Under the action of the levers, the lifelike carved wooden horses, deer, elephants, and other animals began to bob up and down and rotate with the disc.

    Maria stepped back two steps, slightly overwhelmed. Joseph chuckled, took her hand, and leaped onto the wooden tform, gesturing around, "Which one would you like to ride?"

    Maria pointed carefully to a white carved wooden swan, "May I ride this one?"

    "Of course. Let me help you up." Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    Joseph, the gentleman, helped the young girl onto the seat on the swan''s back. The princess sat sideways, nervously, her hands tightly clutching the wooden pole, beginning to rise and fall to the music ying beside her.

    Although the carousel moved slowly like a snail because of the steam engine''s low horsepower and the crude connections of the mechanical device, the princess, who had never experienced anything like this, still giggled excitedly non-stop. She felt as if she was soaring through the air on a swan in the world of fairy tales.

 Chapter 163: Chapter 149 Im Going to Kiss You Now... Ahâ€”

    After nearly half an hour of fun, Princess Maria finally left the carousel reluctantly, her delight as if she had truly entered the Garden of Eden.

    Such fascinating machinery, making one feel as if transported into a fairytale realm¡ªthe inventor was surely a genius among geniuses! With this thought, she was already running towards the next amusement.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Sitting side by side with the Crown Prince in a "Joyful Drifting" boat, holding a small umbre, they bobbed along the currents, enjoying the warm afternoon sun...

    Aboard the pirate ship, she clung tightly to the Crown Prince''s arm, screaming with eyes closed...

    It was a real ship, towed from the Seine River, powered by a steam engine driving wooden wheels to repeatedly lift it into the air. Well, it only went as high as an adult''s chest, but to Princess Maria, it felt as though she was being tossed by a giant, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest with excitement.

    However, what she hadn''t expected was that something even more thrilling awaited her.

    The ce was called the House of Horrors.

    More than ten minutester, Princess Maria, scared by a red-faced devil with goat hooves, horns atop its head, and a steel trident, plunged straight into Joseph''s arms, hugging him tightly while crying and praying aloud, "God bless! Wuuu... Banish all evil spirits... Wuuuwuuu..."

    Joseph had no choice but to have the workers who were in charge of scaring people withdraw and carried the princess, who was clinging to him, out of the House of Horrors. It took a while before she finally believed what she had seen was not the Devil and gradually stopped her sobs.

    Just then, Maria''s teary eyes suddenly caught sight of a sign not far away: The Ferris wheel exists for one to cross the sky with their beloved. As the Ferris wheel rises higher, we get closer to God. When the Ferris wheel reaches its peak, if you kiss the person you like, God will bless you, and you will be together forever.

    She hesitated for only half a second before she jumped up from the resting chair, pointing at the Ferris wheel, her face blushing as she whispered to Joseph, "Your Highness, would you be willing to join me on this?"

    Joseph had long forgotten about the promotional gimmick he concocted for the Ferris wheel and immediately nodded without hesitation, "It would be an honor to ride with you, Princess."

    Maria''s heart skipped a beat at the Crown Prince''s eptance to join her on the ride "to cross the sky with the one you love," suggesting his feelings for her...

    The young girl''s face turned even redder, and she dared not continue that thought.

    As the piston of the steam engine driving the Ferris wheel started its reciprocating movement, the Ferris wheel slowly began to turn, making a slight "creak" sound.

    Joseph knew that Freselle had done numerous tests beforehand and the safety should be assured, but the creaking noise at the wooden joints still filled him with a sense of insecurity.

    In the cramped Ferris wheel cabin, Maria sat with her head down, opposite the Crown Prince, feeling themselves gradually lifting into the air.

    She couldn''t help but start fantasizing.

    When we approach the highest point, what should I say to the Crown Prince while looking at him passionately?

    "Your eyes are really captivating"?

    No, no, better still, "You are the most charming person I have ever met," or "Thank God for letting me meet you."

    Yes! That''s what I''ll say.

    Then, he might take my hand and in that case, I should close my eyes and wait quietly.

    If he doesn''t make a move, then I''ll lean in close to him, very close¡ªhe surely won''t shy away... No, he definitely won''t! Then I will... I''ll muster up the courage to gently kiss his soft lips...

    Thinking about this, Maria felt her entire body heating up as if with a high fever, flushed and burning hot.

    Will he hold me?

    Will he take the opportunity to propose to me?

    Or will he kiss me back more passionately¡­

    Ah, what should I do? What should I do?

    She only felt an immense sense of happiness surging over the top of her head, making her dizzy.

    Hm? Why am I so dizzy?!

    Maria suddenly felt so dizzy that she was gasping for air¡ªcould it be that before leaving the Pce of Versailles, Alisaced her corset too tightly?

    Frantically lifting her head, she attempted to take a deep breath, but her eyes suddenly caught sight of the ground far below, where people were the size of apples and the treetops looked like clumps of grass¡­ Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    Her pupils instantly shrank to their smallest, and a tremendous sense of terror overwhelmed her, followed by her heart racing madly as her body uncontrobly started trembling violently.

    We are at the highest point of the Ferris wheel! I want to kiss him¡­

    As thest thought shed through Maria''s mind, her graceful neck tilted, and she fainted onto the seat.

    "Eh?! Princess!"

    Joseph was startled and hurriedly held her steady. The gond of the Ferris wheel had an open top half to reduce weight, thankfully there were safety ropes tied around her, otherwise she might have already fallen off.

    Maria had nned everything perfectly and was almost sessful, yet she hadn''t anticipated her fear of heights¡­

    After an indeterminate amount of time, in a room in the Tuileries Pce that had been converted into a luxury hotel, the princess from Sicily slowly came to with the noxious stench of smelling salts.

    She heard a woman in a white robe say, "Your Highness, the princess must have been severely shocked and fainted. But she should be all right now, just rest and she will recover quickly."

    "Thank you for rushing over, Doctor Perna."

    Maria pieced together her memories and realized she had fainted at the critical moment of her confession. Feeling both embarrassed and aggravated, if she hadn''t beenpletely limp, she would have liked to p herself hard¡­

    As she looked up, she saw the Crown Prince at her bedside, his face full of anxious concern, and warmth filled her heart again, His Highness being so worried for me means that he must feel something for me¡­

    Joseph also wiped off a bead of sweat¡ªwho would have thought the princess suffered from acrophobia? Thankfully, she was fine. If the youngdy had been scared into any harm, that could have be a diplomatic issue¡­

    Doctor Perna quietly packed her medical kit, feeling a twinge of sadness¡ªshe had felt a little bit of excitement when His Highness had called for her, not expecting that it would be to tend to his princess...

    Meanwhile, on a road a hundred kilometers away from Paris, a convoy of carriages was racing at high speed.

    In a carriage at the center, a girl just over ten years old, dressed in a pink long dress, with two colorful feathers inserted into her bun, and a pair of radiant blue eyes and baby-fat cheeks, was folding Queen Mary''s letter neatly and slipping it back into an envelope.

    She looked up at the middle-aged man sitting opposite her and puffed up her cheeks, saying, "Count Farnano, my dear aunt is urging us to hurry to Paris."

    The middle-aged man nodded, "I''ve heard, the princess from Sicily seems to be quite favored by the Crown Prince."

    Yet the girl lifted her little nose with confidence and said, "Aunt is just too worrisome. Although I am not the luckiest, I possess exceptional charm, and I will definitely be the one to win His Highness'' heart in the end!"

 Chapter 164: Chapter 150: The Little Loli and Her Monsieur Mustache

    The sun shines brightly, blue skies and white clouds, the weather is so good that it lifts everyone''s spirits.

    On the outskirts of Paris. It''s King''s Avenue again, the same one the Two Sicilies princesses arrived on, and once again it''s weing esteemed guests.

    This time, the decorations on both sides of the road have barely changed, but the soldiers on guard duty have all new faces, and there are many more thanst time.

    Due to the influence of the "bandit attack on the Crown Prince" incident half a month ago, Queen Mary has even summoned the King''s Swiss Guard to escort her arriving niece.

    For a time, the white-d Paris Legion and the red-d Swiss Guard take turns standing on both sides of the road, alternating red and white to form another scenic view.

    Inside the carriage, Clementine bats herrge eyes that somewhat resemble Joseph''s, her gaze sweeping over the dense ranks of guards, her head held high with pride, as she says to the Ambassador of Tuscany in Italian, with a smile, "Count Farnano, did you see? His Highness the Crown Prince personally brought almost the entire army of Paris to greet me!

    "Hmm, he must have heard about my cuteness from many people, haha."

    The square-faced middle-aged man frowns slightly and shakes his head, thinking to himself that you''ve heard about the attack on the Crown Prince of France not long ago, the enhanced security is probably not for you...

    Suddenly, a high-pitched trumpeting sounds from ahead.

    The Grand Duchess of Tuscany quickly puts away her joking demeanor, fumbles to tidy up her dress, ces the feathered hat on her head, and then begins to quietly rehearse the words she is about to say.

    The carriage stops, and Ambassador Farnano bows to open the door. Clementine, with her most dignified appearance, steps down from the wooden tform.

    However, when she reaches the second step, her foot suddenly slips, and she loses her bnce, tumbling down with a shriek.

    Fortunately, a guard nearby is quick to react, lunging forward to catch her, just barely preventing an embarrassing face-nt in the dirt, although that lovely feathered hat has already flown more than ten steps away.

    Clementine''s face turns slightly red. She looks up to see the handsome Crown Prince looking at her, quickly frees herself from the guard''s hand, picks up her skirt and approaches, kneeling to perform a curtsy, and says in not-so-fluent French, "I am honored to meet you, respected Crown Prince!

    "That is, cough, I just saw everyone looking so serious, I pretended to slip to make everyoneugh, hehe..."

    Joseph looks at the little girl in front of him speaking with a strange ent and can''t help but feel a mix of amusement and sympathy. He quickly follows suit with his own bow and responds, "I''m also very d to meet you. You are quite theedian, haha."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Oh, right, as a token of my gratitude foring to meet me, I have a special ''farewell'' gift for you," says the little girl, as she takes a small wooden case from behind her.

    "''Farewell'' gift?" Joseph asks with confusion, "Do you mean ''gift''?"

    "Oh yes, gift," Clementine scratches her head andughs, "My French isn''t so fluent, please don''t mind it. Here, this is for you."

    "Thank you so much," Joseph takes the wooden box and opens it, to see inside is a somewhat yellowed paper folding fan, "This is... a folding fan? For me?"

    With a look of profundity, the little girl waves her hand and says, "No, dear cousin, this is an antique. I heard you''re very interested in ''studying'' Eastern culture, so I specifically bought this for you. Oh, it''s said to have been used by a very famous schr from the Far East called ''Confucius''!"

    "Confucius? A folding fan?!" Joseph touches his forehead in resignation, a paper folding fan from the Spring and Autumn period... That would be like a Ming dynasty blue and white porcin te marked "Microwave safe," or if the four sheep on the Bronze Square Vessel of the Four Sheep were Happy Sheep, Beauty Sheep, Lazy Sheep, and Fiery Sheep...

    Although he knew it wasn''t quite polite, Joseph couldn''t help but ask, "May I ask how much you spent on this antique?"

    "Not expensive at all, 120 ducats," the little Lolita said gleefully, "as long as you like it, that''s all that matters."

    120 ducats was nearly 800 livres. Oh my! To spend so much money on a counterfeit... Joseph hesitated about whether to remind her or not, but considering the girl''s good intentions, he decided it was best not to embarrass her.

    He epted Clementine''s gift, exchanged a few pleasantries with her, and was about to invite her back into the carriage to return to the Pce of Versailles when he saw her already bouncing over to Kesode, with a bright and cheerful smile: "This is a ''farewell'' gift for you, I hope you like it."

    After that, she gave Eman a gift, then gifts to the head steward apanying them, to the officers of the Paris Legion...

    Joseph facepalmed again. This little niece of his, wasn''t she a bit too social?

    Clementine was merrily handing out presents when suddenly a dark cloud covered the sun, and the weather, which had been clear until then, turned into a light rain.

    Joseph hurriedly took this chance to get his sociable cousin into the carriage. The convoy then set off again.

    However, before they could get to the Paris City area, Clementine''s carriage axle suddenly broke. Watching the raindrops leap off the ground, Joseph quickly had Eman invite his cousin into his own carriage.

    The little Lolita dabbed the rainwater off her arms and face with a handkerchief,ughing merrily, "The carriage just broke down out of the blue. But no worries, I often encounter such unlucky situations, haha. One must always stay optimistic."

    As she spoke, she pulled out a handful of candies from her person, as if by magic, and ced them on the wooden table in front of her, tilting her head towards Joseph, "Cousin, I''d like you to have some candy. This vani mint candy is a specialty of my ''tan'' point teacher, you can''t get it anywhere else."

    ...

    Fortunately, the rest of the journey went smoothly, and by the time the carriages had arrived at the Pce of Versailles, the rain had also gradually stopped.

    Queen Mary, with a face full of warm and affectionate smiles, and Louis XVI were waiting outside on the marble square at the main entrance.

    The little Lolita got out of the carriage, bouncing up to the King and Queen and curtsying, then dove straight into her aunt''s embrace, quietly slipping her a handful of vani mint candies: "These were made by Monsieur Reynaud himself."

    "Oh, thank you so much, my sweetheart! This is indeed the taste of home."

    When Clementine made her rounds of curtsies and came to Princess Therese, seeing the blue-gray Chartreux cat in her arms, she was immediately excited: "Wow! It''s so beautiful and cute! May I pet it?"

    "Wow, it''s so well-behaved. Oh, and I have a cat too. I love it so, so much, it''s called ''Monsieur Mustache''."

    "Oh, you must want to see Monsieur Mustache as well. I''ll go get him, teehee!"

    Therese watched, somewhat befuddled, as the little girl turned and ran to the servant''s carriage, then came back holding a ck and white long-haired cat.

    "Look, isn''t it adorable too?"

    Joseph barely kept fromughing when he saw Clementine''s cat¡ªits head was essentially pure white, except for a small tuft of ck fur at the "philtrum," making it look like a certain failed art student.

    No wonder it was called Monsieur Mustache.

    Unnoticed by everyone, Monsieur Mustache''s eyes were fixated on Therese''s Chartreux cat, suddenly stretching out a paw to air swipe and meowing continuously as if in ttery. Therese''s cat responded by seductively twisting its body and returning the gaze.

 Chapter 165: Chapter 151 The Issue of Continuing the Family Line

    At the wee ball that evening, Clementine also disyed her sociable nature to the fullest, joking and ying tricks with the nobles of the Pce of Versailles. She quickly became the center of attention.

    Queen Mary watched her niece with satisfaction, nodding frequently, thinking how wonderful it would be if this girl were her daughter-inw.

    As for the young noblewomen of Versailles who dared to approach the Crown Prince, they were soon chased away by his little cousin''s "fierce" gaze, allowing Joseph to enjoy a rare moment of rxation at the ball.

    As night fell, Joseph and Louis XVI walked side by side away from the ballroom.

    The father and son talked for a while about training craftsmen to make caplock guns. Suddenly, the King gestured for the attendants to step back, then pulled his son closer, whispering, "Archduchess Clementine seems very healthy and lively, but Princess Maria seems even smarter. To be honest, both are quite nice."

    "Yes, they are quite nice," Joseph replied.

    "What do you think then?" the King asked.

    Joseph looked at him, puzzled. "Think about what? What exactly?""

    Louis XVI revealed a knowing smile, patted his son on the shoulder, and said, "Tell me the truth, which one of them do you actually like? Ah, don''t worry about what your mother thinks. It''s most important to marry the person you love."

    "Marry?!" Joseph suddenly had an epiphany. Oh no! Were these two girls here to get married?!

    He couldn''t really me himself for being slow to realize it; in his subconscious, he never associated such young girls with potential fianc¨¦es, thereby overlooking such an obvious issue.

    Joseph was rendered speechless for a moment¡ªMaria was tolerable, although young, she at least had some... cough, womanly features.

    Whereas, Clementine was obviously still undeveloped, just a little brat! That''d be criminal!

    Not to mention she was his own cousin. Hadn''t he heard about the dangers of marrying a rtive? He certainly didn''t want to have a bunch of children with intellectual disabilities...

    After a moment of thought, Joseph said softly, "Dear father, what if I don''t like either of them?"

    "Ah?" Louis XVI frowned, "My dear Joseph, as far as I know, you only have that female doctor by your side, and you shouldn''t have, ah, been with her, correct?"

    "You must tell me the truth. Are you¨C" he nced at his son''s crotch, a look of concern on his face, "very tight there and even feeling some pain? If so, believe me, a simple operation by a doctor can fix that. Don''t be like me in the past, waiting for a long time..."

    Joseph paused, finally realizing his father was probably referring to a condition of being too long¡ªsomething that had caused him trouble in his marriage. Was he extrapting from his own experience to suspect his son had the same issue?

    Joseph quickly waved his hands, "No, no, thank you for your concern, but I am perfectly fine."

    Louis XVI''s expression became more serious, "Joseph, if you prefer... men, you still must fulfill the duty of a Crown Prince..."

    "Don''t get any wrong ideas!" Joseph was nearly exasperated. I mean, I''m only 14 years old, isn''t it quite normal not to have a lover? Why is my father making so many assumptions?

    Oh, right. He frowned to himself. In this age, nobles did indeed start pursuing romantic dalliances at 14... Did he need to find a lover to prove there was nothing wrong with his body or orientation?

    He had no choice but to earnestly say to the King, "Father, I truly just haven''t met the right person. You don''t have to worry. As for the two princesses... I am currently devoted to making France stronger. Let''s talk about the other matters in a few more years."

    Louis XVI responded with gravity, "Child, I know you have grand ambitions and will surely be an exceptional king in the future, but you can pay attention to your duties towards women as well..."

    The father and son continued talking as they walked, and before they knew it, the night had grown deeper.

    Just as Joseph was thinking about how to escape his father''s earnest discussion about the duty of procreation, a white shadow "whooshed" past his side and disappeared at the end of the corridor.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Be careful!" the Swiss Guard responsible for protection immediately formed a circle, shielding the King and the Crown Prince in the middle.

    Then, a petite figure rushed over with people in tow, speaking in broken French, "Have you seen Monsieur Mustache?"

    "Clementine?" Joseph was rather surprised, "Monsieur Mustache... What happened to your cat?"

    "It''s gone missing!" The little girl was so anxious that her face turned bright red, "It''s usually very obedient, but today, for some reason, it was desperate to get out and I couldn''t stop it..."

    Remembering the white shadow he had just seen, Joseph quickly pointed toward the corridor behind him, "It must have run that way."

    "Thank you, cousin." Clementine called to the two maids behind her, "Let''s hurry after it!"

    Joseph hastened to hold her back, "You''ve never been to the Pce of Versailles before; it''s very easy to get lost running around like this."

    "What should I do?" The little girl was nearly in tears.

    Joseph gestured to Kesode, "Could you please have someone look for the cat?"

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Elsewhere, Louis XVI also ordered the Swiss Guard to search for the cat. In no time, dozens of guards put down their rifles and swords, lightly armed themselves, and turned into cat hunters.

    Joseph, too, wanting to take the chance to break away from his father''s incessant talk of lineage, beckoned Clementine to join him on the cat-searching journey. Your next read awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin

    Before long, the Pce of Versailles began to erupt in chaos.

    As the guard knocked on each door, often there would be a pair of hurriedly clothed, panic-stricken men and women inside. Hmm, not the married kind, of course.

    Of course, this was a very normal urrence in France at the time; if you weren''t entertaining several lovers, it only meant youcked charm.

    On Joseph''s side, Clementine was even more efficient, knocking on doors, apologizing pitifully before searching for the cat inside. Having be somewhat acquainted with most of the nobility at the evening''s ball and having a sweet tongue, not a single person became angry with her for disturbing their intimate moments.

    That was until she knocked on the door of a room on the second floor of the south wing. An annoyed male voice shouted from inside, "Can''t you see the time? What do you want?!"

    Joseph blinked; that voice seemed familiar. Could it be... the Interior Minister Mono?

    The little girl pleaded in a cute, coquettish voice, "I''m terribly sorry to disturb you. But my beloved cat has gone missing, and I hope I might search for it here. May God bless you, kind gentleman."

    "There''s no cat here!"

    "It''s very good at hiding. It could have squeezed through the vent on your door. Please! just a quick look, just a minute."

    There was silence inside the room.

    The little girl was very patient, pleading earnestly and knocking on the door from time to time.

    Finally, the people inside couldn''t bear it any longer. It sounded like a man and woman were having a low-voiced argument. Then, the door opened and a disheveled noblewoman, hastily draped in clothes, hurried out with her head down and disappeared around the corner of the staircase.

    Joseph was immediately stunned; wasn''t that Marquis Saint Priest''s wife?

    "Thank you!" Clementine,pletely unaware of the turmoil she had caused, cheerfully dashed into the room, directing her maids to search for the cat.

    While Joseph exchanged understanding smiles with Mono, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

 Chapter 166: Chapter 152 Scheduled meeting with the French Minister of Industry

    Mono rose, anxious, and sidled up to Joseph, whispering:

    "Ah, Your Highness, you are my best friend! You mustn''t let this matter slip out..."

    Nowadays, taking a lover was hardly a matter of note; some "enlightened" noble couples even introduced lovers to each other.

    But Count Mono, in this regard, was keen on seeking thrills¡ªhis mistresses were always of exceedingly high difficulty.

    For instance, Countess Mesayer. She was her husband''s beloved, and the nobleman who once tried to pursue her ended up with his arm broken by Mesayer.

    Or like the Countess of Saint Priest who had just run out earlier, whose husband had a very strong possessive desire and forbade any man from approaching her. Her first lover was framed by Saint Priest and sent to toil in the Caribbean Sea.

    However, these twodies had both fallen to the audacious Mono.

    Of course, Mono was also afraid of their husbands'' wrath. With his status, he wasn''t worried about them being underhanded, but he dreaded being challenged to a duel to the face¡ªwith his 170-pound, bulky frame, dueling with swords was practically akin to being a stationary target.

    So today''s affair was a bit problematic.

    Having heard about the Minister of War''s anecdotes of dealing with his wife''s lovers, Joseph immediately realized he''d struck "gold" upon seeing Mono''s expression.

    He nodded earnestly at once, "Rest assured, my finest trait is keeping secrets."

    "I''m so grateful to you..."

    Before Mono could finish, he saw the Crown Prince signaling to Clementine, who was busy looking for the cat in the adjacentpartment, and in a lowered voice said, "However, my cousin, as you know, loves to chat with others."

    The Minister of the Interior was instantly panicked, and wanted to plead with her for secrecy but then hesitated¡ªhow was he to discuss such a matter with a young girl? Besides, she might not even take his request seriously.

    He then turned to look pitifully at Joseph, "Your Highness, please help me one more time! You are her brother. She will surely listen to you."

    As they were speaking, Clementine''s soft voice came from the side: "Cousin, Monsieur Mustache is not here! Let''s move to the next room quickly."

    Joseph patted Mono''s shoulder, solemnly saying, "I''ll give it a try, but it''s not guaranteed. Wait for my news."

    After speaking, he turned and left in front of Mono''s anxious gaze.

    The search for the cat continued for over an hour, disturbing nearly half of the nobility in the Pce of Versailles, until they finally spotted Monsieur Mustache in Princess Therese''s drawing room.

    At that moment, he was triumphantly perched on the back of the princess''s Chartreux, intending tomit the feline deed of a lifetime.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    But Clementine let out a cheer, affectionately called out "Dear Monsieur Mustache", and went up to promptly scoop him up without any exnation, indifferent to his angry and desperate struggles, turned to thank everyone, and apologized to Therese.

    Then, she got scratched by Monsieur Mustache for the first time in her life...

    The next morning at 10 o''clock, Joseph rose from bed yawning, extremely reluctant.

    He had been up until past 3 a.m., following the little girl''s whims.

    Of course, it was not without gains. As he was pondering what he could "knock out" of Mono, he saw Emaning towards him with a quick pace, bowing:

    "You''re awake, Your Highness. Count Mirabeau has been waiting for a while now."

    "Good, I''m aware. Thank you," Joseph quickly got dressed, washed up briskly, and went to the drawing room.

    "Delighted to see you, Your Royal Highness," Mirabeau greeted with joy on his face, cing his hand over his chest in a bow, "I bring you a few pieces of good news."

    "Oh? What sort of good news?" Joseph motioned with a smile, "Please, take a seat."

    Mirabeau took a seat and said:

    "First of all, our paper mill haspleted its trial run and has officially started production.

    "The first batch of paper produced three days ago weighed twenty thousand pounds and of very good quality, it was snapped up immediately! Now, pre-orders are queued up for five months in advance. Starting from next month, we can expect a monthly profit of one hundred thousand livres!"

    "You''ve done your job well," Joseph nodded with a smile. He hadn''t been much involved in the paper mill, which was managed by Mirabeau and others, but was d to hear it was going smoothly.

    However, he wasn''t surprised by the brisk sales¡ªthe paper was selling for two-thirds the price of simr quality paper, so the rush was inevitable. As for the profits, they would undoubtedly continue to rise as production capacity increased.

    Mirabeau rubbed his hands together:

    "I only did what was required, but credit goes to your new technology. Oh, by the way, the paper mill in Lyon has also started construction and will begin production in three to four months."

    He continued, excitedly discussing the factory construction and recruitment of artisans, then broached another piece of good news:

    "Your Highness, the core area of the industrial development zone in Nancy has been essentiallypleted. Currently, there are seventeen or eighteen workshops, bustling with people. You must really take a look. Oh, there''s also your ''French United Steam Engine Company''. Its factory area is thergest in the whole development zone."

    The core area of an industrial development zone was essentially about finding an area close to a water source, leveling thend, broadening the roads, adding a surrounding wall and, vo, it was done. As for banks, schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure, those could be built over time; they weren''t essential for the workshops to start moving in.

    "Nancy''s tiers ¨¦tat has also approved the tax reduction scheme for the development zone," Mirabeau continued eagerly, "Of course, they were bound to agree. The development zone will soon bring prosperity to Nancy."

    Joseph knew that the tiers ¨¦tat he was talking about was entirely different from the one during the Great Enqu¨ºte. The current local tiers ¨¦tat was an administrative auxiliary body that amalgamated various opinions and needed the King''s permission to convene, though its resolutions could still be vetoed by the government.[note 1]

 Chapter 167: Chapter 152 Scheduled meeting with the French Minister of Industry_2

    However, when ites to taxation, with the participation of the Estates-General, the implementation efficiency would be greatly improved.

    Mirabeau looked at Joseph and tested the waters,

    "Your Highness, you know that the development of industry heavily depends on the market. Yet, the tariffs throughout France severely fragment the market. Perhaps, we could try to push for the abolition of tariffs to foster a unified domestic market?"

    Joseph nodded,

    "You are correct. However, there are many obstacles to abolishing local tariffs, especially since our finances can hardly provide support... I''ll think of a solution."

    At present, there were tariffs between the various regions of France. Products from other provinces had to pay tariffs to enter the local market. This did not have much of an impact in the agricultural era, but in the industrial era, which valued product sales and capital recovery, it became a significant barrier.

    Ennd gained a considerable advantage in industrialpetition because it was the first to abolish domestic tariffs and take advantage of a unified market.

    However, despite the fact that the abolition of local tariffs is indeed beneficial for the country, it is difficult to implement.

    One of the most basic problems is that the finances of the provinces rely greatly on tariffs, and a sudden abolition would require the nation to subsidize the financial gap, otherwise the provincial governments wouldn''t even have the money to operate.

    But with France''s current financial situation, let alone providing subsidies for the provinces, it''s already a blessing from God that it hasn''t copsed.

    This is also one of the reasons why Joseph is eager to expand overseas colonies ¡ª using the colonial markets to fill the gaps in the domestic market, and then using the earned money to gradually resolve the local tariff issues.

    Mirabeau knew the local tariffs were not that simple; he was merely giving the Crown Prince a reminder.

    Afterward, he delivered thest piece of good news ¡ª the potatoes purchased from Austria, the Southern Nethends, and other ces had arrived in provinces like Alsace and Lorraine in batches, and the previously exported grains from those areas had beenrgely replenished.

    With this, Joseph''s potato promotion n could be considered sessfully concluded. Although the sowing area this year was very limited, it opened the door to potato cultivation in France. It could be foreseen that in theing years, as they taste the high yield of potatoes, more and more people would be willing to nt them.

    However, this would subsequently lead to the problem of soil fertility loss ¡ª potatoes are a crop that requires a lot of nutrients. This is the next issue that needs to be addressed in Joseph''s agricultural reform process.

    After Mirabeau left, Joseph, watching his retreating figure, suddenly thought of getting something from Mono.

    At the moment, Mirabeau and others are needed to contribute to France''s industrialization process. If he could offer him a suitable government position, it would greatly improve his efficiency, thereby speeding up the pace of industrialization.

    In addition, this would also bring the Capitalist Nobility to his side, strengthening his political influence.

    From the perspective of historical trends, the Capitalist Nobility, representing the bourgeoisie, is the political core of the future, and the Old Nobility will eventually be overwhelmed by the tide of industrialization. It''s time for him to make arrangements early on.

    Thinking this, Joseph slightly furrowed his brows. To bring Mirabeau, a representative of the capitalist elite, into the Cab controlled by the Land Aristocracy would inevitably face considerable resistance.

    All of this required careful nning on his part.

    That night, at the gambling party organized by Queen Mary, Joseph, taking Mono aside to a corner of the hall, nced at Clementine, who was betting at the dice table, and whispered, "I promised her a plethora of conditions, and finally convinced her. You can rest assured, she swears she won''t mention to anyone aboutst night..."

    In fact,st night Joseph asked Clementine if she had seen anyoneing out of Mono''s room, the young girl imed she only paid attention to the cat and didn''t see anyone. As for her maid, since she had never been to the Pce of Versailles, she did not recognize Madame Saint Priest.

    Mono hurriedly stopped the Crown Prince from continuing, checking that no one noticed them, then sincerely bowed to thank him, "You truly saved my life, I don''t know how to thank you enough."

    Joseph feigned a sigh, "You see, I have been busy recently researching how to better promote industrial development. Now I''ve agreed to apany her for half a month, I''m afraid I won''t be able to achieve anything."

    Mono offered an apologetic smile, "I am truly bothering you."

    "If the Industrial nning Bureau could add more people, I would have more energy to spare for my cousin," Joseph feigned difficulty, "but as you know, the bureau is just a small department with limited staff."

    Mono seemed to catch on to something, prompting, "Then how can we increase manpower?"

    "Unless the bureau''s level can be upgraded, the number of subordinate officials can only remain the same."

    Mono immediately understood that the Crown Prince was asking for a "reward."

    "What do you think would be an appropriate level for the Industrial nning Bureau to be upgraded to?"

    Joseph appeared to speak offhandedly, "If it could be the Ministry of Industry, then I could hold a position like Minister of Industry or something..."

    Mono inwardly sighed. The Crown Prince still had his leverage fromst night, and he had to offer this reward. Fortunately, the artisan sector wasn''t making much money, there were many associated issues, and since the Crown Prince had already been managing it, it would not be too problematic topletely detach it from the internal administration system.

    After thinking it over, Mono added, "Your Highness, I highly agree with your proposal. But for such a significant change as introducing a Minister of Industry, I alone don''t have the final say."

    Joseph smiled and said, "You just need to propose the motion at the Cab meeting, and I''ll take care of the rest."

    "As you wish, Your Highness."

    After the serious conversation, Joseph, looking rxed, took Mono to y cards, only to be suddenly startled by the exasperated shouting from the dice table, where Clementine was yelling, "I''ve lost twelve games in a row! Are you cheating?!"

    The servant in charge of rolling the dice panicked and quickly bowed his head in defence, "Absolutely no cheating, please don''t be angry..."

    The little girl quickly suppressed her anger, stepped forward to take the man''s arm, and cheerily stuffed a piece of candy into his hand, "Don''t mind me, I was just blowing off steam. Here, have some candy, it''s really sweet!"

    Joseph watched with interest as the croupier''s worry turned to joy, thanking the girl repeatedly, before continuing to oversee the gambling.

    Clementine boldly bet 2 livres on high.

    The dice cup was opened, revealing a 1, 3, 1¡ªlow.

    The little girl, undeterred by her losses, bet 1 livre on low.

    The dice cup was opened again, showing 5, 5, 6¡ªhigh.

    "I refuse to believe I can''t win!" Clementine''s face flushed with resolve as she continued to ce bets.

    What rotten luck this little miss had! Joseph shook his head, amused, and as he was about to walk away, a thought struck him.

    Since she''s on such a losing streak, maybe she can serve as a contrarian indicator!

    Joseph immediately stepped forward. Seeing Clementine bet on low, he promptly took out 5 silver coins and bet on high.

    The result was 4, 6, 5¡ªhigh.

    Amazingly urate! Joseph looked at the little girl in surprise and collected 10 livres from the table.

    Seeing her cousine over and win, Clementine grew even more indignant and stubbornly bet another 2 livres on low.

    Joseph promptly bet the 10 livres he just won on high.

    The oue was 6, 4, 3¡ªhigh.

    A light shed before Joseph''s eyes, realizing that he had discovered a treasure in the girl!

    After considering, he still approached the little girl and advised, "You''re still young, just have fun, don''t bet too much."

    "Thank you for caring, cousin, but I will surely win!" the little girl retorted, rolling up her sleeves and moving on to the next table.

    Joseph shook his head helplessly and followed Clementine. She bet high, he bet low.

    At the barat table, she bet on the bank, and he bet on the yer.

    At the roulette table, she bet on odd, and he bet on even.

    ...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    By the end of the evening, Joseph had won more than he lost, all thanks to the "Reverse Clementine Strategy." By the time the little girl had run out of steam and stopped ying, he had won over a hundred gold ¨¦cus and arge pile of silver coins.

    By Queen Mary''s card table, a financially devastated Clementine clung to her aunt''s hand and cooed, "Take me to Paris tomorrow, will you? I''ve lost all night long, you need tofort my wounded heart."

    Unable to resist her niece''s pestering, the Queenughed and summoned her son, instructing, "Jospeh, do nothing else tomorrow but take Clementine to have a good day out in Paris."

    "Yes, Mother," said Joseph, nodding reluctantly, thinking of it as the "fee" for the evening''s services provided by the little girl.

    The little girl was overjoyed and immediately clung to his arm, pouting, "Cousin, I heard people say there''s an ''Eden Amusement Park'' built in the Tuileries Pce Garden, full of new and exciting things, will you take me there to y?"

    Joseph gave a start and asked cautiously, "You''re not afraid of heights, are you?"

    [Note 1]: At this time in France, the local Estates-General varied greatly by region. For instance, a few regions like Brittany and Burgundy had Estates-General with some authority, determining some local governance policies, yet all were still under royal control. The Estates-General in most other regions were merely for show.

 Chapter 168: Chapter 153 Paris Fashion Week

    Continue reading on m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    March 11th, 5 p.m.

    At the newly decorated Tuileries Pce, adorned with countless ribbons, oil paintings, and billboards, the whole of Europe is now watching as Paris Fashion Week is about to unfold.

    The Tuileries Pce is a castle-like structure, its lofty halls surrounding a vast central square. Its initial design served as ast bastion for the King in times of emergency, the very square where troops were marshaled.

    Now, however, this parade ground was filled with international visitors who hade for Fashion Week, with thousands in attendance.

    Additionally, a considerable number of guests who were reluctant to purchase expensive seats stood in the gaps between the square and the buildings, craning their necks curiously towards the giant T-stage to the east. Of course, even standing-room tickets cost 6 livres.

    Thanks to Joseph''s widespread international advertising campaign, slogans like "Paris Fashion Week, just for those who truly understand fashion," "Hand in hand with your loved one, experience the most romantic Paris," and "Does your yearning breeze still blow to Paris Fashion Week?" had already bombarded the ears of the nobility from every country.

    Under such grandiose publicity, Paris Fashion Week remarkably became the focal point of heated discussion in Europe''s nobility circles. Unless one genuinely could not afford the trip to Paris, no one wanted to miss this event¡ªit would be too embarrassing to face those who had experienced it.

    Consequently, at least hundreds of thousands of visitors hade to attend Paris Fashion Week!

    Although the tickets for the opening ceremony were pricey, they were sold out a month in advance. Nobles whoter wished to secure a seat had to pay four to five times the price, suffering the extortion of scalpers.

    At that moment, on the luxury seats located on the eastern side of the Tuileries Pce square¡ªthose "gold" seats near the T-stage, which officially cost 80 livres each¡ªa middle-aged English gentleman dressed in a ck velvet coat, with sagging eye bags and ears that stuck out, was gaping at the resplendent Tuileries Pce, unable to contain his exmations:

    "When I first read in the newspaper about ''experiencing your royal life at the Tuileries Pce,'' I thought it was just French bluster, but they''ve actually done quite a good job here."

    Next to him, a young man who had been holding a notebook and pen the whole time nodded and smiled:

    "Mr. Walsh, in fact, the Tuileries Pce was once a royal residence of the French people."

    "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Alvin," Mr. Walsh responded with surprise and appreciation, "No wonder it''s so luxurious! It seems my money was well spent."

    His wifeughed and said:

    "Dear, I remember you saying on the shiping here that the French are only good at fancy foods and clothes and such."

    "Well, I must admit, their pces are not too shabby either."

    Just then, melodious music rose in the air, and Chancellor Barongden, dressed in the opulent attire of the Court of Versailles, took the stage to deliver a very lengthy and lyrical opening speech.

    Following him, Queen Mary, dressed in a dazzling white ensemble with her hair coiffed a full foot and a half high, made her entrance, nked by attendants and maids. Brilliant fireworks burst forth in the sky.

    The French guards and officials around immediately bowed in homage, while the tourists, caught by surprise at the presence of the Queen of France¡ªa personification of European fashion and luxury¡ªhurriedly rose to their feet, courteously nodding in respect.

    The atmosphere at the venue instantly peaked.

    Queen Mary smiled and gestured to the crowd, and then began her speech, following the script her son had written:n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Wee to Paris, the city of fashion and romance, to partake in thergest fashion festival in all of Europe..."

    Walsh did not understand French and was only hoping that the "five daily fashion shows, with a hundred beauties passionately presenting" mentioned in the newspaper would start soon.

    Luckily, Queen Mary did not keep him waiting too long. After concluding with "Please enjoy this lovely week," she turned and returned to her room on the third floor of the Tuileries Pce, facing the T-stage.

    Next, a famous singer presented a song, and then the highlight of Fashion Week officially began.

    To the sound of lively background music, three tall and beautiful models, dressed in thetest seasonal luxurious long dresses, sashayed out from the end of the T-stage.

    At that moment, every spectator was stunned.

    This waspletely different from any fashion presentation they had seen before!

    It wasn''t just about unting clothing on racks or gaining attention through allure¡ªthese models exuded an elegant and noble demeanor with every motion they made, their expressions cool and natural, as if they were three confident young noblewomen casually passing by.

    The fashion they wore also became a reflection of their temperaments, full of individuality.

    At the same time, on two disy panels over four meters high on either side of the T-stage, there appeared information about the designers of the dresses worn by the models, their design concepts, features, and prices.

    Fashion Week staff meandered politely among the guests, reminding them that should they take a fancy to any of the fashions being showcased, they could ce an order at any time.

    This form of fashion show and sales that would bemonce inter times was the most creative and trendy model in the 18th century.

    Mrs. Walsh''s eyes were immediately drawn to a light green long dress worn by the model on the left, and she nced at the price on the disy panel¡ª220 livres.

    She lowered her head to covertly calcte the price in British Pounds, ensuring her husband would have no objections, and when she looked up again with a charming smile, she took Mr. Walsh''s arm and whispered, "Dear, what do you think of that green dress?"

 Chapter 169: Chapter 153 Paris Fashion Week_2

    Walsh was busy looking at the plump "Big White Rabbit," nced at the price tag, and nodded absentmindedly, "If you like it, buy it."

    "Thank you, dear!" his wife immediately summoned a staff member.

    However, she soon regretted it, because the model that came out afterward was wearing a purple puff skirt that captivated her heart even more than the green dress she had just seen.

    The following fashions were one more trendy and beautiful than the next, Mrs. Walsh was already dazzled, with the sole thought of "buying everything" in her mind.

    An hourter, the first fashion show ended.

    Mrs. Walsh, after desperately restraining herself over and over, only purchased three outfits. She also bought a dark blue suit for her husband.

    Mr. Walsh, having feasted his eyes on slender waists and "Big White Rabbits," only realized when paying that he needed to fork out nearly 40 British pounds!

    This was in gold pounds, with 1 pound equating to approximately 25 livres.

    Yet, this British wool merchant still paid the bill with a light heart.

    Who knows how many customers from various countries were in a simr situation. Only after the 23 staff members responsible for pre-sales worked until 4 a.m., their hands beginning to cramp, did they finally manage to sort all the orders.

    The British journalist Alvin, who came with Mr. Walsh, immediately rushed back to his reserved room,piled over ten pages of fashion week articles, and sent them back to Ennd overnight.

    That night, the Walsh couple dined at the "Royal Restaurant" on the first floor of the Tuileries Pce, tasting authentic French court cuisine¡ªbeetroot-baked snails, Crown Prince oysters, pan-fried goose liver with cherry jam, red wine truffle roasted pigeon...

    A table full of delicacies had the couple from the culinary desert eating in rapture, dripping in grease, eventually having to support themselves against the wall as they left the restaurant.

    Although they had to queue for over 40 minutes for this meal and spent 1 pound and 12 shillings, they felt it waspletely worth it.

    After returning to the Tuileries Pce, Mr. and Mrs. Walsh had intended to have a few drinks, but on the way, they saw a brightly lit hall filled with various curious machines, brimming withughter and cheer. They were immediately drawn to it.

    The interpreter and guide apanying them pointed to the hall and told them, "This is an amusement arcade, there are many interesting games to y inside."

    Curious, Mr. Walsh entered and immediately saw a young man, who seemed to be of Spanish descent, pull hard on a lever in front of a machine that was taller than a man. The machine''s drums began to spin rapidly.

    The Spaniard watched the drums intently, murmuring, "Stop! Stop!"

    Suddenly, the front drum stopped, disying a yellow iris emblem of the French Royal Family.

    Then, the middle drum stopped, also showing an iris.

    The Spaniard''s breathing became rapid.

    Soon, thest drum began to slow down, shifting slowly from a sword to an apple, and finally settling on an iris.

    The young Spaniard cheered wildly, leaping up and punching the air in excitement.

    The machine emitted a series of "ding-dong" chimes, and the Spaniard bent down to collect a wooden box from the bottom part of the machine. Inside were full of silver coins, at least seventy or eighty.

    "What''s this?" Mr. Walsh asked the guide in surprise, turning his head.

    Thetter gestured towards the machine, "Mr. Walsh, this thing is called ''Slot Machine''. You put in one livre to pull that lever once. The drums inside will spin, and if they stop on three identical patterns, you can win several times, or even dozens of times the amount in silver coins in return."

    "The young gentleman just now won the highest return multiple¡ªa hundred times."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Walsh was immediately intrigued and looked around, but found that the dozens of machines in the hall were all upied.

    Eventually, for the price of 10 livres, he got hold of a slot machine from a middle-aged man and, unable to wait, he dropped a livre into the coin slot and pulled the handle with force.

    After the drums whirred to a stop, theynded on a cat, a shield, and an "X."

    Clearly, he didn''t win anything.

    He pursed his lips, inserted another coin, and still came up empty.

    It wasn''t until his 15th pull that finally, three apples appeared on the reel, and the crisp sound of silver coins shing emanated from below the machine.

    Walsh took out the wooden box, excitedly picked up the five silver coins inside, looking even happier than if he had won five British Pounds.

    An hourter, Mrs. Walsh, yawning, returned alone to the reserved room on the second floor.

    Mr. Walsh, seeing that the machine next to him which shot out marbles was unupied, curiously moved over to it.

    He inserted a coin, pulled the lever, and the marble bounced around inside the machine beforending in a hole marked x3. Three silver coins dropped out from the bottom of the machine.

    Walsh was overjoyed and immediately "transferred his affections", starting to focus on ying the pinball machine.

    The entertainment machines in this hall were specially prepared by Joseph for celebrations like fashion week.

    The internal structure of these machines was notplicated at all: springs and flywheels, along with some gears, were enough. Craftsmen from over ten clock shops in Paris had spent months manufacturing them, and they were much simpler than clocks.

    Even though they were very simple gaming machines, people of this era had never seen anything like them. One after another, they became seemingly enchanted, repeatedly pulling the handles or levers, unable to stop.

    And in the Tuileries Pce, there were more than 70 such machines. Each one voraciously swallowing the visitors'' silver coins.

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    When it was past 3 a.m., Mrs. Walsh woke up with a start, realizing her husband still hadn''t returned to the room, she hurriedly got dressed and rushed to the amusement hall, only to see Mr. Walsh with bloodshot eyes but an excited spirit, still incessantly pulling the lever...

    The next day.

    There were no fashion shows in the morning or at noon.

    So, after breakfast, Mrs. Walsh dragged her husband, who had dark circles under his eyes covering half his face, to the Eden Amusement Park, which everyone was raving about as "extremely fun" and "a ce you would regret not visiting for the rest of your life".

    At the park''s entrance, which seemed as if it had been brought from a fairytale world, several workers dressed up as "giant rats" with fluffy ck round ears, big eyes, and pointy noses were greeting the visitors everywhere.

    Well, these adorable mascots were actually Mickey Mouse ofter times.

    But in the 18th century, there was no Disney to trouble Joseph, so he had unhesitatingly copied them over.

    Arge number of visitors were attracted by the adorably cute appearance of Mickey Mouse, either following them or cautiously touching their heads, while eximing "wow" in amazement from time to time.

    And Mickey was very enthusiastically pointing out the location of the ticket window for everyone.

    The ticket price was not cheap at all ¡ª for unlimited ess to all the amusement facilities, plus free tea and snacks, it was 30 livres per person. To choose four steam-powered entertainment facilities, it was 18 livres per person, without drinks and desserts.

    Mr. Walsh generously took out 2 British Pounds and 10 shillings and handed it to the ticket seller ¡ª for unlimited y ¡ª and then entered the amusement park with his wife.

    His wife, who was past thirty, immediately turned into a girl in her teens, frolicking andughing between the carousel and the tea cup rides.

    Once Mrs. Walsh had her fill of fun, she then pulled her husband along to go to the main store of the Paris Angel Exclusive Store ¡ª although Ennd also had a franchise store, it was said that a new product called "Eye Cream" had hit the market in the Paris main store, and there was a recent discount, so how could she not go on a shopping spree?

    They were originally going to call for a carriage, but just then a public stagecoach arrived at the station. Following the guide''s rmendation, they curiously boarded therge stagecoach that could amodate 25 people.

    Two horses pulled the stagecoach along the newlyid wooden track. The wheels encountered very little resistance, making the speed of travel quick. And because the carriage was equipped with a new type of leaf spring suspension system, and the wooden track itself was very smooth, there was virtually no sensation of bumpiness inside the carriage.

    Mrs. Walsh felt asfortable as if she were boating on a creek.

    She looked around in delight: "This carriage is really nice."

    The guide immediately responded at the right moment: "You have a good eye! This is made using the technology of Royal Carriages. Simr carriages are now the first choice among Paris''s upper crust."

    Mrs. Walsh quickly asked in a low voice. "How much does such a carriage cost, the kind that seats four people?"

    "Probably less than 600 livres."

    Mrs. Walsh immediately looked at her husband with pleading eyes. He nodded generously: "Let''s go check out the carriages tomorrow."

 Chapter 170: Chapter 154 Crown Prince and Illegitimate Son

    Mrs. Walsh left her room number at the Tuileries Pce with the clerk of the Paris Angel''s store. Thetter immediately respectfully indicated that they might be able to deliver her purchased goods there tomorrow morning.

    There was no helping it, even though she had bought a whole 300 livres worth of cosmetics, Fashion Week had brought in too many customers, and the store''s delivery staff were busy working 18 hours a day and still could not keep up. This was already the expedited result for her as a Gold Card member.

    Afterward, the Walsh couple went to the carriage shop and ordered thetest model of the "Royal Same Type" carriage, spending 800 livres¡ª600 for the carriage, and 200 for the shipping to the British port.

    Then, they rushed to the Royal Museum at the Louvre.

    In the carriage, Mrs. Walsh looked at the clean and tidy streets of Paris, narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath, and couldn''t help but praise, "This is far cleaner than London; even the air smells sweet."

    Mr. Walsh nodded in deep agreement, "Yes, not a bit of excrement on the streets. Sometimes I have topliment the French for their cultivation in this respect."

    Mrs. Walsh soon spotted a square and novel little building and inquired about it with the guide.

    Thetter introduced it somewhat awkwardly, "Ah, madam, that''s a public toilet, a ce for passersby to relieve themselves."

    Mrs. Walsh immediately felt embarrassed for herck of worldly experience and muttered softly, "No wonder the streets are so clean; when can Ennd learn from them."

    She secretly swore to herself that she must learn some French upon returning, else she wouldn''t even recognize the toilets.

    Mr. Walsh leaned back in his seat and yawned, "Ah¡ªI don''t even want to return to London. Compared to here, London is just like a rubbish heap..."

    The guide''s eyes shed with surprise and he immediately pointed toward the direction of the Tuileries Pce''s garden, smiling, "Mr. Walsh, perhaps you could buy a vi in the ''Royal Garden,'' then you could often stay in Paris. Hmm, especially during London''s rainy season, taking a vacation in Paris would certainly be a fine choice."

    The Tuileries Pce''s garden, referred to as a garden, is actually a several million square meter open space next to the pce, a ce where Parisians often go for a stroll after dinner.

    Walsh blinked and asked, "You mean thatrge construction of houses on the east side of the Tuileries Pce?"

    "Exactly, Mr. Walsh. It will bepleted in another three or four months." The reason the guide was so attentive was that he would receive amission of 500 livres for every vi sold through his introduction, including the carriage that Walsh had bought, from which he also received amission of 30 livres.

    Walsh was greatly tempted because the vis were very close to the Tuileries Pce, and by opening the windows one could clearly see the facial details of the sculptures outside the pce. Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    He then asked, "Do you know the selling price of those vis?"

    "Ah, the ones adjacent to the Tuileries Pce are about 50,000 livres, which is 2,000 British Pounds. The ones next to the public carriage tracks are around 1,900 British Pounds. Further out, there are some for 1,500 British Pounds."

    Walsh immediately gasped, although he was well-off, he could not bear to spend 2,000 pounds on a house in France. A vi of the same grade would never exceed 1,000 pounds in London.

    Seeing his expression, the guide immediately said, "These vis are definitely worth the money, sir. Not only are they next to the Old Pce. Look, over there they''re building an elite school; only children living in the ''Royal Garden'' can attend, and it''s said that members of the French Academy of Sciences will teach there.

    "And over there, that''s thergest hospital in Paris...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "That one is a shopping mall...

    "And to the south, there''s a croquet field..."

    In the end, Walsh did not go to look at those 50,000 livres vis¡ªhe was afraid he really couldn''t resist buying one, which would make his financial situation a bit tight.

    By the time he and his wife had toured Paris and returned to the Tuileries Pce, the afternoon fashion show had already begun.

    However, this time Mrs. Walsh enjoyed the fashion show by herself. Her husband went straight to the gaming hall aftering back, excitedly "battling" in front of the Slot Machine.

    Mrs. Walsh turned to look at the empty chair on her left and muttered with some surprise, "Why hasn''t Mr. Alvine?"

    Her British journalist friend was at a theater at that time, watching Hurter Xiao search for the "magic fire seed" in theva with a tense expression.

    Indeed, he didn''t have the money for the amusement park, nor did he have the money to shop around. The newspaper sent him to cover Fashion Week but wouldn''t provide too much funding.

    But he could afford the theatre ticket, so he decided to spend his time watching ys, not expecting to get hooked from the first viewing.

    The y "Breaking Through the Caelum" was simply too captivating! The plot was thrilling, stirring up excitement.

    Right when the theater was running a ten-performance marathon, he bought a season pass and had been watching in the theater for a whole day,pletely forgetting to cover the Fashion Week events.

    Not until the actors performing in shifts were all exhausted and the theater had to close did he finally remember that his work was not done yet.

    On his way back to the fashion show venue, he secretly decided that he must trante the fascinating drama he had just seen into English to be performed in London!

    In the gaming hall of the Tuileries Pce, Mr. Walsh failed to win after ten rounds, rubbed his hands dejectedly, and was about to insert another silver coin when he heard wild shouts from behind: "Incredible, haha! See that?!"

    He frowned, turned his head, and saw a young man with a Russian appearance behind him, monopolizing four Slot Machines in his extravagant red coat. And at that moment, one of the Slot Machines shockingly disyed three Knight symbols!

 Chapter 171: Chapter 154 Crown Prince and the Illegitimate Child_2

    Walsh knew that was a jackpot returning 30 times the bet!

    His heart twitched with envy.

    Meanwhile, the Russian in red casually pocketed the silver coins spit out by the machine and excitedly continued to feed money into the slots of all four machines, then pulled the levers in rapid session, his eyes darting back and forth over the spinning drums.

    However, this time when the drums came to a halt, not a single machine awarded a prize. Undeterred, the Russian fixed his bloodshot eyes on the machines, continued to insert coins, and pulled the levers.

    His luck spiked again as two of the machines disyed matching sets of symbols, and the tter of falling silver coins further exhrated him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Just then, Viscount Freselle, Chair of the Fashion Week Committee, approached him with a few others, and said amiably, "Count Bobrinskoy, you have been ying for a whole day and night without eating anything. For the sake of your health, I suggest you take a rest..."

    "Get out of my way! Don''t block me!"

    The moment the young man finished speaking, several burly men who looked like bodyguards came over and pushed Viscount Freselle and hispany backward with their bodies.

    Viscount Freselle, left with no choice, quietly instructed the security inspector who hade with him, then walked away.

    He then stationed several policemen around Count Bobrinskoy, ready to call a doctor for him should he faint or show signs of difort.

    ...

    Joseph walked out of the south gate of Tuileries Pce, somewhat fatigued.

    Queen Mary had agreed to be the ambassador for Fashion Week, requiring her to give a speech every two days, and naturally, he had to apany her.

    Fortunately, now that a four-league long east-west wooden railway had been built in Paris City, it took just over twenty minutes to reach the Tuileries Pce after entering the city, saving the Queen a lot of time.

    ording to the n, the railway would extend further westward, providing a direct connection between Paris and the Pce of Versailles.

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    Soon, one could travel from the Pce of Versailles to Paris City via coach in just over an hour, saving nearly 70% of the previous travel time.

    This wooden railway, although expensive to build at 50 thousand livres per league¡ªwhich is 4 kilometers¡ªwas the result after Murdock brought in British track workers to use new techniques to reduce costs; had French craftsmen been employed, it would have cost an additional 10 thousand.

    However, just the convenience of the wooden railway for the nobles from Versailles to travel to Paris could increase Paris''s annualmercial ie by at least a million livres¡ªthe shorter travel time meant the nobility had more time for shopping and entertainment.

    Moreover, people who previously avoided going to Paris due to the distance or a rough journey would also increase their visits and spending in the city because of the railway.

    Joseph stretched his arms and caught sight of the life-sized painting of "The Chosen Son" hanging at the front of the hall out of the corner of his eye¡ªQueen Mary was extremely pleased with this painting, and thinking of the many foreign dignitaries who woulde for Fashion Week, had a copy hung here to "show off" her son.

    Joseph shook his head in embarrassment and wondered whether he should have Fouche arrange for someone to steal the painting in the middle of the night when he saw Viscount Freselleing towards him with a worried expression.

    The man nearly bumped into the Crown Prince before realizing, promptly halting and bowing deeply.

    Joseph smiled and asked, "Viscount Freselle, are you in some trouble?"

    Freselle hesitated a moment and then said, "Your Highness, Count Bobrinskoy of Russia has been at the amusement hall for a day and a night, and hasn''t eaten a meal in that time. I have tried to persuade him several times to no avail. You know, with his status, should anything happen, it might..."

    "Count Bobrinskoy?"

    Joseph frowned slightly. Eman promptly leaned in and whispered, "Your Highness, that''s the Empress of Russia''s illegitimate son. He has been loitering in Paris for several years now, and many nobles know him."

    Joseph nodded in realization, "Is it Alexei?"

    "Yes, Your Highness, that''s his name."

    Joseph''s eyes narrowed, realizing that Catherine''s younger son, the future brother of Tsar Paul I, had alsoe to attend Fashion Week.

    He suddenly remembered from watching the Russian series "Empress Catherine" that Alexei had been traveling around the world since he was young to avoid threatening his brother''s position as heir[1]. However, because of his reckless behavior, Catherine could hardly tolerate his foolish actions, and it seemed she would soon recall him to Russia and then banish him to a remote town for reflection.

    France is currently seeking an alliance with Russia in order tounch a strategy in North Africa. This Alexei is greatly favored by Catherine II, and this could be an opportunity to have a chat with him, which might yield unexpected results.

    He gestured to Freselle, "Please lead the way, I''ll go and persuade him."

    "Oh, thank you so much, Your Highness."

    In the gaming hall, Alexei was still excitedly inserting coins and pulling levers when he saw a young man with an extraordinary air appear before him, smiling at him.

    His gaze changed for a moment, but then he turned his attention back to the slot machine, muttering under his breath, "What do you want? Please step aside."

    Joseph saw him insert a silver coin and forcefully pulled the handle for him,ughing, "I remember as a child, because I was not in the best of health, I spent some time recuperating at Meudon Castle.

    "You know, there were no tutors or ceremonial officers there, I could ride horses and climb trees whenever I wanted, it was full of freedom and rxation."

    "Later, whenever I was tormented by various courses to the point of irritation, I would feign illness and go there to ''recuperate'' for a few months."

    "Until one time, I wanted my ''happy holiday'' tost a little longer, so I pretended to have a serious illness, the kind that looked as if I were about to die. I was fully convinced that this time I could stay at Meudon Castle for an entire year."

    "But guess what happened?"

    "My mother was terribly worried, called all the court imperial physicians to diagnose me, bled me several times¡ªoh, and there were enemas too¡ªthoroughly torturing me in the process."

    "In the end, I had to end my own illness. Afterwards, my mother told me that to keep a close eye on my health, I would have to stay in the Pce of Versailles from now on and could never go to Meudon Castle again."

    "Do you think I was too foolish at that time, haha."

    Alexei paused for a moment, and then understood the meaning of the Crown Prince¡ªhe immediately remembered the painting of the "Child of Divine Favor" he saw upon seeing Joseph. In order to avoid the political struggles of Saint Petersburg and to make his brother Paul''s session smoother, he deliberately acted the part of a prodigal, ying around the world.

    But as the Crown Prince had just said, if he overdid his act, it would surely worry his mother and she would keep him close for discipline.

    He took a step back, put away his yful expression, and with a hand on his chest, bowed gracefully, speaking in perfect French, "Thank you for the reminder, Crown Prince. I presume you already know my identity. It''s a pleasure to meet you here."

    "Yes, Earl Bobrinsky." Joseph smiled back, "I believe you need a dinner now, and plenty of sleep. If you disagree, I might have to temporarily close this amusement hall."

    A momentter, as the two were on their way to the restaurant, Joseph continued the small talk, "I''ve heard some rumors about you."

    Alexei, a bit groggy from staying upte, smiled and said, "It seems I''m quite famous, Your Highness."

    "What I mean is, based on your current actions, the Empress may soon order you to return to Russia."

    Alexei shrugged nonchntly, "Perhaps."

    In truth, he had already heard the news from Saint Petersburg¡ªhis mother had asked the Russian ambassador about his situation several times, indicating her intent to call him back.

    But what could he do? His brother''s position as the Crown Prince had always been quite precarious. He dearly loved his brother and didn''t want to add any pressure on him. Thus, acting the part of a debauchee was the only thing he could do to help his brother.

    He mumbled, "In the end, this is all I can do."

    Kesode checked the restaurant''s private box with the guards and nodded at Joseph.

    Thetter led Alexei in to sit down, looking at the illegitimate child, "What would you like to eat?

    "Actually, there is a lot you can do. I mean, things unrted to politics. And doing so might actually keep you farther away from Saint Petersburg."

    [Note 1] Before Paul I, the Russian Tsar''s session was different from most European countries, as it was designated by the previous Tsar. Therefore, although Alexei was an illegitimate child, if he was greatly favored by Catherine II or had significant political prestige, he had the potential to rece Paul as Crown Prince.

 Chapter 172: Chapter 155: Two Prince Trading Companies

    ```

    "Hmm, grilledmb chops, beet truffle thick soup, roasted bread."

    Alexei casually ordered a few dishes from the waiter beside him, then turned to Joseph and said, "I''m quite curious, what do you mean by ''business unrted to politics''?"

    "Bring me a cup of ck tea, no milk, spices, or sugar."

    Having dismissed the waiter, Joseph smiled and said, "For instance, engaging in some business. If you had your own trade in Paris, then the Empress would not recall you back to Russia for fear of your conduct¡ªoh, please excuse my choice of words."

    Business? Alexei blinked, sensing some logic in the proposal. No one would associate a busy merchant with a position in the line of session to Saint Petersburg. It was indeed a good way to stay away from politics and to some extent shed the image of a wastrel.

    In fact, that was exactly what Alexei''s descendants did. To stay away from politics, they started doing business and eventually established Russia''srgest sugarpany.

    However, Alexei immediately shook his head, "Thank you for your suggestion, Your Highness. But I know nothing about business, and every year the Empress has to subsidize me with tens of thousands of rubles. I don''t want to lose even more of her money."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "No, I believe you will make money," Joseph said with a smile, "and significant amounts at that."

    "Your Highness, if I may be so bold, this seems rather unlikely. I know my capabilities."

    Joseph, sniffing the aroma from the teacup the waiter brought, nced at the illegitimate child and said, "Actually, it is not as difficult as you think. All you need is a good partner."

    "A partner?"

    Joseph gestured with a small spoon towards himself: "For instance, me."

    Alexei eximed in surprise, "You mean, go into business with you?"

    Joseph nodded: "We could jointly invest in and establish a tradepany, focused on trade between France and Russia."

    His suggestion was not impulsive; he had long harbored such a n.

    In fact, France and Russia had already signed a trade agreement the year beforest, but on one hand due to France''s tight finances, and on the other because there were not many products of mutual interest between the two countries¡ªother than wine and Enlightenment ideas, France had little else to offer Russia.

    Likewise, Russia''s main exports such as x, oil, and timber did not see high demand in France.

    This led to lukewarm trade between the two parties.

    Yet, both countries were eager to substantially increase their trade volume with each other.

    For Russia, there was an ongoing concern about being too reliant on trade with Ennd and a desire to change the trade structure. For example, by increasing France''s share in trade to reduce the risk of being manipted by the British.

    As for France, increasing trade volume with arge country like Russia would certainly greatly improve its financial situation.

    But desire is just desire. Historically, until Napoleon came to power and Russia joined the Anti-French Alliance, trade between the two countries had not significantly improved.

    This was the situation that Joseph wanted to change, and he had the means to do so.

    Historically, France''s demand for Russian goods wasn''t high because France''s textile industry was crushed by Ennd. But now, under Joseph''s guidance, France''s textile industry would challenge Ennd''s dominance, and thus would need arge amount of textile raw materials, x among them. As for cotton, wool, and the like, those would need to be sourced from North America and Australiater on.

    At the same time, since Ennd''s x supply was highly dependent on Russia¡ªabout eighty percent of its consumption¡ªshould France consume arge quantity of Russian x, it would inevitably cause a x shortage in Ennd, subsequently leading to higher prices for British x textiles.

    It was a ssic win-win situation.

    On the other hand, France''s industry would enter a period of explosive growth and would urgently need markets to sell its products. Russia, with a poption of over thirty million, was an enormous market that definitely needed the participation of French products.

    Originally, Joseph had nned to wait for Talleyrand to make contact with the Russians and then push forward with the trade issue.

    But upon meeting Alexei today, he felt this might be an even more suitable opportunity.

    "You need not worry about management; we can hire professionals to run thepany," Joseph said, "I''ll provide some merchant ships as my share. These ships will fly the Russian g, enjoy your ''armed neutrality'' policy, and avoid British interference."

    "And you could have someone in Russia buy up x, grease, perhaps even iron, as your share."

    "After these goods arrive in Marseille, they''ll be loaded with French wine, textiles, and in the future possibly paper and machinery as well, and sent back to Crimea."

    The so-called "armed neutrality deration" referred to the Russian trade policy announced by Catherine II in 1780, the main content of which was "As a neutral country, Russian ships can freely navigate between ports and along the coasts of warring nations, unless they carry wartime contraband, in which case the belligerent nations must not impose restrictions."

    This policy had been recognized by Ennd. Thus, Alexei''s "Russian ships" transporting the cargo could ensure normal trade regardless of any tensions between Ennd and France.

    Besides, Joseph had another card up his sleeve.

    He had previously reviewed the Anglo-Russian trade agreement, which allowed Russian merchant ships to transport goods from the East to Europe unobstructed by the British fleet. The British had reckoned that Russia had little presence in the East and had readily agreed, a point Joseph nned to exploit through his tradepany with the illegitimate child in the future.

    ```

 Chapter 173: Chapter 155: Two Prince Trading Companies_2

    Alexei pondered for a moment, then hesitated, "Your Highness, I must admit, your proposal is very sound."

    "However, there are already quite a few people engaged in such trade between France and Russia, and I don''t think we can be morepetitive than them."

    Joseph smiled and nodded; Alexei was indeed a smart man, not the frivolous young man he appeared to be. It seemed that partnering with him would not be disappointing.

    "First of all, the current volume of Franco-Russian trade is far from sufficient."

    "If I remember correctly, there are over three hundred merchant ships sailing from Ennd to Riga every year. Yet only a tenth of that number sail from Lyon to the ck Sea."

    "I tell you, France is going to start industrial reforms, and the demand for Russian goods will increase substantially, especially for x. In that case, the existing merchant ships will be far from adequate."

    Alexei nodded slightly, realizing the Crown Prince of France had insider information. With this in mind, the business indeed seemed viable.

    Joseph leaned forward, lowering his voice, "Furthermore, I can offer you tariff advantages. I guarantee they will not be insignificant."

    "Are you serious?"

    "Of course."

    Joseph had ample confidence to secure those tariff advantages in the Cab. He didn''t even need to lower the tariffs; merely turning a blind eye to his trading firm would suffice.

    Doing so would not only draw in the Russians but also reduce the cost of raw materials for the French textile industry, increasing itspetitiveness.

    At the same time, it would reduce trade ties between Ennd and Russia, raising the cost of linen products for the British.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He continued, "Additionally, you can use your connections in Russia to secure cheapermodities like x and oils. By reducing costs at both ends, how could there not be a profit?"

    Alexei was ted; if he could export to France with low tariffs, it would greatly reduce Russia''s trade dependency on Ennd. This had been a great task that the Empress had wanted to achieve for more than a decade without sess! If he could credit his brother with this achievement, it would surely change the way his mother viewed his brother!

    He sped his hands together excitedly, "Your Highness, I find your proposal very feasible. I will do my best to lower the cost of goods."

    Joseph smiled and bowed, "I am delighted to cooperate with you, Earl Bobrinsky."

    The dishes Alexei ordered at the dinner table had long gone cold, yet he hadn''t thought about eating them.

    Joseph had a fresh hot dish brought up, signaling to the illegitimate son, "I think you should enjoy your dinner now."

    After Alexei had finished eating, the two discussed some details of the tradingpany, effectively finalizing their partnership.

    The reason Joseph bypassed the Russian government to establish a tradingpany was primarily to avoid lengthy trade negotiations. Negotiating efficiency in this era was very low, especially given the distance between France and Russia. If the negotiating representatives had differing opinions, consulting their respective governments could easily take more than two months.

    So, he adopted this private approach to kick-start trade between the two countries. Once the trade volume grew and both sides developed market dependency, negotiating a trade agreement would be much easier.

    Besides, this also indirectly allowed him to control some raw material imports, making the Capitalists somewhat more obedient.

    Late at night, after ten o''clock, Alexei took his leave from Joseph but stood there gazing at his departing figure, a sense of unreality welling up in his heart.

    What kind of a young man was this, who suddenly appeared before him, solved his dilemma with a tradingpany, and also presented Russia with a great gift?

    He had not quite believed those rumors about the Crown Prince of France, such as overseeing police reforms that greatly improved security in Paris or nning the grand fashion week. He assumed officials handled everything and merely attributed their achievements to the Crown Prince.

    But after meeting him tonight, Alexei was convinced that the rumors about the Crown Prince were true and that his eloquence and wisdom were even more remarkable than the tales suggested.

    Alexei suddenly felt regret. If his brother Paul had this wisdom, he wouldn''t have had to spend so many years away from home, numbing himself with alcohol and women, presenting himself as a useless dandy.

    ...

    While Joseph and Alexei discussed the tradingpany, an auction was taking ce in the grand hall of the fashion week.

    The attendees were dignitaries from various countries, and many members of the Royal Family. Queen Mary, who had given a brief speech for fashion week, was also dragged by her niece to sit in the balcony on the second floor.

    The auction items were mainly expensive dresses and luxury goods.

    None of these could catch the Queen''s eye; her mind was filled with the conversation she had with Louis XVI at noon.

    It was after lunch when she casually mentioned her son''s fianc¨¦e to her husband.

    She had fully expected that her niece had won over the Crown Prince, but the King told her that after speaking with his son, neither Clementine nor Maria would satisfy him as a fianc¨¦e.

    She looked at her lively and charming niece with some distress. Oh, God, how could Joseph not like her?

    For a moment, she truly wanted to be like other kings and queens and simply inform her son that Clementine was to be his future bride. But she could not bear to see her son look disheartened or unhappy.

 Chapter 174: Chapter 155: Two Prince Trading Companies_3

    "Perhaps I should wait a little longer..." the Queen sighed to herself, "The Crown Prince and Clementine are still young; maybe if they spend more time together, he''ll fall in love with his pretty and adorable cousin."

    Just then, the auctioneer below announced in a melodious voice, "The next item up for auction is the exquisite ''Star''s Wish'' ne. It was designed by a master designer..."

    As the Queen was lost in thought, she saw Clementine suddenly stand up beside her, her blue eyes wide open and unblinking as she stared at the auction item, murmuring excitedly to herself, "It''s the one he wore, no mistake, that''s the one!"

    The Queen smiled and shook her head. Little girls often couldn''t resist the allure of beautiful jewelry; she herself had been just as excited when she saw jewelry she liked in her younger days.

    However, she failed to notice that the ne being auctioned was nearly identical to the one the Crown Prince wore in the portrait "Child of Divine Favor"!

    As God is my witness, that ne was definitely not Joseph''s, and he had never even seen that ne before.

    It was all because Lady Lebrun, who had painted the portrait, epted sponsorship from a jeweler who insisted on including his ne in the painting. But honestly, this dazzling ne, with its design of a gxy fashioned out of numerous diamonds, indeedplemented Joseph''s image perfectly.

    After the auctioneer announced the reserve price of eighty thousand livres, Clementine indicated to her maid without hesitation, and the maid immediately raised her right hand.

    Before the auctioneer had time to acknowledge the bid, a woman''s voice came from a private box on the east side, "Ny thousand."

    Clementine immediately puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. Someone dared topete with her for her cousin''s ne, and had even raised the bid by ten thousand livres in one go!

    She signaled to the maid once more, and the maid raised her hand.

    The auctioneer immediately gestured towards her, "The guest over here has bid ny-one thousand livres."

    It was the same voice again, "One hundred thousand."

    The little girl on this side countered with an even higher bid.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    And the woman in the east side private box calmly raised the bid to a round number, "One hundred and ten thousand."

    Clementine became anxious, put her hands on her hips, and shouted indignantly, "One hundred and twenty thousand!"

    Humph, thought she wouldn''t raise by ten thousand?

    The woman on the east side then confidently bid, "One hundred and forty thousand."

    "You! You raised it again?" The little girl continued to shout, "One hundred and sixty thousand!"

    "One hundred and eighty thousand."

    "Two hundred thousand!" Clementine huffed, after stating her bid, she then turned to the maid and said, "Who is that person? Why are they crossing me like this?"

    The maid leaned over the balcony railing of the second-floor box, her body half extended out, and finally through the gap in the curtain of the east side box, she saw a woman in a red dress, with long brown hair, and a pair of gentle brown eyes.

    She immediately drew back, her hand covering her mouth in shock, and whispered in Clementine''s ear, "Miss, it seems to be the Princess of the Two Sicilies."

    "Ah¡ª" Clementine bit her lip; if it was her, then she couldn''t lose!

    "Two hundred and fifty thousand!"

    [Note 1]: Riga is a port in Sweden, and also a transit station for British-Russian trade. Riga''s officials collectedmissions on the trades between Britain and Russia.

    [Note 2]: Since Russia gained control of Crimea, French-Russian trade had been able to pass through the Mediterranean, via the Ottoman-controlled Dardanelles Strait, to the ck Sea, and dock in Crimea to offload goods.

    [Note 3]: Because Empress Catherine II really disliked her husband Peter III, who was extremely fond of Prussia (she had overthrown her husband in a coup to ascend to the throne), and she also did not favor her son Paul who resembled her husband.

    Throughout her reign, she had expressed her wish to depose Paul from his position as Crown Prince multiple times, preferring to pass the throne directly to her grandson. There were also ministers who supported the idea of recing Paul with the illegitimate child Alexei as the Crown Prince.

    In any case, right up until the second before Catherine II''s death, Paul remained anxious about his position as heir.

 Chapter 175: Chapter 156 Loss and Victory

    ```

    In another private box on the second floor of the auction hall, Princess Maria recognized her cousin Clementine''s voice as soon as she bid for the first time¡ªthe incessant chatter resonated throughout the Pce of Versailles daily, making it hard to forget.

    Maria had not expected her topete with her for the ne, but then she felt relieved¡ªhadn''t shee to Paris topete with her for him? Read new chapters at mvl

    When Maria looked again at the "Star''s Wish" that the Crown Prince had worn, she suddenly felt that this might be a prelude to a contest between them.

    Whoever got the ne would win him over!

    With that thought shing through her mind, a determined look appeared in her eyes, and she turned to her maid and whispered softly,

    "300,000 livres."

    The maid immediately nodded and called out the bid to the auctioneer.

    Although some young noblewomen from Versailles recognized "Star''s Wish" from the portrait of the Crown Prince and eagerly wanted to bid, the price had already been raised to an astonishing level before they could react, and they quickly gave up.

    Of course, this did not include Clementine.

    "350,000!" she shouted, her eyes wide as she also raised the bid by fifty thousand.

    "400,000," Maria''s maid replied almost without hesitation.

    "500,000!"

    "550,000."

    Clementine wanted to continue bidding but suddenly froze¡ªshe realized she had run out of money.

    After all, she was still a child of ten, temporarily possessing only her annual annuity and the 200,000 her father had given her for the trip to Paris, totaling 560,000 in "total assets."

    She no longer had enough to raise another 50,000.

    "560,000 livres!" she gritted her teeth and called out her maximum bid.

    When Maria heard her raise by only 10,000, a wave of relief washed over her, and she signaled to her maid, "600,000."

    She was already fifteen years old, possessing her own estate and a fishing ground, much wealthier than the little girl.

    In this battle for the ne, she believed she would win.

    Indeed, after her maid called out "600,000," the auction hall fell silent.

    Clementine was so anxious she could only stomp her feet in frustration, unable to do anything but listen to the auctioneer loudly announce, "600,000 livres, for the first time."

    She bit her lip hard, tears welling up in her eyes. For some reason, she had the vague feeling that if she lost "Star''s Wish," she would lose the Crown Prince.

    "Oh, darling, what''s the matter?"

    Queen Mary noticed her niece''s shoulders seemed to tremble slightly and quickly asked with concern, then she saw the little girl''s eyes reddening.

    "Do you really want that ne?" she asked, pointing toward the "Star''s Wish" resting on brocade in the auction hall, but then she hesitated, the ne seemed familiar...

    That''s right, wasn''t this the ne from the painting?

    The Queen immediately understood why her niece was so persistently bidding.

    Clementine looked up at her aunt with a pitiful expression and nodded vigorously.

    "600,000 livres, for the second time."

    Queen Mary smiled softly and said in a gentle voice, "Dear, just bid what you like, no matter how much it costs, I will pay for you."

    "Really?!"

    ```

    The little girl was overjoyed, and seeing Queen Mary nod, she hastily wiped away her tears and interrupted the auctioneer, shouting, "Wait! 650,000!!"

    With the support of Queen Mary, Clementine effortlessly secured the final victory.

    When the manager of the auction house respectfully brought "Star''s Wish" to the box, the little girl immediately grabbed the ne and pressed it against her chest, caressing it gently while she squinted her eyes to savor the cold touch. Then she turned to Queen Mary, curtsied, and smiled sweetly:

    "Thank you so much, my dearest aunt! I just love you so much!"

    However, just as she excitedly lifted the ne to show it to the queen, it caught on a gemstone on her dress.

    The gem''s edge snapped the string of the ne, and in an instant, dozens of sparkling diamonds scattered across the floor.

    Clementine instinctively reached out to grab the diamonds in mid-air, but caught nothing[Note 1].

    After being stunned for three seconds, she burst into tears, wailing, "Why? Why am I always so unlucky?!"

    Several maids hurriedly got down on the floor, carefully searching for the diamonds.

    Queen Mary was also startled, but she quickly regained herposure, gently embracing her niece and soothing her back with a soft voice.

    No one knows how long itsted, but Clementine silently followed Queen Mary out from the east wing of the Tuileries Pce. Although the auction house reassured her that the ne could be restored to its original state, she just couldn''t feel happy about it.

    In a corner of a corridor of the east wing, Princess Maria bit her lip hard, feelingpletely drained of strength.

    She had clearly seen that Clementine left with Queen Mary. It was now very clear why thetter, after being unable to bid higher, ultimately won the ne.

    Her heart felt so empty; it was obvious the Grand Duchess of Tuscany was the Queen of France''s choice, not herself.

    If that was the case, even if the Crown Prince liked her more, he would still have to marry that girl in the end.

    It turned out that she had lost right from the start.

    She lifted her head to take a deep breath and said to her maid by her side:

    "Alisa, let''s go home..."

    The next day, the carriage of the Princess of the Two Sicilies drove along the King''s Avenue in the Southern Suburbs of Paris, lonely against the morning sun.

    Not long ago, the Crown Prince and thousands of his soldiers greeted her on this very road, and now only she was returning alone. The Crown Prince was supposed toe and see her off, but she had refused¡ªif she were to cry in front of him, it would be far from elegant.

    The sunlight stretched the shadow of the carriage very long, like a hand desperately reaching toward Paris but never grasping anything.

    Inside the carriage, Maria hesitated for a long time before ultimately cing the letter she held back on the table.

    On the corner of the envelope not held down, one could see her neat and tidy handwriting: "Dear Your Highness, the days I spent in Paris were the happiest of my life. I continuously pray to God to let my life forever stop at that moment when we danced together on the carousel! Although it''s just wishful thinking, I still have this precious memory.

    When I return to the Two Sicilies, I will pray day and night for your wellbeing and bless you and the Grand Duchess of Tuscany..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She had written the letter in tears the previous night, intending to have her maid deliver it to Joseph that morning, but at thest minute, she gave up.

    Perhaps, these girlish thoughts were meant to be forever buried in her heart, rather than causing him any trouble because of her.

    ...

    In an office on the second floor of the Tuileries Pce, Joseph was browsing through the financial reports for fashion week sent by Freselle.

    The report was somewhat thick. After flipping through a few pages and not finding the total sum, he looked up at the chairman of the fashion week organizingmittee sitting beside him.

    Viscount Freselle, as if anticipating, hurriedly said, "Ah, Your Highness, the total ie for these few days is 4.62 million livres, and the expenses are 310,000 livres."

    [Note 1]: Reading Comprehension (10 points).

    After Clementine spent a fortune to buy the "Star''s Wish" ne, the ne inexplicably broke, and dozens of diamonds fell to the ground. What are the author''s thoughts and feelings expressed in this passage?

 Chapter 176: Chapter 157: Settlement of Profits

    Freselle added, "This is only the ie of the organizingmittee. The city hall should have several hundred thousand livres in ie as well, but the exact amount has to be tallied by them."

    The ie from the Tuileries Pce and the amusement park went to the Fashion Week organizingmittee, whereas the money earned from additional ventures like public carriages, museums, and theaters belonged to the city hall.

    Joseph nodded calmly, but inside he was quite excited as the number surpassed his expectations by nearly a million livres. And this was only the sixth day of Fashion Week; there were still two days to go, and he was certain that total profits would definitely exceed five million livres¡ªAs for why there were eight days of Fashion Week?

    Ha, there were actually more than half a month''s worth of various activities to follow. Such as the fashion art exhibition, charity week, gourmet week, etc., which wouldst until the end of March.

    However, he wasn''t too surprised by this ie figure. After all, an event offering an all-in-one service of dining, entertainment, and fashion, a powerful attraction in itself, was bound to draw the pursuit of Europe''s elite. It was an unprecedented event in the whole world.

    This was achieved even with the limited transportation and information channels; for instance, hardly anyone came from the Americas, and even guests from Eastern Europe weren''t many. If it had been the railway era, the revenue from Fashion Week could have doubled.

    Besides, Joseph had several other significant earnings that weren''t ounted for.

    First was the real estate project.

    The empty ground of the Tuileries Pce gardens was developed into the "Royal Pce Gardens" neighborhood, with a total of 75 vis in the first phase, priced at an average of 48,000 livres each. Half of them had already been sold, which amounted to an ie of over 1.8 million livres. And every day, people were continuouslying to inquire and view the properties.

    You must understand, these houses weren''t even finished yet; people couldn''t see thepleted product. Otherwise, they might have been sold out much earlier.

    Joseph was not in a hurry¡ªat the rate of real estate strategies from the future, sporadically raising the price, along with news of "some duke" moving in, by the time the houses were finished, he estimated the average price would at least reach 60,000 livres.

    Moreover, after thepletion of the first phase, facilities such as hospitals and schools would also be built, making the second phase almost pure profit.

    Compared to the immense sum that could be made from real estate, the cosmetics from the "Paris Angel"pany, as well as the carriage sales from the "Gemstone Jay" carriage partner, seemed unimpressive.

    The cosmetics sold for over 800,000 livres in six days, while the carriage dealership, being a new startup and thus facing serious supply shortages, had earned barely 120,000 livres.

    Joseph roughly estimated that by the end of the month, when Fashion Week activities concluded, the organizingmittee should be able to earn about 7 million livres. Of this, the French Government and the Royal Family would take the lion''s share, and the Paris Chamber of Commerce, having invested some money, would also receive 3% of the profits.

    However, for Joseph, most of this money was his¡ªthe French Government owed him a loan of 6 million livres, and he had put several million more into buying grain. Brothers should settle their ounts clearly; this money, the French Government had to repay to His Highness the Crown Prince, so it would be deducted from the Fashion Week''s ie.

    As for the Royal Family''s portion, it went directly into his pocket. Initially, the Queen had offered the Tuileries Pce for her son to use free of charge. Of course, he would have to give something to the Queen afterward; when there''s money to be made, everyone profits, and it paves the way for an even better future.

    And the ie from the "Royal Pce Gardens" was all Joseph''s. Because he was the sole developer. He spent 50,000 livres buying the plot ofnd at the Tuileries Park¡ªat that time, it was all vacantnd, which had now turned into the most top-tier luxury housing area in Paris.

    All in all, he had toiled to organize one Fashion Week, and his ie was roughly around 10 million livres.

    With this sum of money, he would be able to buy more grain from overseas to cope with the impending famine.

    Joseph continued flipping through the detailed ie report of Fashion Week.

    Among all projects, the highest revenue naturally came from the salesmission on fashion, hats, and jewelry, including the rental fees for shop spaces, totaling 1.47 million livres. Calcting with amission of 15%-25%, Fashion Week had so far sold over 6 million livres worth of clothing and jewelry!

    Yet the project that ranked second in terms of earnings came as a surprise to Joseph¡ªit turned out to be the inconspicuous amusement hall.

    In the Tuileries Pce, there were 75 machines inside and 30 outside, ruing over 800,000 livres in these six days!

    On average, each machine earned 1,200 livres a day!!

    Joseph suddenly felt, why bother with the strenuous efforts of industry andmerce when this contraption could make money even more quickly?

    However, he also understood that these gaming machines could pull in so much money for two reasons, one was their novelty, everyone was drawn to the new experience; the other was because those attending Fashion Week were the extremely wealthy, who, when taken by the thrill of y, hardly cared about how much money they put into it.

    If, with time, the novelty wore off, and considering economic factors, it was definitely not possible to maintain such exaggerated earnings.

    Moreover, Joseph didn''t want the French to get into financial troubles due to an addiction to these gaming machines. In the future, having just a dozen or so at the Pce of Versailles would suffice, the rest could be sent to the colonies.

    The subsequent ie items were: amodation, Eden Amusement Park, specialized services, dining...

    Joseph then inquired with Freselle about some Fashion Week operations, but soon heard the melodious sound of music outside and had to end the revenue report¡ªthe fashion show was starting in just over ten minutes, and Freselle needed to see to it.

    Joseph gazed out the window at the bustling scene of Fashion Week and was already scheming how to maximize the benefits of this grand event.

    In fact, he cared more about the indirect gains of Fashion Week than the direct economic ie.

    For instance, the vast contribution it made to enhancing the image of France.

    Once the guests of Fashion Week returned home, they would inevitably tell everyone about the grandness of the event and the prosperity of Paris.

    This would attract additional investment to France, as well as various talents longing for itsfortable environment.

    Once Fashion Week''s influence stabilized, a "European Expo" could beunched on this basis, along with various award events, to further elevate France''s international standing and attract even more investment and talent.

    Additionally, the total price of the various garments sold during this Fashion Week exceeded 4 million livres, with arge parting from Lyon.

    Previously, due to theck ofpetitiveness in the French textile industry and the lowering of tariffs by the Eden Treaty, Lyon''s textile industry had almost copsed to the brink.

    In history, the mass unemployment of Lyon''s textile workers was one of the catalysts for the outbreak of the Reign of Terror.

    Discover hidden stories at mvl

    However, the promotion from this Fashion Week would lead to a surge in sales of French clothing¡ªthough our French textile technology might not measure up to yours, Ennd, if our clothes sell well, it can greatly offset the high cost of materials.

    Of course, currently, the majority of families buy fabric to make their own clothes, with the ready-made garment market still very small and mainly focused on the lowest end.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Nevertheless, Joseph was confident of significantly increasing the sales volume of ready-made garments through some promotional methods.

    This way, the French textile industry could be safely sustained until it couldpete with the British in terms of strength.

 Chapter 177: Chapter 158: The Production Model Across Eras (Request for Monthly Tickets)

    In fact, Joseph had already begun toy the groundwork for promoting ready-to-wear clothing before this Fashion Week.

    For instance, he made special requests to the designers participating in Fashion Week¡ªasking them to avoid the thenmon style of distinct shaping at the chest, waist, and hips during their design process, and instead to approach a smoother transition at the waistline.

    Because clothing that emphasizes the chest, waist, and hips¡ªskirts, in particr¡ªhas very strict size requirements: two people of simr height and weight can''t exchange clothes just because of slight differences in the distance between their chest and waist.

    By switching to a smooth transition style, they could produce the same garments for them based on standard sizes.

    It so happened that France''s designers were searching for inspiration for this season''s fashion and greatly admired this somewhat "retro" design style¡ªreminiscent of the long dresses of Ancient Rome¡ªleading many to turn to designing garments with smooth waist transitions.

    Of course, this also had a lot to do with the fact that the proponent of the design style was the Crown Prince. After all, Europe''s fashion follows France, France''s fashion follows Paris, and Paris'' fashion follows the Royal Family.

    Afterward, Joseph discussed and preliminarily established ready-to-wear clothing size standards with the Lyon Textile Guild¡ªtemporarily in five sizes: very small, small, medium,rge, and veryrge, and published the specific requirements for each size for both men''s and women''s clothing.

    After this Fashion Week, Joseph nned to ask the Textile Guild to further refine the size standards and promote them throughout All of France.

    Next, the task was to find ways to expand the scale of ready-to-wear production and continuously reduce costs.

    Once the cost of ready-to-wear was low enough for ordinary people to afford, there would undoubtedly be many who cared more about style and were not too tight on budget, willing to switch from making their own clothing to buying ready-to-wear.

    Joseph knew this would be a difficult process, requiring the coordination of industrial policies, apanied by new types of textile machines, and powered by Steam Engines to be possible.

    It was also necessary to resolve the issue of the Land Aristocracy, eliminate feudal privileges, and liberate arge number of tenant farmers to provide industrialbor.

    "Tough," Joseph sighed with a wry smile.

    ...

    "Congrattions, my dear Mr. Walsh!"

    In front of an unfinished vi on the east side of the Tuileries Pce Gardens, under the watchful eyes of over a dozen tall and handsome salesmen, the sales manager solemnly handed a set of keys and the house deed to Walsh:

    "From this moment, you officially be the noble owner of ''Royal Pce Gardens''! From now on, I''m afraid your biggest worry might be the excess of envious nces thrown your way," said the sales manager.

    Immediately, cheerful music began to y, and beautiful girls came forward to present flowers to Walsh, followed by a Priest saying prayers for the new home...

    In short, the ceremony was full of pomp, attracting countless passersby to stop and watch.

    Yes, in the end, Mr. Walsh could not resist the temptation and spent 2050 British Pounds to buy a house in the Royal Pce Gardens.

    The main reason was that he had learned through his channels that France was going to develop the ready-to-wear industry vigorously, which would significantly increase the demand for wool textiles.

    And he was precisely a wool merchant. Buying a house in Paris to expand his business in France was perfect.

    Of course, another reason was¡ª the price of houses in the Royal Pce Gardens was soaring by the day!

    The house he bought was priced at 50,000 livres, or 2000 British Pounds, just three days ago, and in the blink of an eye, it had risen to 2050 British Pounds.

    This made him regret his hesitation from a few days prior.

    When he heard from the sales staff that the price would continue to rise in a few days, he could no longer hold back and decided to buy a house on the spot!

    Mrs. Walsh was even more delighted. From the moment she arrived in Paris, she fellpletely in love with the city¡ªclean,fortable, tidy, filled with a fashionable atmosphere, plus convenient horse-drawn public transport.

    Right, and that extremely reassuring security!

    The policemen patrolling the streets of Paris, each with an imposing presence, never extorted foreigners or vendors. In cases of theft or robbery, they would even rush in and enforce thew on the spot. In London, British policemen would have long vanished at such events unless the victim happened to be a personage of noble rank.

    Of course, she had no idea that just a few months prior, Paris''s policemen were no different from their British counterparts¡ªthis was a new atmosphere brought about by the Crown Prince''s police reforms.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Mrs. Walsh had already sent a letter to their darling son in London the night before, asking him to bring his fianc¨¦e to Paris for a vacation. Once they returned, it would surely give them plenty to boast about in social circles for a long time.

    ...

    March 19, 1788.

    The Paris Fashion Week that shook all of Europe finally drew to a close. After a spectacr event, it left behind endless memories of revelry and the intoxicating luxury of the Tuileries Pce.

    Immediately after, the Paris Fashion Art Exhibition officially opened.

    This art exhibition was primarily to showcase French designers¡ªonly by making a name for them could the world embrace Parisian fashion more fully.

    During the five days of the art exhibition, designers from all over Europe would be invited toe and judge the Designer of the Year, and to present them with the "Golden Feather Award."

    And on the same day, another very important event urred¡ªa matter not widely known¡ª

    That was the "French Royal Arsenal"pleting all its preparatory work and officially beginning production.

 Chapter 178: Chapter 158: The Production Model Across Eras (Request for Monthly Tickets)_2

    On the southeast side of Versailles Pce Square, just outside the Sycamore Grove, there was a small courtyard enclosed by a stone wall, a hundred meters square. Inside the courtyard, there was a crucible furnace for smelting iron, and about ten wooden sheds of various sizes.

    At that moment, Joseph stood in front of the main gate of the courtyard, where a stone stele read "Royal Armory," bowing deeply to the retreating figure of Louis XVI.

    Just now, he had apanied His Majesty the King to the armory''s opening ceremony. His father must have been overjoyed, for he had, exceptionally, delivered a speech of up to five sentences in public, and had hardly stuttered at all.

    Of course, this was after all the factory that he had invested in and was mass-producing the weapons he had developed, and even the main craftsmen had been trained by him, so it was only natural to be a little happier.

    After seeing off his father, Joseph turned back and looked at the two core managers of the armory, ready to get down to serious business.

    "Mr. Gaman, may I ask how much the current output is?"

    An elder with a t nose, tworge bags under his eyes, but exceptionally bright small eyes, immediately bowed and said:

    "Your Highness, at present, we can make three caplock guns a day, but we will soon be able to increase that to four."

    The armory''s current product line consisted solely of the Auguste 1788 model caplock gun.

    Upon hearing this, Joseph immediately frowned¡ªfour guns a day meant 120 a month, and the annual output would not even be enough to equip an infantry regiment...

    He had indeed kept the armory rtively small in scale¡ªafter conducting an on-site survey, he found that not just Versailles, but even the whole of Paris,cked the supporting industries necessary for weapon production. For example, steelmaking, rough woodworking, screws, belts, etc., could not be supplied.

    Therefore, he decided to build only a "demonstration factory" near the Pce of Versailles to train craftsmen and carry out small-scale production. Arger-scale armory construction was already underway in Saint-Etienne, which should bepleted next month.

    Still, even for a "demonstration factory," wasn''t this production level a little too low?

    He walked with the two managers toward the interior of the courtyard and asked casually:

    "Mr. Gaman, is it possible to increase the output in a short time? Like... ten guns a day?"

    The locksmith teacher of Louis XVI, who was also the current technical supervisor of the armory, immediately shook his head and said:

    "Your Highness, you see, His Majesty has barely rested since he came here a month ago, and it has been with great difficulty that four craftsmen have mastered the manufacturing process of the caplock gun. Oh, and that includes me."

    He had participated in the development of the caplock gun on the spot and needed no training.

    "Now the four of us also have to teach apprentices, and we''re busy untilte at night just to rush out a single firearm."

    He didn''t mention that the barrels used in the caplock guns were custom rough nks ordered directly from Charleville; otherwise, they wouldn''t be able toplete even one gun a day.

    Joseph frowned again, puzzled:

    "Why not involve all the other craftsmen in the manufacturing, with you four supervising and instructing them?"

    You see, Louis XVI had poached 16 high-level gunsmiths for his armory from other ces, and there were as many as 50 mid- to low-level craftsmen. If all these people got to work, the production capacity surely wouldn''t be so dismal.

    Gaman said helplessly, "Your Highness, the caplock gun''s process differs greatly from that of the flintlock gun, especially the barrel and firing mechanism. Each step needs to be mastered and practiced repeatedly to produce a qualified gun."

    Joseph immediately detected a logical issue in his words, "That is to say, aside from the barrel and firing mechanism, the rest is simr to the flintlock gun?"

    "Er, that is indeed the case."

    "Then let you four be responsible for making the barrels and firing mechanisms. Have the others make the other parts. Then assemble them together. Wouldn''t that greatly increase the speed?"

    "Your Highness, I''m afraid that might not be possible." Before Gaman could say anything, the short middle-aged man with brown curly hair beside him chimed in, "Each craftsman''s technical habits and characteristics are quite different, and only the parts they make can guarantee a perfect fit when assembled together."

    Gaman immediately nodded in agreement:

    "Mr. Martinier is right. Even the craftsmen''s apprentices would find it hard to make something identical to what their masters produce."

    Joseph couldn''t help but hold his forehead, realizing he had forgotten that it was still the time of the handicraft industry and the concept of standardized parts production didn''t yet exist. Not until the early 19th century did the concept of standard parts begin to emerge, and it took another 20 years before it was actually applied in production...

    As for the assembly line production model that required standardized parts as a prerequisite technology, there was no need to even think about it.

    He sighed and looked at the manager and technical director in front of him:

    "Then, let''s try to change this situation. There is a production method called ponent standardization.''"

    The two directors nced at each other, both showing confusion: "Component standardization?"

    "Yes," Joseph nodded, "To put it simply, when different craftsmen produce the same firearms, they must strictly adhere to the parts standard set in advance."

    "From shape, materials, dimensions, and other aspects, you cannot exceed the tolerance range. Oh, what tolerance is, I will exin to you in a moment."

    "So that no matter who manufactures the parts, they can be freely interchangeable."

    "How could that be possible?!" Gaman and Martinier eximed in unison.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph took the two into the office, motioned for them to sit down, and said seriously:

    "It is absolutely achievable. Of course, it requires some methods. First of all, we need to create a set of more precise measuring tools."

    Gaman immediately said, "You mean, like a screw micrometer?"

    "Yes," Joseph nodded. "Then, you need to lead the most skilled craftsmen to set the ''production process standards,'' ''product execution standards,'' ''quality inspection standards,'' and other standards for the caplock gun, and even the positions where the tools are ced should have a unified standard."

    "Oh, I will have someone write these standards into detailed documents and give them to youter," Joseph continued, "Once the standards are set, we must conduct uniform training for the craftsmen."

    "Everyone must use the same tools in making parts, measure in the same way, and strictly operate ording to various standard documents. We strictly prohibit any changes to the process based on personal preference."

    "Thepleted parts will be given to those specifically responsible for quality control to measure, and if they exceed the tolerance, the parts will be discarded."

    "Parts produced in this way, from the material to the dimensions, would be almost exactly the same. Ultimately, even if the parts are given to workers who are not technically skilled, they can still assemble them into a qualified flintlock gun."

    The two directors suddenly widened their eyes¡ªthe crown prince''s method sounded unbelievable, but upon closer consideration, it seemed very feasible.

    If produced in this way, only a small number of craftsmen familiar with all the processes would be needed to establish the standards, while other craftsmen could simply follow the standards step by step.

    It was easy to imagine that production speed would greatly increase, and training craftsmen would be much simpler!

    How had the crown princee up with such a marvelous method? The child of divine favor was indeed worthy of the name!

    Joseph then briefly exined concepts like "tolerance" and "quality control" to them, and finally said:

    "The craftsmen might not easily ept the new production model. In the initial stage of implementation, output might even decrease, but as long as we persevere, we will surely greatly improve production efficiency."

    "I will work with you during this time to establish all the production standards and help you with the training of the craftsmen."

    Joseph suddenly thought that perhaps he should also implement a standardization system at the machine tool factory, steam engine factory, and other factories, and even introduce national product standards.

    However, this would involve the issue of standardizing measurement units.

    You see, in France at the moment, no matter whether you''re measuring length or weight, the units used are extremely varied; even with the same unit "meter," craftsmen in the south and the north of France would measure different results.

    Of course, this applied even more so to other European countries.

    And if one wanted to promote industrialization at the national level, unifying measurement standards was the most basic requirement.

 Chapter 179: Chapter 159: The Irresponsible Director of the Royal Gunpowder Bureau

    Thinking about the unification of measurement standards, Joseph couldn''t help but sigh.

    Speaking of which, the French Academy of Sciences, under the proposal of several academic heavyweights, had long been ready to set up a "Standards Committee" to work on the unification of measurement standards¡ªit could be said that France''s scientificmunity was extremely forward-looking, as this was the first such initiative in Europe.

    However, influenced by the terrifying efficiency of the current bureaucratic system, it took several years for the Academy to even finish discussing the funding application, and so the Standards Committee fell by the wayside.

    Historically, it wasn''t until after the Great Revolution that the initiative was finally implemented with the support of the National Convention.

    The efforts of France''s Standards Committee also drove the establishment of the international metric system, paving the way for France''s industrialization.

    But at the moment, the "Standards Committee" was still just a concept. Joseph knew he had to intervene, otherwise ten or eight years might pass before he saw standardized units of measurement.

    Oh, the damned bureaucratic system of France... Joseph shook his head silently. Once he freed up his hands, he would have to overhaul the administrative system as soon as possible!

    It wasn''t until dinnertime that Joseph finally managed to exin the concept of "standardized production" to the two armory managers in basic terms.

    Standardized production would appear to bemon sense inter times, with even small rural workshops following these standards during production, but at the end of the 18th century, it was an exceedingly advanced concept, and for the two managers it was indeed not easy to grasp.

    Considering that Joseph also interspersed some enterprise management skills, it increased the pressure on their learning process.

    Exhausted, Joseph drank arge ss of water to ease the difort in his throat caused by overuse, and felt a headacheing on thinking about having to continue the next day.

    Considering the current progress, it would take at least half a month toplete the teaching of knowledge about standardized production.

    He had gone to such lengths, but had only trained Gaman and Martinier, which made him question if the cost-effectiveness ratio was too low.

    If he was going to teach anyway, why not educate several people at once?

    He immediately thought that he could directly start a course on "Industrial Enterprise Management," which would certainly be more efficient than teaching individuals one by one.

    So who should he find to be the first batch of instructors?

    When Joseph thought of enterprise management, Venio immediately came to mind¡ªVenio had justpleted the potato promotion and stayed in Paris to enjoy Fashion Week, conveniently not yet returned to Bordeaux.

    Since Venio was an entrepreneur himself, managed a ntation, and was good at giving presentations, coupled with his high work enthusiasm, he was very suitable for spreading advanced industrial management concepts.

    Even some of his friends from the Girondin Party were quite suitable for this task.

    Initially, they could go to the industrial development zone to teach high-level managers at the factories, andter on, open a course at the University of Paris to train professional managers.

    This was much more scientific than the traditional familial-style management.

    Perhaps France would not be able to surpass Ennd in industrial technological capabilities and production capacity in the short term, but in management, they could absolutely achieve an advance breakthrough!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    And optimizing the management model often had a greater impact on production efficiency than new technologies.

    With this in mind, Joseph called Eman over and ordered, "Please send someone to find Mr. Venio tomorrow, the one who helped me promote potatoes in Bordeaux."

    "Yes, Your Highness, I have a very strong impression of Mr. Venio."

    "Oh, and his friend too, I think his name is Jean Sone, have hime as well."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Just as Joseph was about to finish teaching and return to the Pce of Versailles for dinner, he suddenly caught sight of the armory manager recording the requirements just discussed regarding quality inspection: all firearms must undergo at least five live firings before leaving the factory.

    He immediately thought of the production progress of the copper caps that paired with the caplock guns, so he turned to Martinier and asked, "Mr. Martinier, do you know the production status of the copper caps?"

    Thetter said in a hurry, "Your Highness, I asked the Royal Gunpowder Bureau the day before yesterday. They said it would take about three or four months before they could prototype the first batch of fulminate mercury and then deliver the copper caps."

    The Royal Gunpowder Bureau was the French department in charge of the development and production of gunpowder. Naturally, the production of an explosive like fulminate mercury was their responsibility.

    "Three or four months? That slow?" Joseph frowned upon hearing this.

    Martinier replied, "They seem to have said that they''ve attempted to prototype it several times, but have failed each time."

    "All right, I understand," Joseph sighed helplessly. Fulminate mercury was a technique the British had mastered ten years ago, and he had already introduced the method of synthesizing it to the Royal Gunpowder Bureau, yet they were still failing?

    The next day at noon.

    In the receiving room of the Crown Prince at the Pce of Versailles, the assistant to the Director of the Royal Gunpowder Bureau and the production manager were standing anxiously in front of Joseph, constantly exining with troubled expressions.

    "Your Highness, you indeed told us the synthetic method, but... the precise ratios of ingredients, processes, and so on, still need to be explored cautiously."

    The gaunt production manager nodded repeatedly, "Indeed, Your Highness. As you know, experiments with such vtile explosives have to be extremely careful. We also found that the process of prototyping generates toxic gases, thankfully no one was injured."

    Joseph was somewhat helpless. He knew that fulminate mercury was made by reacting mercury with nitric acid, involving crystallization and cooling, but he had never actually made it himself¡ªin his previous life, making explosives could lead to a minimum of three years imprisonment, no ceiling.

    It was just that he hadn''t expected that, even with the entire Gunpowder Bureau''s research and development power, there would still be no progress after a month.

    If it were anything else, they could just buy the technology directly from the British, but something military-rted like fulminate mercury wouldn''t be for sale.

    Joseph looked at the Gunpowder Bureau executives with a stern face, "Even so, shouldn''t it take less than three or four months toplete the prototyping?"

    The assistant director carefully said, "Your Highness, if our director were here, it would probably take at most one month.

    "You know, he used to oversee the experiments for these kinds of new explosives. It''s just that he took long leave at the beginning of the year, so..."

    He took leave at the beginning of the year? Joseph frowned, it was almost April now! Did this director not want to work anymore?

    He said coldly, "Who is your director? Have hime to see me immediately!"

    The production manager whispered, "It''s Mr. Lavoisier..."

    "Just a moment, I''ll go find him right now."

    "Wait!" Joseph heard the name and hurriedly raised his hand to stop him, "You mean Mr. Lavoisier? The one who discovered oxygen?"

    The two executives looked at each other and nodded, "Yes, Your Highness, our director did indeed discover oxygen."

    "He also wrote major works like ''An Elementary Treatise on Chemistry''."

 Chapter 180: Chapter 160 Father of Chemistry

    Joseph was more than familiar with the name Lavoisier; it was a name that thundered in his ears.

    The greatest chemist of 18th century France, hailed as the "Father of Modern Chemistry," the "Newton of Chemistry."

    He was the founder of modern chemistry. He demonstrated thew of conservation of mass. He defined the concept of "elements." He invented the modern chemical list, the precursor to the periodic table. He established the Oxygen Theory of Combustion, putting an end to the "phlogiston theory."

    In short, he was a titan of chemistry, a warrior amongst titans.

    Joseph suddenly understood why the Royal Gunpowder Bureau could hardly function without its Director¡ªit wasmon for any department to be dependent on a technical genius like Lavoisier. Most likely, all the research and development work at the Gunpowder Agency had revolved around Lavoisier. With him on leave, the others had lost their pir of support.

    The Assistant to the Director of the Gunpowder Bureau cautiously looked at the Crown Prince:

    "Your Highness, shall I go and summon the Director for you?"

    "There''s no need." Joseph stood up.

    Whether out of respect for a schr whose name would live on in history, or out of reverence for a current academic heavyweight, he felt he should personally pay a visit to Mr. Lavoisier.

    He turned to the Assistant Director, "Please tell me Mr. Lavoisier''s address."

    Less than two leagues from the Pce of Versailles, one could see the crowd switching to the horse-drawn railway carriages¡ªthe speed of the British trackying engineers was quite impressive. The wooden tracks had now spread to the western suburbs of Paris, and within a month at most, one would be able to take a railway carriage directly from the Pce of Versailles to Paris.

    Continue your journey on mvl

    The nobles in line to change carriages made way for the Crown Prince one after another. Joseph did not decline and directly boarded a four-person railway carriage.

    The carriage sped along the wooden tracks, exceptionally fast, more than twice as fast as a regr carriage. Moreover, due to the tracks'' low resistance, it was clear that the horses pulling the carriages were very rxed, almost in an unloaded, leisurely trot.

    In the past, on the road from Versailles to Paris, the horses would have to slow down to rest at least once or twice. But this time, not only did the horses not rest, they even asionally sprinted down the slopes, prompting the coachmen to continuously issue "woahs" to restrain the horses.

    Joseph watched the trees swiftly recede outside the window and estimated that the speed of the carriage was approaching that of a small electric scooter ofter eras.

    He silently calcted that a wooden railway should first be built to encircle Paris, followed by another one that would cross Paris City from north to south. The east-west wooden track had already beenpleted before the fashion week.

    Whenpleted, Paris''s overall traffic efficiency would be unrivaled in Europe, resulting in a significant increase in the city''s overall efficiency.

    As for the construction cost, with the demonstration effect of the current wooden track, it would be entirely possible to raise funds from the public, repaying them with the operating rights of the rail transport, simr to the highway models ofter times.

    Once Paris''s railway transport had made a name for itself, it would be time to try constructing railway lines from Paris to industrial areas like Lyon to boost product sales.

    It should be noted that these wooden tracks, while only for horse carriages for now, would not be wasted in the future, as the foundation and sleepers below would bepatible with iron rails.

    Once France''s steel production increased and the steam lotive was invented, the wooden tracks could be removed and reced with iron rails, allowing train traffic in a very short time.

    In just over an hour, the carriage had arrived on the west side of the Saint-Germain District in Paris. Joseph disembarked and walked a short distance before seeing a gray-white vi not far away.

    Eman looked around at the street signs and said to him, "Your Highness, this should be the ce."

    Joseph looked at the exquisitely designed vi, as well as the three or four hundred square meters of flower gardens and children''s y areas within the vi''s walls, and he was reminded of another of Lavoisier''s identities¡ªa Tax Farmer.

    If he remembered correctly, Lavoisier had contracted for 500,000 livres'' worth of salt and tobo taxes, with an annual ie of 80 to 100 thousand, making him a very wealthy family.

    However, it was also this identity that cost him his life during the Reign of Terror. Lagrange oncemented this profoundly:

    "They could chop off his head in the blink of an eye, but a mind like his wouldn''t grow back in a hundred years!"

    Joseph sighed inwardly, resolved that as long as he was there, he would never allow a scientific gem like Lavoisier toe to harm.

    Lavoisier could never have expected a sudden visit from the Crown Prince, hurrying out to greet him with a mixture of surprise and nervousness, along with his entire family and servants.

    "Ah, I am truly honored, Your Highness!" Lavoisier bowed respectfully at the doorway, "I never expected Your Highness to grace us with your presence."

    Joseph smiled, nodded in acknowledgment, and, taking the chemist by the arm, they walked towards the house. He asked with concern,

    "I heard you''ve taken a long leave; are you feeling unwell?"

    "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness," Lavoisier said with a smile, shaking his head, "I am quite well, as you see, very robust indeed!

    "I simply needed to concentrate onpleting my current paper and thus had to temporarily step away from my work at the Royal Gunpowder Bureau."

    Joseph asked with curiosity, "Oh? What significant work are you writing?"

    "Oh, I have named it ''Elements of Chemistry,''" Lavoisier replied, a proud look on his face, "It is the summation of all my ideas concerning chemistry. I believe it will indeed usher in a renaissance for the field of chemistry!"

    Joseph was deeply moved, no wonder Lavoisier had taken such an extended leave; the foundational work of modern chemistry was about to be unveiled.

    ''Elements of Chemistry'' ister regarded as one of the "three great ssics" of world natural science, alongside Newton''s ''Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy'', and Darwin''s ''On the Origin of Species''.

    Joseph was ushered by Lavoisier onto a sofa, upon which the mistress of the house had adjusted the cushions three times, and he sat down before saying to Lavoisier,

    "Please take a seat as well."

    Remembering the main purpose of his visit, he hesitated, "Mr. Lavoisier, although it might affect your research, there is something that only you can help with at the moment."

    "Oh, Your Highness, please feel free tomand me; it is my honor," Lavoisier replied.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "I need the Gunpowder Agency to expedite the production of Fulminate Mercury, but they indicated that without your direction, they might need four months to produce the finished product."

    Lavoisier nodded slightly,

    "You are referring to the type of explosive that is easily detonated upon impact? I have read about it in British papers; it should be made of mercury and nitric acid. I estimate that it should use a crystallization method to obtain a purer final product, and a catalyst may be needed as well."

    Joseph mentally gave him a thumbs-up; as expected of a top academic, Lavoisier had nearly perfected the preparation process just from reading public papers.

    Lavoisier continued,

    "Clovis and the others might not be so adept at such delicate experimental procedures. Your Highness, I can help you with the preparation of Fulminate Mercury, but I can only spend two days a week at the Gunpowder Agency."

    Joseph felt that two days were better than none, and he could not afford to dy the publication of ''Elements of Chemistry''.

    He asked, "How long do you estimate the experiment will take?"

    "About a month," Lavoisier said, looking gently at his wife beside him, "If Marianne is willing to help."

    [Note 1] The name of Mrs. Lavoisier should be "Marie Anne," to simplify the reading, the hyphen has been omitted in the text.

 Chapter 181: Chapter 161: The Progress of Chemistry

    Madame Lavoisier immediately smiled and nodded, "Your Highness, I would be more than willing to lend a hand, if you need it."

    Joseph hadn''t expected Lavoisier to hold his wife in such high regard, and although he was somewhat surprised, he still expressed his gratitude, "It would be truly wonderful to have your help."

    Lavoisier continued, "Your Highness, although Marianne has never attended university, you can absolutely trust her experimental operation skills. In fact, she has been managing myboratory for these past years.

    "I would set the experimental ns weekly, but when ites to the actual experimental operations, her efficiency is even higher than mine."

    It was only after Lavoisier''s exnation that Joseph realized that Lavoisier''s wife had been learning chemistry experiments by his side since they were married, bing his de facto assistant. One could say that in Lavoisier''s experimental achievements, her contribution was indelible.

    Joseph once again thanked Mr. and Mrs. Lavoisier, then started to engage in casual conversation with them.

    While they were talking, Joseph suddenly caught sight of a strange painting on the Lavoisier''s wall, with a yellow background, neatly filled with odd symbols¡ªtwo triangles stacked together, circles with "tridents," glowing "suns," and so on¡ªresembling the recipe for a wizard''s potion.

    Following his gaze, Lavoisier revealed a proud smile, "Your Highness, that is the periodic table I created. I have discovered 33 elements, and countless dazzling objects in this world areposed of these tiny things!

    "Look, that one is hydrogen, that one is oxygen, and this is gold..."

    Seeing Joseph''s bewildered expression, he quickly exined, "Oh, what we call elements are, in chemical terms, substances that cannot be dposed any further by any method."

    "Ah, thank you for exining," Joseph finally caught on.

    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand what elements were, but he was astonished that Lavoisier and his contemporaries, the chemists, could perform a great deal of effective research with these "wizard''s spells"-like elemental symbols.

    He suddenly felt that perhaps he could help improve Lavoisier''s research efficiency, which might allow him to devote more time to the trial production of fulminate mercury.

    After pondering for a moment, he pointed to the element table on the wall and asked, "Mr. Lavoisier, do these symbols have any special meaning?"

    Lavoisier paused for a moment, then shook his head, "Nothing special, Your Highness. In fact, most of them are drawn following traditional customs."

    What he referred to as "traditional customs" was actually alchemy. In the early stages of research into chemical elements, even many concepts originated from alchemy, such as the "phlogiston" which Lavoisier had debunked, and the "Air Element," among others. Thus, directly using alchemical symbols for elements was quite fitting.

    Joseph pondered and said, "If there''s no special meaning, why draw them soplicatedly?

    "What if we were to represent elements directly with Latin letters? That might be much more convenient. Ah, do you have paper and pencil here?"

    Lavoisier quickly gestured towards the study, "Over there, Your Highness."

    Joseph followed him to the upstairs study, picked up a pen, and wrote down a "C" and an "O" on paper, "For example, these represent carbon and oxygen respectively.

    "Then, carbon dioxide..."

    He recalled the 18th-century chemistry knowledge he had learned, where today''s carbon dioxide seemed to be called carbonic acid, so he corrected himself, "Then carbonic acid could be written like this."

    He promptly wrote down "CO2" and added some symbols between the letters, resulting in "C+2O= CO2."

    Lavoisier''s eyes widened at the sight, "Your method of writing reaction processes... is indeed very clear and concise!"

    He nced at the "wizard''s spells" he had written on the manuscript nearby, unable to hide his excitement, "I dare say, if we were to teach students using your method, the time they spend in each ss would be cut in half!"

    Joseph added, "We could use the first letter of the Latin word for each element as the symbol for that element, and if there are duplicates, we could use the first two letters. This not only simplifies the writing but also makes it easier to remember."

    "Exactly! Your suggestion is incredibly innovative!"

    Lavoisier pulled out a sheet of paper and swiftly wrote out 33 letters in less than 20 seconds, immediately appearing even more excited, "Your Highness, you are a genius... oh, no, your mind must have been kissed by God Himself!

    "If we were to follow the old method, I wouldn''t have finished even half of these in such a short time, and it wouldn''t have been as clear as using letters, especially for representing reaction processes. This would definitely greatly increase the efficiency of chemical research! Your Highness, may I use this method in my ''Elements of Chemistry''?"

    Read new adventures at mvl

    "Of course," Joseph had suggested the alphabetical element symbols so that the ''Elements of Chemistry'' could bepleted more quickly.

    Seeing Lavoisier already engrossed in organizing the new symbols, he prepared to take his leave but caught a glimpse of a document on the corner of the desk¡ª''Rmendations on the Standard of Length''."

    He casually picked up the three-page document and found it was something Lavoisier had co-authored with mathematician Monge for the French Academy of Sciences. It proposed using the "meter" as the standard unit of length and urged the academy to establish a "Standards Committee" as soon as possible.

    Joseph then remembered that Lavoisier was indeed a key member of the future "Standards Committee."

    He himself wanted to promote the unification of measurement standards in France, and the most suitable person to lead the endeavor was right before his eyes!

    Lavoisier, seeing the Crown Prince looking at his ''Rmendation,'' exined, "Your Highness, the use of measurement units in the academicmunity is very chaotic right now. This causes a great deal of negative impact on everyone''s research. For instance, schrs in Paris and Marseille who wish to discuss a problem have to waste half an hour just to agree on which unit of measurement to use."

    Joseph nodded, "You are absolutely right! And it''s not just the academicmunity, in practical production, not having a unified measurement standard also causes a lot of problems."

    He put the document back on the desk, looking at Lavoisier, "I''ve heard that the preparations for the Academy''s ''Standards Committee'' are very slow. If necessary, perhaps I could help push the matter forward.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "For instance, I could take care of the funding issues, with the Royal Family establishing themittee."

    "That would be excellent!" Lavoisier rejoiced. He had long been fed up with the dilly-dallying of the Academy of Sciences, and the Crown Prince''s reputation for being young and efficient was well-known throughout Paris. If the Crown Prince were to preside over the matter, France would certainly have its own standard unit of length very soon.

    "You have brought a light of hope to the academicmunity of France!"

    Joseph continued, "Moreover, I hope that this is not just about setting a unit of length; we should take this opportunity to also unify the units for mass, temperature, heat quantity, and so on."

 Chapter 182: Chapter 162 Frances Biggest Embezzler

    Lavoisier suddenly became even more excited¡ªthe Crown Prince was thinking of integrating the entire academic world of France.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    No, if this system of standard units were established, it might even integrate the academicmunities of Europe!

    Joseph, however, still seemed unsatisfied, "After the unification of measurement units, the Standards Committee will still have a lot of work to do.

    "For instance, establishing national industrial standards¡ªsuch as the hardness and strength of steel, the purity of liquids, the specifications for bolt interfaces, the wheel gauge of carriages, and so on, letting every aspect of industrial production have rules to follow.

    "Even the tools used by craftsmen in various trades could be standardized. Craftsmen across the country could quickly get the right tools..."

    As he continued to speak, Lavoisier''s eyes grew wider and wider. He could feel that with each sentence the Crown Prince uttered, the foundation of France''s academia and industry was bing more and more solid!

    He suddenly interrupted Joseph, "Your Highness, I think I should call Mr. Lagrange, Mr. Monge, and the others here to listen to your grand n.

    "Perhaps, today, right here, we can officially establish the ''French Standards Committee''!" Read new chapters at mvl

    ...

    By nightfall, France''s top scientists yawned as they left Lavoisier''s home.

    When they reached the door, they stopped, turned around, and bowed to say farewell to the Crown Prince.

    Joseph himself was rather tired, but he still warmly greeted everyone, "I ask you all toe to the Pce of Versailles tomorrow, and we shall continue to discuss the matters of the ''Standards Committee''."

    Lagrange, Monge, Condorcet, and others hurriedly bowed in agreement before departing, each of them reflecting in their hearts that, while they had always felt the Academy of Sciences moved too slowly, the Crown Prince''s push for this initiative was a tad too hurried...

    It would have been better if the two could average out.

    Joseph, having bid farewell to Lavoisier, was about to get into his carriage when he suddenly remembered something and said to the chemist, "Mr. Lavoisier, I have some advice for you.

    "Although the tax farmer business yields considerable profits, it alsoes with many minor issues that can take up a lot of your research time. Moreover, the government might be nning to abolish the tax farming system, so you might consider giving up this business early."

    He mentioned this to Lavoisier because the tax reform might very likely destroy the interests of the tax farmer ss, and Lavoisier would inevitably also suffer losses.

    "Ah? This..." Lavoisier appeared troubled, although the Crown Prince had spoken, he still was reluctant to give up the annual ie of nearly eighty thousand livres.

    Joseph continued, "You needn''t worry about the ie. Once the production of fulminate mercury begins, I also n to invest in some chemical industry projects. Then, you could take a share in the industry with your expertise. I can assure you that you will earn much more than you do from tax farming."

    Refining coal tar, producing fertilizers, synthesizing chemical dyes, and so on, these were all chemical industries that had a profound impact on the Industrial Revolution and could bring in tremendous profits. Now that Joseph had the card of Lavoisier and his wife, he naturally would not miss out on these industries.

    Lavoisier''s eyes lit up, to be honest,pared to the tax farming business, which dealt with themon folks all day, he preferred to devote himself to chemical projects.

    He immediately bowed sincerely and thanked him, "I am grateful for your generosity, Your Highness. May God bless you!"

    ...

    After the conclusion of Paris Charity Week, the Paris Fashion Week series of events, which hadsted for the better part of a month, officially came to an end.

    The Parisians felt as if they had just lived through a long festival, busy and tense, but everyone had gained substantial benefits from this grand event.

    Just by renting out rooms to visiting tourists, arge number of Paris households earned more than their usual monthly ie.

    What went unnoticed, however, was that beneath the foreign tourists'' praise of Paris and Fashion Week, their self-confidence and pride were greatly boosted.

    Meanwhile, in the Port of Marseille, two ordinary merchant ships and one armed merchant ship, escorted by the Royal Navy''s Escort Ship "Twin Wings," slowly set sail for the Mediterranean.

    The merchant ships flew the Russian g, with "Gemini Trading Company" painted on their hulls. However, aside from a few Russian advisors, the crew, from the captain to the sailors, were either French or Italian.

    The cargo holds were primarily filled with wine and brandy, along with some mid-range garments, and other goods like cosmetics and paper.

    Their destination was Cremea in the ck Sea. By the time they arrived there, the people of Count Poplinsky had already prepared arge quantity of x and iron, ready to be loaded onto the ships.

    Although small in scale, this caravan''s voyage was filled with symbolic meaning¡ªthe beginning of a new chapter in Russo-French trade.

    ...

    M, wearing a grey short coat and an old felt hat, nced at the door number and knocked on the door.

    The door cracked open, and a pair of brown eyes peeped out, followed by a snicker from the owner, "Ha, who do I think it is. If it isn''t the government''spdog. You''re not wee here!"

    M blocked the door and said with a serious tone, "No matter what you think, I swear, I am forever the friend of the people."

    The homeowner''s tone was full of sarcasm, "Oh, indeed, after all, the Secret Police can sort of be counted as the people. You can dere your noble friendship with the government''s sry."

    "I''ve said it many times," M said somewhat indignantly, "the ce I work at is called the Justice Investigation Department, not the Secret Police! I''m conducting investigations, but I''m investigating corrupt officials. I''ve never done anything harmful to the people!"

    The person inside seemed to rx a bit, "Alright, Mr. Justice, in any case, you should still leave."

    But M, without another word, forcefully opened the door and stepped inside, saying to the dumbfounded middle-aged man, "Do you know? If you send me away now, that would really harm the interests of countless Parisians."

    "Oh? Don''t nder me. I''ve never done such a thing."

    M closed the door behind him and skillfully pulled the man into the room, "You think I want to work for the government? Of course not!

    "But if I can use the government''s power to help more ordinary people, then I must do so. Plus, the Crown Prince ispletely different from those bloodsucking nobility..."

    He waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it, let''s get to the point. Do you know how much money the guy I''m currently investigating has embezzled?"

    The middle-aged man with brown eyes spread his hands, "500,000 livres? Or 800,000?"

    Seeing M shake his head, he snorted lightly, "Could it be a million?"

    "No, you guessed wrong," M slowly said, "the amount he embezzled might exceed 10 million livres..."

 Chapter 183: Chapter 163 "Lightning Shaman" Franklin

    "10 million!" The middle-aged man with brown eyes seemed paralyzed, as if his brain''s storage unit could not amodate such arge number.

    After a moment, he burst intoughter, "Haha, I know, it must be the King you''re talking about, right?"

    Mara immediately shook his head, "No, Valois, you''ve guessed wrong."

    Ever since he''d had ess to the government''s financial data, he''d known that even if the King wanted to, he definitely couldn''t embezzle tens of millions. In fact, most of the time, it was the King who was subsidizing the treasury.

    "It''s Necker." Mara said gravely, "Jacques Necker."

    Valois was stunned for a moment, then let out an even biggerugh, "Mr. Necker? Haha, you''re saying Mr. Necker embezzled?

    "Don''t joke around, Mara! He was the Finance Minister who cared most about the poor! He hardly raised taxes at all during his term."

    Throughout his many years in France, Necker had invested considerable effort and resources to craft his image as a friend of the poor, helping them confront the monarchy. His efforts in this regard were exceedingly sessful.

    "He didn''t raise taxes," Mara nodded, "but that might just be because the taxes couldn''t go directly into his pocket." Discover hidden stories at mvl

    He didn''t wait for Valois to retort and quickly continued, "Not long after he took office, under the pretext of ''filling the financial gap,'' he signed a loan contract for 5 million livres with a Swiss bank at an interest rate of 23%.

    "And at the same time, there were multiple banks that could offer loans at far lower rates. I even saw documents showing that, in the same month, the Brittany city hall secured a loan from a bank at an interest rate of 19%.

    "Necker''s justification was that ''that Swiss bank''s credibility was more reliable''. Ha, the bank hands over its gold coins to the government, and yet we''re supposed to worry about the bank''s credibility?"

    Mara looked out at the cleaner handling the Fashion Week posters by the window: "While you were enjoying the glitz of Fashion Week, I took a trip to Switzend and found out that the bank that provided the 5 million loan was owned by Necker''s friend. Oh, and they had partnered before to traffic grain from Ennd.

    "Of course, that''s just the first of the questionable loans I''ve investigated.

    "In the over seven years that he served as the head of the treasury, the French Government borrowed more than a billion livres from major banks or grand nobles. I suspect most of those loans have issues."

    Valois frowned and said, "Are you suggesting that Mr. Necker is profiting from these unreasonable loans from banks?"

    "It might be just like that. He only needs to benefit 1% from these loans to exceed 10 million livres!"

    "No, it''s impossible!" Valois shook his head, murmuring, "Mr. Necker wouldn''t..."

    Mara was prepared and pulled several papers out of his coat pocket, spreading them on the table, "This is the copy of the documents rted to that 5 million loan I took, take a look for yourself. If you still don''t believe it, I can take you to see the originals."

    Valois took the documents with two fingers, tilted his head to read for a while, then recoiled as if bitten by a snake, his voice subdued, "Why are you telling me all this?"

    "You were once the most formidable journalist in finance and trade, and you have many friends in the financial system. Perhaps you can provide me with some information about Necker."

    With tight lips, Valois pondered for a few seconds, then shook his head, "I''m sorry, I''m afraid I''m going to disappoint you. Those years, I only focused on the positive news about Necker, I don''t really have anything of value for you."

    "Anything will do."

    "Really, there''s nothing..."

    As Valois was speaking, he suddenly stopped and looked towards Mara, "Wait a minute, there''s someone who might have what you''re looking for!"

    "Who?"

    "Carolina, the former Finance Minister," Valois said, "He had a significant conflict with Necker. It''s said his dismissal even involved Necker.

    "He once publicly remarked in response to Necker''s attack on his tax policy, ''Don''t think I don''t know what you''ve been up to.'' You know, often your enemy is the one who understands you best."

    "Carolina." Mara nodded thoughtfully, "Where is he now?"

    "Have you forgotten? He was exiled to Lorraine,"

    "Thank you so much!" M said, patting the middle-aged journalist heartily before picking up his hat and turning to leave the room.

    ...

    In the office of the Royal Armory located southeast of the Pce of Versailles, where Joseph had just finished a "production management" ss, he rubbed his temples wearily and looked at the several documents in front of him.

    The middle-aged man with the pointed chin next to him pointed at the papers and said, "Your Highness, this is the routine work report. This is the special investigation report concerning Fashion Week. This is the special investigation report from the Police Affairs Department. And this is Mr. M''s application for additional personnel¡­"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph flipped through and signed the documents one by one, saying casually, "Thank you for your report, Mr. Kross. Oh, by the way, why didn''t Mr. Me today?"

    It was usually M who did this job of submitting documents; it had never been anyone else, as the Jacobins that cameter all had a certain disdain for the Royal Family.

    Kross said, "Mr. M had urgent matters and left for Lorrainest night."

    "Lorraine?" Joseph put down his pen, "Did he say what the matter was?"

    "It seems to be rted to the official he is currently investigating."

    Necker? Joseph frowned; this was a significant development, yet M hadn''t mentioned a word to him.

    "How many people did he take with him?"

    "As you know, Your Highness, the Justice Investigation Department is short-handed, so it''s only him and Mr. Evans,"

    Joseph felt something was amiss¡ªM was underestimating the ruthlessness of those capitalists. Perhaps it was because Necker had always managed to disguise himself too well, making people subconsciously think he was a gentle and genteel good man, thus lowering their guard.

    He quickly turned to Count Eman, who was standing nearby, and said, "Count Eman, please immediately notify Fouche to have someone locate Mr. M and protect him."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    ...

    United States, Phdelphia.

    On the west bank of the Dware River.

    As Thomas Jefferson watched the French envoy limp down from the carriage outside Benjamin Franklin''s mansion, he couldn''t help frowning slightly. That the French sent such an obscure and somewhat disabled envoy seemed a slight to the United States.

    However, as the diplomat of a small country, he knew well what he must do. He immediately suppressed the displeasure in his heart, greeted the envoy with a smile, and bowed, "Wee to Phdelphia, your reverence, Archbishop Talleyrand."

    Having served as ambassador to France for a considerable time, he spoke French very fluently.

    The elderly man in the wheelchair beside him appeared to be too old, barely managing to lift his hand and wave, "Envoy, wee. When I was in Paris..."

    <img data-y-imgId="10115883" data-y-path="/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10115883/4eca55d9b8c96cf73784261f5f34826drX8H2X5yf25nD05.jpg">

    Talleyrand merely nodded at Jefferson, then turned to the old man in the wheelchair with a smile:

    "You look in good spirits, Mr. Franklin, may the Lord bless you. Oh, I often heard about you in Paris. You were a notable figure at that time; a good friend of mine even keeps your portrait in their home."

    He was well aware that this octogenarian was the person who could currently wield the most influence on American policy¡ªif it weren''t for his tireless effortsst year, the American Constitutional Convention might not have even proceeded smoothly.

    Before long, inside the brick-red three-story mansion on the east side of Franklin Manor, Jefferson looked towards Talleyrand with a surge of tion, "Are you saying that the French Government intends to eliminate the Barbary pirates?"

    Talleyrand straightened his back, exuding great confidence: "Indeed, His Majesty the King deeply sympathizes with the plight of America in the Mediterranean. To lessen the carnage suffered by your merchant ships, he has decided topletely eradicate those evildoers, despite opposition from several Cab Ministers!"

 Chapter 184: Chapter 164: The Great Bluffer vs The Old Fox

    "This is fantastic! Those damned pirates are finally going to be..."

    Jefferson, who was in charge of the United States''s foreign affairs, had barely begun to express his excitement when he was interrupted by Franklin''s feeble chuckle, "Heh heh, Mr. Envoy, I presume there''s something you''ve omitted to mention? Surely the French Navy wouldn''t mobilize to such an extent just for our modest few merchant ships."

    Franklin was indeed an old fox¡ªduring the American War of Independence, he had darted between Ennd and France, using the threat of France to pressure Ennd and the lure of Ennd to entice France.

    Especially since he had conned Louis XVI into granting tens of millions of livres in loans, as well as a great quantity of military supplies and tens of thousands of French soldiers, which sustained the independence movement of the thirteen United States.

    He was not so easily fooled as the young Jefferson.

    Talleyrand nodded with a smile,

    "Of course, His Majesty, too, is motivated by free trade in the Mediterranean, seeking to benefit all coastal nations. However, for the United States, which has scarce naval power, this is an urgent necessity."

    Franklin nced at Jefferson, who quicklyughed and said,

    "Of course! Mr. Envoy, I am deeply grateful for this!"

    "Ah, his majesty is always so benevolent, and constantly concerned for friends as distant as those in America." Talleyrand then proceeded to describe how opulently the French Royal Navy would wipe out the Barbary pirates.

    "You know, the heart of world civilization still lies in the European continent. For the United States to survive and thrive, mere reliance on the deste and lonely Americas is certainly insufficient. Oh, please forgive my frankness, but it is indeed a fact.

    "Just imagine, without pirate disruptions, how many merchant ships the United States would save each year, not to mention the tributes and ransoms paid to the pirates.

    "And in the long run, the growth in trade volume with Mediterranean coastal nations will bring even more prosperity to the United States."

    Franklin merely nodded nomittally, for he knew the cripple had yet to get to the crux of the matter.

    As expected, Talleyrand sighed before speaking,

    "The naval department has already put forward a n to exterminate the pirates; there''s just a minor issue left."

    Jefferson asked subconsciously, "What issue?"

    "As you are aware, our government''s fiscal situation isn''t exactly rosy, and suchrge-scale military mobilization inevitably requires substantial funding. Therefore, as a benefactor of this anti-pirate campaign, perhaps the United States could undertake some of the expenses."

    Finally, Franklin opened up,

    "It makes sense what you say, so concerning the expenses, how much do you reckon the United States would need to contribute?"

    Talleyrand replied with a beaming smile,

    "The United States loses up to three or four hundred thousand US Dors annually due to Barbary pirates. And now, by providing only two hundred thousand US Dors in funds to the Royal Navy, you could rid yourselves of this nuisance."

    Two hundred thousand US Dors is one million livres.

    Talleyrand, who had spent years among the elite of Versailles, was well-versed in the art of deal-making, always leaving room for negotiation from the outset.

    "That much?" Franklin frowned in contemtion, "You might not be aware that the current ie of the various states isn''t too great, and we have just experienced Shays'' Rebellionst year; it may be difficult toe up with such a significant sum."

    As he spoke, he gave Jefferson a knowing look.

    "Oh, indeed, state congresses are unlikely to approve such arge amount of money," Jefferson quickly agreed, "If it were about fifty or sixty thousand US Dors a year, I think they would seriously consider it."

    Talleyrand thought scornfully to himself: These North American bumpkins are really poor and stingy, and always calcting.

    He continued with a smile and a shake of his head,

    "Oh, you might be misunderstanding; this is not a long-term expenditure. The operation will conclude within a few years. Afterwards, you won''t need to pay any more funds. Find adventures on mvl

    "We''re not only targeting the pirate ships on the sea this time¡ªyes, we have done this for hundreds of years, yet the pirates still rage on. So this time, we are to solve the problem at its root¡ªwe''ll dispatch troops topletely eliminate the pirates''nd bases!"

    ```

    He made a gesture of opening his arms with his palms facing up and closed his eyes, as if he was greatly enjoying himself:

    "From now on, the Barbary pirates will be history, and the Mediterranean will turn into a paradise for maritime trade."

    Franklin''s cloudy old eyes suddenly brightened:

    "Are you saying that the French army willnd in North Africa?"

    "That''s not quite urate," Talleyrand immediately corrected. "We will only operate near the strongholds of the Barbary pirates. We even hope that the North African countries will participate in eradicating the pirates."

    Franklin had not expected the French Government to undertake such a significant action and was already somewhat moved. If the Barbary pirates could indeed bepletely wiped out within a few years, the United States would be able to reduce a great deal of loss.

    Compared to that, paying a fee of 200,000 US dors a few times was also eptable.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    However, the old fox still put on a troubled expression:

    "God bear witness, we are more than willing to support His Majesty the French King''s action and bear some of the expenses, but 200,000 dors a year is indeed too much."

    Talleyrand smiled amiably and said:

    "Mr. Franklin, let me be frank with you, His Majesty has given me a discretionary range of 20,000 dors. Honestly, I think every day about returning to Paris as soon as possible, so I won''t waste your time. 180,000 dors a year, and you get eternal peace on your shipping routes, and I get the bustling Paris."

    "Ah, just a little less, please! You know, the United States has only just gained independence, and after going through war..."

    "You are making things very difficult for me. You should know that French soldiers are fighting the pirates with their blood and lives for your sake!"

    Afterward, both sides haggled over the "price" for a while, and finally, Franklin reluctantly agreed to submit a fee of 175,000 dors a year to the Federal Congress.

    175,000 dors is approximately 875,000 livres. This was already substantially higher than the 600,000 livres base price Joseph had given Talleyrand but still far less than the amount of loss Americans suffered due to Barbary pirates.

    Having settled the main issue, Talleyrand smiled and said:

    "Actually, I have another sincere suggestion."

    "I look forward to the envoy''s advice."

    "The United States needs to equip two warships, oh, small escort ships will suffice, to fight pirates alongside the Royal Navy."

    Franklin''s first instinct was to shake his head¡ªthe United States, in an effort to save on military expenses, had only disbanded its navy a few years ago and was really not keen on maintaining warships.

    Talleyrand immediately enticed him by saying:

    "You must understand, even if the Barbary pirates are eradicated, there will still be some small-time pirates, like flies, that asionally stem from decay. You could use this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Mediterranean environment and eventually escort your own merchant ships.

    "Two escort ships don''t require too much money. In the future, you could also escort for small countries like Denmark and Tuscany and charge a fee, perhaps even make some money."

    "Your suggestion is very sensible," Franklin nodded, "Well, Mr. Envoy, I will also present your suggestion to Congress. As for the final decision, it will depend on Congress''s vote."

    "Oh, of course," said Talleyrand, "I remember the Royal Navy has just put several escort ships into service recently; if necessary, I can help you with that. The price will certainly be much cheaper than building new ones."

    "Thank you for your kindness."

    [Note 1] Shays'' Rebellion: After the American Revolutionary War, most of the Continental Army was dismissed, but there was no money to pay the pensions to the retired American soldiers. Meanwhile, the government implemented and sale policy biased towardsrge capital and levied extremely high tax rates, resulting in dire living conditions for many veterans.

    In the fall of 1786, Shays, a former captain, together with Luke Day, led retired soldiers of the American Army to rebel in Concord, at one point rallying up to 15,000 people.

    In early 1787, the American Congress pretended to negotiate but mobilized arge force to surround Shays, eventually suppressing the rebel army.

    ```

 Chapter 185: Chapter 165 Mala Will Die

    Jefferson was quite efficient at his work.

    Early the next day, the proposal to join forces with France to eradicate the Barbary pirates had already been submitted by him to the United States Federal Congress.

    There was also mention of purchasing two escort ships tacked on at the end, but it was mentioned briefly, as if he did not intend for Congress to pass that part of the proposal.

    Two dayster, at the French Embassy in the United States.

    The ambassador to the United States, Victor Dupont¡ªthe eldest son of the president of the French Chamber of Commerce¡ªhurried into an office on the second floor of the embassy and, with a tip of his hat, greeted the special envoy reading by the window:

    "Archbishop Talleyrand, I''ve just heard from the United States Congress...

    He took a couple of sips from a cup of water brought by a servant and continued, "The majority of the American congress members are in favor of contributing money to fight the pirates, but they want to reduce the amount to 150,000 US dors. As for purchasing warships, they seem tock enthusiasm. The final vote might have to wait until next week."

    "Thank you for the update, Mr. Dupont."

    Talleyrand closed his book indifferently, thinking to himself: Just as the Crown Prince predicted, getting these poor and miserly Americans to pay up wouldn''t be easy. It seems necessary to approach that member of the "American founding faction"¡ªwhat''s his name again?

    He took out his notebook from his pocket, where the Crown Prince''s instructions were detailedly noted down.

    "Hamilton." He found the name, looked up at Dupont, and asked, "Would you be so kind as to arrange a meeting with Mr. Alexander Hamilton for me?"

    "Of course, Archbishop Talleyrand."

    That very afternoon, in a private vi in Phdelphia, Talleyrand was able to meet with the "founding faction" leader Hamilton, as the Crown Prince had referred to him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Yes, the United States had gained independence in 1783, and five years had passed, yet the United States still had not truly formed a nation. The so-called Federal Congress was merely a symbolic leadership body, with specific affairs decided separately by the assemblies of the thirteen states, essentially in a state of anarchy.

    And the congressmen from the thirteen states were divided into two factions¡ªthe nationalists and the status quo faction. Although the United States had drafted a Constitution the previous year, setting a general direction for nation-building, thetter was still fiercely obstructing this process.

    After some perfunctory small talk, Talleyrand suddenly sighed and said earnestly, "Mr. Hamilton, to be honest, I truly feel sorry for the United States."

    "Oh? Why would you say that?"

    "The people of the thirteen states have paid a tremendous price to win this great independence, yet to this day the United States is still fragmented, without even a central government to lead the nation."

    <img data-y-imgId="10115891" data-y-path="/imgChapter/8941652603683501/27700189502535504/10115891/8e979cd34df7384e20490a90d13d39a10GrQJim19x291G4.jpg">

    Hamilton was stunned momentarily, then nodded in deep agreement. "You are absolutely right!"

    "Those congressmen only consider their immediate interests, yet they nder those who wish to establish a united America as seeking ''centralization'' and ''dictatorship''! Look at the Federal Congress now¡ªit doesn''t even have the power to collect a bit of tax."

    Talleyrand agreed, "The loose and weak thirteen states have no deterrent force, and that''s why even Mediterranean pirates dare to bully you."

    "At this rate, it won''t be long before the Native Americans, Canadians, or Caribbean pirates will turn their sights on you."

    Hamilton clenched his fist tightly. "And those people in the Federal Congress keep preaching about the ''perils of centralization''... I think they''re just scared of their power in the state legitures being diminished."

    "If it weren''t for Shays'' Rebellion that frightened them, the United States would still be under a confederate system now!"

    "Look at the world; all strong nations have a strong government. Even better is to have a strong leader, simr to..."

    The words "His Majesty the King of France" were on the tip of his tongue, but it was indeed hard for him to spit out such a clumsy lie, so after a brief pause, he changed tack:

    "Just like Ennd, France, and Austria. If we had a king right now in the United States, it wouldn''t be long before we could escape our current impoverished and backward state!"

    Talleyrand spread his hands, "Regrettably, the United States Federal Congress needs to strengthen its appeal to potentially give rise to your government."

    He looked at Hamilton, who had an indignant expression on his face, and a hint of amusement shed in his eyes; "Unity onlyes internally when facing a powerful enemy." Find your next adventure on §Þ??

    "Speaking of which, there is currently an opportunity that could enhance the prestige of the Federal Congress, but sadly, your congress members don''t care about it at all."

    "Oh? What is it?"

    "Buying warships to join the French Navy in fighting the Barbary pirates!"

    Seeing Hamilton''s puzzled look, Talleyrand immediately continued, "The warships to be purchased would belong to the Federal Congress."

    "Imagine for a moment, after the pirates are eradicated, whether the headlines in the American newspapers would read ''The French helped us deal with the pirates'' or ''Our warships went to the Mediterranean to exterminate the pirates''. Which one would better lift the American people''s confidence in the Federal Congress?"

    Hamilton''s eyes lit up upon hearing this. Exactly! A victorious battle abroad is undoubtedly the best means to strengthen national cohesion, even if the opponents are just pirates.

    And those foolish and shortsighted congressmen were even thinking about rejecting the proposal to buy the warships these past few days!

    No! The warships must be bought; this is a prime opportunity to prompt the establishment of the United States government, and it would be best to buy several so that American warships can sink a pirate ship.

    Thinking about buying the ships, his heart suddenly sank, "Archbishop Talleyrand, to be frank with you, I fear the Federal Congress might really be unable to allocate tens of thousands of dors for two escort ships."

    When merchant ships were hijacked by pirates, the states would pool money to ransom the crew, yet they were unwilling to contribute an extra cent to the Federal Congress in peacetime.

 Chapter 186: Chapter 165 Mala Will Die_2

    "This..." Archbishop Talleyrand pretended to ponder for a moment, "perhaps I could find a way to help you."

    "Oh? Are you saying you could provide a loan?"

    "That''s not what I mean." Talleyrand leaned back in his chair, "I can try to persuade the French Government to ept your cotton in exchange for warships.

    "However, as you know, if the funding to fight the pirates is not handled well, I might not find it too easy to speak on your behalf."

    Upon hearing that warships could be obtained without spending money, Hamilton immediately responded without hesitation, "Please rest assured, I will contact all the ''Federalists'' to ensure the bill is passed as soon as possible."

    "That would be best."

    As Talleyrand spoke, he put on a mysterious expression: "If I could secure a lower cotton import tariff for the United States, would you be interested?"

    "Of course!" Hamilton nodded immediately. Cotton was a significant export for the United States, and increasing exports to France would bring substantial profits.

    Talleyrand smiled: "However, this matter is not so simple, you see, I have quite a few personal connections to manage..."

    "We wouldn''t want to trouble you, how much ''expense'' would you need?"

    "Hmm, about 4000 US Dors," Talleyrand said with a radiant smile.

    In fact, whether it was paying for ships with cotton or increasing American cotton imports, it was part of Joseph''s established policy¡ªto promote the development of the textile industry, a sufficient supply of raw materials was essential. Yet, now it had be a card in Talleyrand''s hand.

    Hamilton agreed without any reservations: "As you have suggested, Archbishop Talleyrand. I will immediately apply for special funding."

    With Hamilton, and the ''Federalists,'' or as Joseph called them, the ''Founders'', actively lobbying, all the bills regarding fighting pirates were passed three dayster.

    Even with the insistence of Hamilton and others, the Federal Congress eventually decided to exchange cotton for three escort ships.

    After Talleyrand signed a series of agreements with Jefferson and received his 4000 dor fee, he was content to board the ship bound for Russia.

    In the ship''s hold, there were also 15000 Charleville 1763 flintlock guns.

    The Americans had quickly provided the guns. After all, following their independence, they had disbanded tens of thousands of militiamen, and arge number of firearmsy unused in warehouses, so using them to return a favor to the French was no issue.

    The Lorraine Province of France.

    Toul City.

    "Ha, this is what they call exile?"

    M looked disdainfully at the vast estate and the small castle-like cream-colored vi, scoffing, "If only all the poor in France could be ''exiled'' like this."

    He had always disliked dealing with bureaucrats, but for the sake of the French people, he resolutely went forward and rang the bronze bell at the gate of the fence.

    Soon, from inside the cream-colored vi, a well-groomed nobleman in his fifties smiled at M and said, "It''s cold. Would you like some hot cocoa to warm up?"

    "Oh, I''ve been away from Paris for too long, I haven''t even heard of the Justice Investigation Department, please forgive me."

    "May I know the reason for your visit all the way here?"

    M nced at the cup in front of him but did not touch it, preferring the pure bitterness of coffee that could jolt the brain, over the sticky sweetness of cocoa.

    "Viscount Carolina, could you tell me some clues about Mr. Jacques Necker''s embezzlement?"

    Carolina was visibly taken aback, then buried his head in enjoying his hot cocoa, calmly said, "I''m not quite sure what you mean, but Mr. Necker should be an upright man ..."

    "You need not hide it." M pulled out a stack of papers and ced them beside the teacup tray, "These are copies of documents from his time as director.

    "Many loans here are unusual. Specifically, the first loan he took out after taking office had a clearly excessive interest rate, and the bank that granted it had a special connection with him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Then there''s this and this..."

    Carolina nced at the documents and shook his head, "I''ve been away from politics for too long, I don''t quite understand these things anymore.

    "If you think there''s a problem here, then continue your investigation, whye to tell me?"

    As he spoke, he looked towards the door at the servant with a strong face and some Germanic features, "Fred, is there something?"

    "Oh, Mr. Marvin asked me to ask you, what shall we prepare for dinner?"

    Carolina waved his hand, "Just the usual."

    "Yes, my lord."

    Once the servant had closed the door and left, M turned to Carolina again, "Although I suspect there are signs of embezzlement in these loans, it is very difficult to find evidence. You know, after all, these are things that happened over a decade ago. Like this loan of five million livres, although the interest is high, he can find plenty of excuses to make it seem reasonable."

    "If you knew something and told me, I could send this embezzler to prison immediately!"

    "You?" Carolina looked him over again with a faint smile, "Ah, I recall now, you are that famous journalist who often criticizes the government''s policies."

    "Yes, indeed."

    "Then you should know about Mr. Necker''s character. Besides, I truly know nothing."

    Evans, M''s assistant, got a bit anxious and loudly said, "I know you don''t get along with Necker, so why not help us bring him to justice?"

    Carolina shook his head calmly, "You must have heard some rumors. In fact, my rtionship with Mr. Necker is harmonious."

    Half an hourter, having obtained no useful information, M grabbed his hat, ready to rise and take his leave.

    Carolina gestured toward the cocoa on the table, "Gentlemen, this is excellent cocoa beans, don''t waste it."

    M picked up the cup and drank it down in a huff, only to find the taste different from what he had imagined ¡ª rich and sweet, obviously with a lot of sugar added.

    He normally couldn''t afford such a sweetened drink.

    "Thank you for your hospitality." He nodded, and with his assistant, left Carolina''s vi.

    On the country road outside, Evans looked back at the off-white building, disheartened, "It seems we''vee in vain."

    M frowned and shook his head, "Valois'' intel shouldn''t be wrong. But why won''t Carolina tell us anything?"

    "These shameless bureaucrats are all in cahoots. He must have taken Necker''s bribe and is trying to cover for him!"

    "But Valois said their feud was deep... maybe, Carolina just doesn''t trust us. We''lle back tomorrow." Experience more content on §Þ??

    ...

    Twilight.

    Next to the orchard of the Carolina Family Estate, Fred, the servant who looked like a German, stood next to a cart of coal and spoke in a low voice, "That person also took out Mr. Necker''s loan documents from back then, saying they had issues. Apparently, there was one loan of five million livres, with a very high interest rate."

    "M?" The "coal shipper" on the cart mused, "That name sounds familiar, isn''t he someone from the newly established Justice Investigation Department?"

    Lorraine Province of France is rich in coal, and people use it for heating. But coal mines struggle to transport coal to various locations, giving rise to the profession of coal shippers, who can be seen everywhere.

    Fred immediately nodded, "Yes, Carolina also mentioned that department."

    The "coal shipper" narrowed his eyes, "Did they trace something back to Mr. Necker? What did Carolina tell them?"

    "I was sent away, I didn''t hear what they said afterward. But they talked for over half an hour."

    The "coal shipper" suddenly showed a cold gleam in his eyes, "Which means those two may well know something..."

    "Where are they now?"

    "Ferlick followed them to Old Vances''s inn."

    The "coal shipper" waved his hand, "Alright, you go back."

    "Yes, Mr. Erice."

    When Erice returned to a dpidated dwelling in the Toul Urban District with the coal cart, he spoke sternly to the two burly men dozing off in bed, "Get up, we have work to do."

    The two men, who had been sleeping like logs, suddenly sprang up, nimbly put on their boots, and pulled out daggers, pistols, and other items from the gap beside the bed, stuffing them into their clothes in a sh.

    [Note 1] A confederation and a federation are different. A confederation is a formal union of states, with each state retaining its sovereignty and independence. A federation, on the other hand, shares political power with states and has a higher status than states, allowing for the unified allocation of resources among the thirteen states.

 Chapter 187: Chapter 166: The Encounter with Fate

    An old coal transport horse cart stopped in front of an old inn on the eastern outskirts of Toul City.

    Erice held the horse''s reins, turned, and knocked on the carriage, whispering through the small window, "We''re here. Check your ''tools.''

    After getting off the cart, Erice spent 2 sovs to enquire about Mara''s room number from the inn employee. He then turned to instruct his two subordinates:

    "Room number 32 on the first floor. Teemo will draw their attention at the doorter. Ehrendorf and I will enter through the window. Try not to make a bigmotion. There''s no need for me to say more, right?"

    The two strong men nodded silently, one of them turning to leave.

    In room 32, Mara was organizing clues rted to Necker when he heard a knock at the door: "Sir, your beer has arrived."

    "You''ve got the wrong room, we didn''t order any drinks."

    The knocking persisted: "But the payment has already been made..."

    Assistant Evans rose in confusion, wanting to open the door, when Mara suddenly blocked him, frowning towards the window.

    The next moment, with the sound of shattering ss, a hand reached through the broken pane to fiddle with thetch.

    Mara''s pupils shrank, but his mind was exceedingly calm¡ªhaving worked against the Royal Family in journalism for many years, he was ustomed to high-stress situations¡ªhe immediately blew out the candle, grabbed a luggage bag next to him containing a loaded pistol.

    Evans, however, backed away in panic. Suddenly recalling the "inn employee" standing outside, he sought thetter''s help¡ªEvans was just a novice who had started working a few years ago and could not anticipate the brutality of the assassin. Thus, he turned around, shouting as he opened the door: "Someone is trying to break in..."

    Mara inwardly cursed "not good," but before he could stop him, Evans was already lying on the floor, a de protruding from his chest.

    In the blink of an eye, with the dim light from the hallway, Mara lifted the luggage bag, aiming at the figure in the doorway, and forcefully squeezed the trigger.

    "Bang!" A loud noise rang out, and the silhouette at the door toppled backward. Mara hurriedly dropped the luggage bag and rushed outside.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Meanwhile, the window behind him was pushed open. The first person to jump in saw Mara''s retreating back and immediately threw a dagger at him without hesitation.

    Just as Mara turned his head to see the exit at the end of the corridor, he felt a numbness in his left hip. Reaching down, he discovered a dagger nted there.

    He had medical training and knew he shouldn''t remove the dagger. He pressed firmly on both sides of the de and limped towards the exit.

    It waste, and in the inn''s lobby, only the drunken innkeeper dozed off on the counter. Seeing two shadows chasing from behind, Mara turned and fled outside the inn.

    In a small town like Toul, the streets were deserted at night. Mara ran towards the town center in pain, but the faster he moved, the more blood poured from his wound.

    The footsteps behind him, however, meant he dared not slow down or call for help¡ªshouting would only give the assassin his location and serve no other purpose.

    Soon, he felt dizzy and the world began to brighten before his eyes.

    Just when he felt despair, he saw a silhouette in front of a small house''s window, apparently watching him.

    He waved towards it vigorously and suddenly his left leg gave way, and he copsed to the ground.

    The person from the house quickly ran out, a woman in her twenties. She helped Mara up, but before she could ask, he weakly said, "Quick! Hide me, someone is trying to kill me..."

    The woman was somewhat flustered, but upon hearing Mara im he was a policeman from Paris, she mustered her courage and dragged him behind the fence outside the house.

    She had just closed the fence gate when two men carrying pistols arrived.

    The taller and more robust man looked around, about to continue the pursuit along the road, but was stopped by the shorter one.

    Thetter crouched down, running his hands over the ground, and soon touched something sticky.

    He smelled the substance on his fingers and looked around alertly, saying in a low voice, "It''s blood. He''s nearby."

    The taller man nodded, searching through the roadside trees one by one, his gaze quickly settling on the small house.

    Mara heard the sound of boots getting closer, his heart pounding so hard he dared not even breathe heavily.

    Suddenly, footsteps stopped just outside the fence. Mara was quietly relieved when abruptly, two hands appeared atop the fence, followed by a figure leaping onto the top, coldly surveying the prey huddled in the corner.

    "Good evening, ''Mister Nosy''! Now where will you run?"

    "Run!" Mara shouted in despair, forcefully pushing away the woman who had helped him, then closed his eyes, awaiting death.

    Find your next adventure on §Þ??

    Then the sound of a "bang" from a gunshot.

    Mara jerked, expecting pain, but felt nothing.

    "Had the assassin missed?"

    He shakily opened his eyes a crack, only to see the ck figure on the fence topple straight down.

    Then, seven or eight figures rushed in through the entrance of the fence. Someone, using the light from a torch, saw Mara and immediately shouted, "Here he is, it''s Mr. Mara!"

    Prosper from the Police Affairs Department hurried over, crouching down and saying, "Crown Prince anticipated you might be in danger, so he had us follow. We had just arrived near the inn when we heard gunshots, thankfully... Are you hurt? Quick, we need to find a doctor!"

    ...

    Paris.

    Second floor office of the Industrial nning Bureau.

    Fouche ced a report in front of Joseph, saying gravely, "Your Highness, the night Mr. Mara arrived in Toul, he faced an assassination attempt. His assistant Mr. Evans was killed instantly. Mr. Mara was fortunate to receive the aid of ady named Charlotte Corday, which allowed him to escape.

    However, he sustained some injuries on his leg."

 Chapter 188: Chapter 166: The Encounter with Fate_2

    Joseph furrowed his brows as he flipped through the pages, "He had gone to see Carolina, asked about Necker, and then someone wanted to kill him. Has the assassin been caught?"

    "Two of the assassins are dead, and one escaped under the cover of night," Fouche said. "ording to Prosper''s investigation, those two were gang members from Toul."

    He hesitated slightly, "Your Highness, could it be that Carolina wanted to stop Mr. Mara''s investigation into Necker and had someone assassinate him?"

    Joseph shook his head, lifting Mara''s report, "Mr. Mara is very certain that Carolina has a feud with Necker, and he would not do such a thing to protect him."

    "Besides, Carolina is a very shrewd man. Even if he wanted to assassinate someone, he wouldn''t do it on the very night after seeing them."

    Carolina had managed to be the Finance Minister while also serving as Chief Minister, definitely not a man of mediocrity. In fact, the tax reform bill in France was his creation, withter Finance Minister Brian merely copying his tax reform n. However, Carolina was eventually overthrown by the Great Noble Group, the tax reform failed, and he was exiled.

    Immediately, Fouche said, "Then, perhaps it was Necker''s men who were behind this?"

    Joseph nodded slightly, "It''s a possibility. If so, it further proves that Mr. Mara is on the right track."

    He then looked back at the report, "Still, if they had a feud, why wouldn''t Carolina divulge the evidence of Necker''s crimes to Mr. Mara?"

    Mara clearly wrote in his report that he had reliable information which suggested Carolina might possess damning evidence against Necker.

    Fouche said, "Your Highness, maybe Carolina simply doesn''t trust Mr. Mara..."

    Joseph tapped the table with his finger, slightly shaking his head, "Something about this doesn''t add up."

    "Even without Mr. Mara, if Carolina had a feud with Necker and he had evidence of Necker''s crimes, why didn''t he expose him directly? For instance, by reporting to His Majesty the King."

    Lowering his head in thought, Fouche said, "If the two are not colluding, then it''s possible that Viscount Carolina is under threat. Just like what Mr. Mara encountered."

    Joseph did not agree with him, Carolina had once been the Chief Minister, and even after being exiled, he still was a powerful noble with the resources to hire dozens of bodyguards easily.

    Moreover, he was a staunch Royalist, highly trusted by Queen Mary. With his political influence, Necker would not dare to harm him lightly.

    Joseph pondered, then slowly said, "There might be other possibilities aside from Carolina being threatened.

    "For example, he could be holding out for a better offer. He thinks the information he has on Necker is very valuable and is waiting for someone who needs it to pay a high price before he would reveal anything.

    "Or, it could be that Necker also has something on him. If he exposes Necker, he may be bitten back."

    Joseph looked out the window in some annoyance. It seemed that Carolina indeed possessed crucial evidence, but how could one get him to talk?

    Suddenly, he recalled the exhaustive method often used in proving theorems.

    If the reasons that restricted Carolina from revealing Necker''s incriminating evidence did not exceed the range of the spection just discussed, then he just had to resolve these issues, and Carolina would surelyply!

    First, hergely dismissed the possibility that Carolina was under threat to his life. If there were any, it would be the easiest to resolve, just provide him with a hundred pce guards to stay with him at all times, and what would he have to fear?

    Next, if Carolina was holding out for a better offer, then he would have toe up with a tempting enough price.

    Having served as Finance Minister, he was unlikely to be in dire need of money, and Joseph really didn''t want to use pure livres as a bargaining chip.

    For a person like Carolina, apart from money, it''s power.

    As Joseph thought this, he suddenly had a brilliant idea. Carolina had been exiled to Lorraine, effectively ending his political career. If Joseph could get him back to Paris, it would be like granting him a second life¡ªa political life.

    He believed that Carolina would certainly be unable to refuse such an offer.

    The issue was, Brienne only secured his position as Chief Minister after Carolina had left. If Carolina were brought back, he would definitely have objections.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    How to persuade him...

    Once Fouche had finished reporting the situation in Toul, he took his leave.

    Joseph then set out for the Pce of Versailles, prepared to speak with Brienne first.

    In the carriage, he continued pondering the situation that Necker also had dirt on Carolina.

    This was the most difficult issue to deal with.

    Only if Carolina faced a do-or-die situation, might he possibly give up Necker.

    However, one thing Joseph could be sure of was that, historically, Carolina was extremely loyal to the Royal Family.

    After Louis XVI was executed, he stood up to lead the Royalist Party in the grand endeavor of restoring the monarchy, almost bankrupting himself in the process.

    In the current need to consolidate royal authority, it was imperative to lend support to such a person.

    Joseph, flipping through the documents sent by Mara subconsciously, suddenly revealed a smile. Perhaps, the assassination attempt on Mara could be put to good use.

    An hour and a halfter, the carriage, gliding along the wooden track, stopped on the east side of the Pce of Versailles. Only a few hundred meters remained, and the wooden track would directly connect Versailles and Paris.

    It was already 5 p.m. as Joseph made his way directly to Archbishop Brienne''s residence.

    The Archbishop hurried out to greet him, smiling as he paid his respects, "Your Highness, if there''s anything you need, someone could have fetched me to you."

    Joseph exchanged pleasantries with him for a while before promptly getting to the matter at hand, "Archbishop Brienne, I have a very important matter that requires your assistance."

    "I am always at the ready to serve Your Highness."

    Joseph nodded, "What do you think if I need Viscount Carolina to return to Paris?"

    Archbishop Brienne was momentarily taken aback andughed dryly, "Your Highness, have I made a blunder somewhere?"

    "Oh, no, please don''t misunderstand, your work has always been excellent. The King and I absolutely trust you," Joseph rushed to say, "The return of Carolina is purely for ''business.'' I promise, it won''t threaten your position at all."

    "The ''business'' you speak of is?"

    Joseph deliberately lowered his voice, "For example, it could help you acquire revenues of tens or even hundreds of millions of livres." Your next chapter is on §Þ??

    Archbishop Brienne immediately widened his eyes, "Carolina is willing to contribute so much in political donations?!"

    "Ah, no... His return is just part of the approach," Joseph said, "The specifics, you will learn in time."

    Archbishop Brienne hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly, "Your Highness, I can ept it as long as Viscount Carolina doesn''t enter the Cab."

    He was probably the person in all of France who understood just how formidable the young Crown Prince''s energy was.

    His position as Finance Minister was maintained by the astounding measures taken by the Crown Prince; otherwise, he''d already be fishing in Corsica, an even grimmer fate than Carolina''s.

    If the Crown Prince insisted on Carolina''s return, he simply couldn''t resist. And the fact that the Crown Prince came to consult with him and promised it wouldn''t affect his status was an indication of a close rtionship.

    Now was the time to demonstrate his loyalty and trust. He still possessed that much political wisdom.

    Moreover, it would solve his most vexing financial problems. Why not?

    Joseph didn''t expect Archbishop Brienne to agree so readily, and he sincerely thanked him. He then promptly took him to see the Queen¡ªsince the matter of Carolina''s attempted assassination had been revealed, all involved would be rmed, so it was crucial to act quickly. Dy could lead to unforeseen changes, and they couldn''t wait for a slow discussion in a Cab meeting.

    In the Petit Trianon Pce, Queen Mary looked at Archbishop Brienne in astonishment, "You mean, pardon Viscount Carolina?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty," Archbishop Brienne said with a sincere expression, "Viscount Carolina was dismissed and exiled back in the day for failing to push the tax legition effectively."

    He leaned in a little, "As you know, this was actually about making a gesture towards the Assembly of Notables."

    "Now, since the tax legition has been executed for several months and the High Court has been reorganized, your majesty no longer needs to cater to those people from the Assembly of Notables."

    After all, Archbishop Brienne was an old hand in politics. He directly portrayed pardoning Carolina as a way for the Queen to reim the face she had lost back then.

 Chapter 189: Chapter 167: The Queen Imparts the Way to Be a Sovereign (Please Subscribe)

    Queen Mary hesitated for only half a second before she readily agreed, "You are quite right, Archbishop Brienne. It is time to grant Viscount Carolina absolution and let him return to Paris."

    She had always appreciated Carolina''s abilities and was even more satisfied with his loyalty to the Royal Family¡ªif it hadn''t been for the pressure from the Assembly of Notables, she would certainly not have exiled him.

    Now that even Brienne didn''t oppose granting Carolina absolution, she was naturally happy to go with the flow.

    Brienne subtly nodded to Joseph, then bowed to the queen and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

    "Oh, your broad-mindednessmands even more of my respect," Queen Mary smiled back at him, "In a way, Viscount Carolina is yourpetitor, yet you suggested I grant him absolution without hesitation, for the sake of the royal dignity."

    "Thank you for yourmendation. Serving the Royal Family loyally is my duty," he replied.

    Brienne suddenly felt he had made a profit; in just half an hour, he had earned favors from both the Crown Prince and the queen.

    The queen''s Clerk quickly drafted the letter of absolution following the established format. After the queen signed it, it was then taken to Louis XVI for his signature and seal.

    Seeing that matters had been sessfully concluded, Joseph and Brienne made their leave together.

    However, just as the two men reached the door, Queen Mary suddenly called out to her son, "Joseph, dear, wait a moment, I have something I want to tell you."

    Hearing this, Brienne bowed to the Crown Prince and left the Petit Trianon Pce alone.

    Joseph turned around in surprise and, with an innocent look on his face, asked, "Mother, what do you want to tell me?"

    The queen took him to a small balcony surrounded by a white marble balustrade and, squinting at the low-hanging sun, said with great earnestness, "Joseph, you are destined to be a king one day.

    "I always thought you were too young, so I never brought up certain matters. But now that you''ve shown remarkable talent and are increasingly involved in the management of the country, I must speak to you about how to be a good king."

    You¡­" Joseph''s eyes widened in disbelief, thinking, Are you actually going to teach me the ways of a king? Are you serious?

    Queen Mary nced at Brienne''s departing figure below, her tone unusually stern, "As a king, it is most important to have your own convictions. You may be close to some ministers, but you must not be swayed by their thoughts, and you certainly shouldn''t let them direct you all the time."

    Joseph: "???"

    Seeing his baffled look, the queen sighed and exined more clearly, "Since you''ve been involved in Cab affairs, you have always followed Brienne closely, aligning your opinions with his, even standing by his side supporting him every time hees to me with an important matter."

    Joseph, with a stunned expression: Dear Mother, you really observe keenly, but aren''t you getting the roles reversed¡­

    He nodded reluctantly, "Ah, indeed."

    The queen continued, "Although Archbishop Brienne is very capable and politically experienced, you only need to learn from him, not necessarily agree with him on everything."

    Joseph could only continue nodding, "Right, right, you are correct!"

    Queen Mary, seeing her son appear receptive to instruction, felt gratified and patiently borated further, "Ministers like Brienne, in front of them, you should show the dignity of a Crown Prince, for example¡­"

    Joseph was torn betweenughter and tears. Brienne almost always listens to him now; how could he possibly assert more authority?

    "Yes, yes, I will certainly remember," he replied.

    Queen Mary, as if inspired in her lecture about the ways of a king, talked until the sky hadpletely darkened, showing no sign of stopping.

    Joseph was eager to handle the matters concerning Carolina, but he saw that Queen Mary was still talking nonstop, and he couldn''t even get a word in.

    As he grew increasingly anxious, he suddenly noticed a lively and petite figure passing under the balcony in themplight.

    It was Clementine¡ªafter fashion week, Queen Mary had wanted her niece to spend more time with her and had kept her at the Pce of Versailles. And she was more than willing to stay.

    A lightbulb went off in Joseph''s head: he would use her to "stir the pot"! He turned his face to the side and started making desperate eye signals downstairs.

    Clementine felt a burning gaze upon her and looked around, catching a glimpse of her cousin''s handsome and charming eyes.

    "Crown Prince Your Highness!" she immediately beamed a smile, picked up her skirt, and hurried up to the second floor.

    With the little chatterbox buzzing around, Queen Mary had to pause her "King''s mandatory lessons" and greeted her niece with a smile.

    Joseph seized the moment to make his excuse and leave swiftly.

    The little girl who had been nestled in Queen Mary''s arms saw her cousin leave and immediately sprang up like a little bird, curtsied to the Queen, and said, "Your Majesty the Queen, I remembered something..."

    Queen Mary smiled knowingly and gestured with her eyes towards Joseph: "Go ahead, good luck!"

    Clementine''s face turned red, but she instantly turned and rushed off, only leaving behind a "Thank you, Auntie!"

    Joseph came out from the Petit Trianon Pce, contemting whom to send to make contact with Carolina¡ªM was injured, Fouche''s identity wasn''t suitable, and it seemed inappropriate for others to get involved.

    He also recalled Mirabeau mentioning that the Nancy Industrial Development Zone was already open, and his own Steam Engine factory had started production. He had wanted to visit but had never found the time.

    With Toul and Nancy not far from one another, he decided to meet Carolina in person and then take the opportunity to check out the industrial achievements in Nancy.

    As he pondered, he heard a "tap-tap" of little leather boots behind him, and when he turned around, he saw his cousin rushing towards him excitedly.

    "Cousin, what are you going to do?" the little girl asked with wide, watery eyes.

    "I..." Joseph said off the top of his head, "am going to Lorraine."

    Clementine blurted out without a second thought, "I want to go to Lorraine too! Take me with you!"

    "To y?" Joseph raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Lorraine is remote and barren¡ªnot much fun to be had there."

    "I want to see..." the little girl was clueless about Lorraine and sneakily nced at her maid, her eyes flitting.

    The maid was also Austrian and, after a moment of mental short-circuit, suddenly remembered hearing somewhere that there was a French dish from the northeast called "artichokes with veal" and blurted out the dish name softly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Clementine, whose French was not very good, and because the maid spoke so softly, only caught thest word "artichoke," and as if she had found a treasure, excitedly told her cousin, "To see coal![Note1]"

    The pronunciation of the two words was very close, so it was no wonder she got confused.

    Joseph''s eyes widened: "You... to see coal? Lorraine does have quite a few coal mines."

    The little girl realized she might have misspoken, but what was said could not be unsaid, so she reluctantly nodded, "Ah, yes! I particrly like coal mines... that expansive and profound feeling, bringing light and warmth to people... it moves me in ways I can''t exin."

    [Note1]: The French word for artichoke is chardon and coal is charbon, which sound remarkably simr...

 Chapter 190: Chapter 168: Shocking Case (Soliciting Monthly Passes)

    Joseph''s forehead creased with lines of vexation as he tried to exin, "You see, I have urgent matters to tend to in Lorraine, and I really can''t spare the time to take you to see the coal mines."

    Clementine shook his hand as she pleaded, pouting, "Please, take me with you¡ª"

    "But..."

    The little girl suddenly stepped back, pointing to her delicate, tender neck, and said with a grievance, "I listened to you and gave up ''Star''s Wish''. That was my absolute favorite ne! Don''t you think you shouldpensate me a little for that? Please¡ª"

    Joseph couldn''t help but let out a long sigh to the heavens.

    A few days ago, when he saw ''Star''s Wish'' around the young girl''s neck and asked about it out of curiosity, he found out that his frivolous mother had spent nearly 700,000 livres on it, adding to his cousin''s 560,000 livres for a ne that turned out to be a total scam.

    He immediately told the young girl that he had never worn the ne and advised her to return it posthaste.

    Clementine was quite savvy; realizing she had been duped, she found the jeweler and managed to return the ne by abination of wheedling and stubbornness, finallypensating the jeweler with 20,000 livres.

    In truth, the jeweler didn''t lose out¡ªthe tale of how two princesses vied for ''Star''s Wish'', eventually auctioning it off for over a million livres, was well known to all, granting the item fame and making it easy to sell at a high price in the future.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    In the end, Joseph could not withstand Clementine''s incessant coaxing and relented, agreeing to take her along to Lorraine, reasoning that it was a way to thank her for saving the Queen the huge sum of 700,000 livres.

    The following afternoon,

    Clementine looked back at the three carriages she had packed the night before¡ªwith all her cosmetics, clothes, kitchenware, toys, and cat food¡ªand, feeling reluctant, she asked the Crown Prince once more, "Cousin, are you sure I can''t bring them?"

    Joseph massaged his forehead, "You have to choose, either we bring the carriages, or I bring you."

    "Oh..." The young girl immediately signaled to her maid with a knowing nce, directing her to move about a dozen suitcases onto Joseph''s luggage cart.

    The caravan set off, heading in a northeast direction.

    Soon, Joseph realized that bringing Clementine along might have been a good decision after all.

    The young girl''s constant antics and yful banter dispelled the monotony and dullness of the journey. Despite her tender age, she was surprisingly familiar with the noble families of Europe, and she ended up teaching Joseph much about this topic. It seemed she had been studying these matters from a young age.

    Well, aside from the asional resentful nces cast from the carriage following behind, sending chills down Joseph''s spine, everything was quite pleasant.

    Those were looks of jealousy from Perna.

    She had hoped for a "touristic" outing with His Highness the Crown Prince like their previous trip to Bordeaux, and hade along as his personal physician. However, she hadn''t anticipated the presence of a young girl "stealing the business," preventing her from even sharing a carriage with the Crown Prince...

    Along the way, Joseph could already see signs of drought everywhere.

    Some streams had dried up, leaving many fields showing patches of withered yellow.

    Farmers were busy transporting water to their fields by cart, or carrying it by hand, to mitigate the effects of the drought.

    However, France''s primary approach to farming was still crude; relying on abundantnd and sparse poption, they practiced extensive cultivation with low yields, making the amount ofnd needing irrigation unbearable at times like these.

    Joseph was aware that the critical moment was drawing ever nearer.

    Fortunately, most of the grain reserves in various regions had beenpleted before the dry spell, andrge quantities of grain bought from overseas were transported to major cities via water routes.

    Especially in Paris, where two huge grain reserves had been established¡ªthe stockpiled grain in them alone was enough to feed the Parisians for four to five months.

    Joseph silently hoped in his heart: May we endure through that perilous moment next year, so that I may have the opportunity to rebuild the glorious France.

    Four dayster.

    Joseph''s convoy had stopped at Carolina''s estate. It wasn''t until the Crown Prince''s Guard dispersed to stand watch that Carolina realized a VIP had arrived, and he hurriedly led his rtives and servants out to greet them from that off-white vi.

    After the standard pleasantries, Joseph followed Carolina inside the house and immediately motioned, "I need to speak with you alone."

    "Please follow me."

    Carolina led him to a modest study, closed the door behind them, and then respectfully said, "Your Highness, please take a seat."

    "You may sit as well," Joseph forwent all formalities and got straight to the point, "I need information on Necker, the kind that could put him in prison.

    "You are a very trusted old servant of the royal family, and I hope you can trust me too."

    Carolina put on a troubled expression, "Crown Prince, you must have heard some rumors. I really don''t have..."

    Not wanting to watch him y dumb, Joseph interrupted him, "You can name your price. What will it take for you to give me what I want?"

    "This... You''ve got the wrong idea..."

    Seeing him still looking constipated, Joseph directly showed his hand, "What if I could help you return to Paris, would that earn your trust?"

    A look of surprise immediately sparkled in Carolina''s eyes; he had grown tired of Toul, this dreadful ce, and had thought he''d rot here for the rest of his life. Now, unexpectedly, hope had resurfaced.

    He nearly nodded reflexively, but before he could utter a word, he stiffened.

    "I... Your Highness, I indeed wish to return, but I don''t have the things you mentioned..."

    Joseph narrowed his eyes slightly. If such a considerable benefit did not tempt him, then there must be another possibility.

    Carolina had something to hide; that''s why he dared not expose Necker!

    Joseph''s voice cooled, "Viscount Carolina, you''ve heard about the murder of Mr. Evans from the Justice Investigation Department a few days ago, haven''t you?"

    "Yes, Your Highness, I have."

    "Hmm, Evans and M only visited here that day, asking the same question as I am, right?"

    Carolina shuddered, realizing that the Crown Prince''s visit right after that man''s death was no coincidence!

    He nodded, "Indeed, that was the case."

    "Hmm, which makes you the prime suspect in the murder case." Joseph looked at Carolina sidelong, his voice icy, "I''ll be frank with you, this is a serious matter. The Justice Investigation Department has mobilized its full force and will arrive two days after me tounch aprehensive investigation into you.

    "Oh, and the Secret Police. They will be involved in the investigation as well."

    Carolina was shocked, "Why would the Secret Police be involved?!"

    Joseph thought to himself, of course, it was because I tipped off Robel to put some pressure on you.

    "Because the deceased Evans was a very important investigator. The cases he handled involved significant ramifications, and he had some crucial clues in his hands. His death has nearly halted the investigation."

    Carolina wiped a bead of cold sweat silently. He instantly realized Evans must have been investigating Necker, so the Crown Prince''s description of the case as ''greatly involved'' was quite reasonable¡ªafter all, the matters concerning Necker certainly entangled many people.

 Chapter 189 - 167: The Queen Imparts the Way to Be a Sovereign (Please Subscribe)

    Queen Mary hesitated for only half a second before she readily agreed, "You are quite right, Archbishop Brienne. It is time to grant Viscount Carolina absolution and let him return to Paris."

    She had always appreciated Carolina''s abilities and was even more satisfied with his loyalty to the Royal Family¡ªif it hadn''t been for the pressure from the Assembly of Notables, she would certainly not have exiled him.

    Now that even Brienne didn''t oppose granting Carolina absolution, she was naturally happy to go with the flow.

    Brienne subtly nodded to Joseph, then bowed to the queen and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

    "Oh, your broad-mindednessmands even more of my respect," Queen Mary smiled back at him, "In a way, Viscount Carolina is yourpetitor, yet you suggested I grant him absolution without hesitation, for the sake of the royal dignity."

    "Thank you for yourmendation. Serving the Royal Family loyally is my duty," he replied.

    Brienne suddenly felt he had made a profit; in just half an hour, he had earned favors from both the Crown Prince and the queen.

    The queen''s Clerk quickly drafted the letter of absolution following the established format. After the queen signed it, it was then taken to Louis XVI for his signature and seal.

    Seeing that matters had been sessfully concluded, Joseph and Brienne made their leave together.

    However, just as the two men reached the door, Queen Mary suddenly called out to her son, "Joseph, dear, wait a moment, I have something I want to tell you."

    Hearing this, Brienne bowed to the Crown Prince and left the Petit Trianon Pce alone.

    Joseph turned around in surprise and, with an innocent look on his face, asked, "Mother, what do you want to tell me?"

    The queen took him to a small balcony surrounded by a white marble balustrade and, squinting at the low-hanging sun, said with great earnestness, "Joseph, you are destined to be a king one day.

    "I always thought you were too young, so I never brought up certain matters. But now that you''ve shown remarkable talent and are increasingly involved in the management of the country, I must speak to you about how to be a good king."

    You¡­" Joseph''s eyes widened in disbelief, thinking, Are you actually going to teach me the ways of a king? Are you serious?

    Queen Mary nced at Brienne''s departing figure below, her tone unusually stern, "As a king, it is most important to have your own convictions. You may be close to some ministers, but you must not be swayed by their thoughts, and you certainly shouldn''t let them direct you all the time."

    Joseph: "???"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Seeing his baffled look, the queen sighed and exined more clearly, "Since you''ve been involved in Cab affairs, you have always followed Brienne closely, aligning your opinions with his, even standing by his side supporting him every time hees to me with an important matter."

    Joseph, with a stunned expression: Dear Mother, you really observe keenly, but aren''t you getting the roles reversed¡­

    He nodded reluctantly, "Ah, indeed."

    The queen continued, "Although Archbishop Brienne is very capable and politically experienced, you only need to learn from him, not necessarily agree with him on everything."

    Joseph could only continue nodding, "Right, right, you are correct!"

    Queen Mary, seeing her son appear receptive to instruction, felt gratified and patiently borated further, "Ministers like Brienne, in front of them, you should show the dignity of a Crown Prince, for example¡­"

    Joseph was torn betweenughter and tears. Brienne almost always listens to him now; how could he possibly assert more authority?

    "Yes, yes, I will certainly remember," he replied.

    Queen Mary, as if inspired in her lecture about the ways of a king, talked until the sky hadpletely darkened, showing no sign of stopping.

    Joseph was eager to handle the matters concerning Carolina, but he saw that Queen Mary was still talking nonstop, and he couldn''t even get a word in.

    As he grew increasingly anxious, he suddenly noticed a lively and petite figure passing under the balcony in themplight.

    It was Clementine¡ªafter fashion week, Queen Mary had wanted her niece to spend more time with her and had kept her at the Pce of Versailles. And she was more than willing to stay.

    A lightbulb went off in Joseph''s head: he would use her to "stir the pot"! He turned his face to the side and started making desperate eye signals downstairs.

    Clementine felt a burning gaze upon her and looked around, catching a glimpse of her cousin''s handsome and charming eyes.

    "Crown Prince Your Highness!" she immediately beamed a smile, picked up her skirt, and hurried up to the second floor.

    With the little chatterbox buzzing around, Queen Mary had to pause her "King''s mandatory lessons" and greeted her niece with a smile.

    Joseph seized the moment to make his excuse and leave swiftly.

    The little girl who had been nestled in Queen Mary''s arms saw her cousin leave and immediately sprang up like a little bird, curtsied to the Queen, and said, "Your Majesty the Queen, I remembered something..."

    Queen Mary smiled knowingly and gestured with her eyes towards Joseph: "Go ahead, good luck!"

    Clementine''s face turned red, but she instantly turned and rushed off, only leaving behind a "Thank you, Auntie!"

    Joseph came out from the Petit Trianon Pce, contemting whom to send to make contact with Carolina¡ªM was injured, Fouche''s identity wasn''t suitable, and it seemed inappropriate for others to get involved.

    He also recalled Mirabeau mentioning that the Nancy Industrial Development Zone was already open, and his own Steam Engine factory had started production. He had wanted to visit but had never found the time.

    With Toul and Nancy not far from one another, he decided to meet Carolina in person and then take the opportunity to check out the industrial achievements in Nancy.

    As he pondered, he heard a "tap-tap" of little leather boots behind him, and when he turned around, he saw his cousin rushing towards him excitedly.

    "Cousin, what are you going to do?" the little girl asked with wide, watery eyes.

    "I..." Joseph said off the top of his head, "am going to Lorraine."

    Clementine blurted out without a second thought, "I want to go to Lorraine too! Take me with you!"

    "To y?" Joseph raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Lorraine is remote and barren¡ªnot much fun to be had there."

    "I want to see..." the little girl was clueless about Lorraine and sneakily nced at her maid, her eyes flitting.

    The maid was also Austrian and, after a moment of mental short-circuit, suddenly remembered hearing somewhere that there was a French dish from the northeast called "artichokes with veal" and blurted out the dish name softly.

    Clementine, whose French was not very good, and because the maid spoke so softly, only caught thest word "artichoke," and as if she had found a treasure, excitedly told her cousin, "To see coal![Note1]"

    The pronunciation of the two words was very close, so it was no wonder she got confused.

    Joseph''s eyes widened: "You... to see coal? Lorraine does have quite a few coal mines."

    The little girl realized she might have misspoken, but what was said could not be unsaid, so she reluctantly nodded, "Ah, yes! I particrly like coal mines... that expansive and profound feeling, bringing light and warmth to people... it moves me in ways I can''t exin."

    [Note1]: The French word for artichoke is chardon and coal is charbon, which sound remarkably simr...

 Chapter 191: Chapter 169 Settling Dust (Extra update for the boss-like helmsman)

    Joseph nced at Carolina''s expression, then added "fuel to the fire":N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "This time, the Justice Investigation Department and the Secret Police havebined forces, with over 60 people responsible for this case. They''re expected to conduct a thorough investigation of all individuals and matters rted to the case.

    Viscount Carolina, during this process, it''s hard to guarantee that they won''t dig up some matters that you''d prefer to keep secret."

    Carolina could no longer maintain hisposure and pleaded:

    "Your Highness, I swear to God, I have nothing to do with the death of that investigator!

    "You see, could you possibly spare me the disturbance of those people in my already miserable exiled life..."

    Joseph stared at him and said:

    Viscount Carolina, I do want to help you, but the prerequisite is that we build mutual trust.

    "As long as you are honest with me, I can assure you that, no matter what it is, I can keep you safe."

    Carolina, trembling, took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. He was convinced that the young Crown Prince in front of him must have been sent by Her Majesty the Queen, which meant he represented her will. And it was evident that the Queen had already gotten hold of many things about him.

    However, he also knew that his problems were too significant, and he wasn''t sure if the Queen would indeed forgive him after everything was out.

    Seeing his indecision, Joseph stood up, pretending to leave:

    "If you choose not to trust me, then you will have to face the Secret Police and investigators by yourself. I''m returning to Paris."

    Carolina panicked, rushed forward in a few steps, and grabbed his arm tightly, then realizing his impudence, quickly withdrew his hand, head hanging down and breathing rapidly:

    "I''m very sorry, Your Highness, truly sorry, I didn''t mean to offend...

    "That is, uh, can you really help me? I mean, if I''ve done something wrong, can you plead for Her Majesty the Queen''s forgiveness?"

    "That depends on your performance," Joseph said as he settled back into his chair, adopting a more amicable expression, "As I''ve said, the Royal Family has great trust and regard for you."

    As he spoke, he ced the pardon on the table:

    "You see, Her Majesty the Queen had already decided to pardon you when I left the Pce of Versailles."

    Carolina, surprised, picked up the pardon and opened it, his eyes immediately reddening with emotion, realizing that Her Majesty the Queen still had him in her thoughts; she had pardoned him so soon after the tax legition fiasco!

    He then remembered what the Crown Prince had just said, perhaps Her Majesty the Queen already knew of his deeds and had sent His Highness to give him an opportunity?

    Joseph timely added:

    "Viscount Carolina, ourmon enemy now is Necker. As for you, you have always been a loyal subject of His Majesty the King."

    Carolina looked cautiously at the Crown Prince and murmured:

    "Your Highness, if I tell you about Necker''s matters, what kind of punishment will I face afterward?"

    Joseph smiled, "Why not start by talking about your own affairs first."

    Carolina''splexion turned somewhat pale, but thinking that the Queen might already know, and even if she didn''t, the Secret Police would uncover issues upon investigating him, he finally clenched his teeth and said:

    "Your Highness, the truth is, when I... was serving as the Finance Minister... I made some money for myself..."

    Seeing Joseph nod calmly, he became even more convinced that his misdeeds had been exposed, and he began to speak more frankly:

    "Four years ago, I conspired with the Duke of Poitou on the project to expand the Languedoc Royal Canal..."

    He rambled on about the dirty deeds he had done, and Joseph, somewhat impatiently, interjected:

    "Viscount Carolina, just give me a number."

    "Ah?"

    "I mean, how much money have you made from all this?"

    "Well... roughly..." Viscount Carolina hesitated for a moment, lowered his head, and whispered, "Around 5 million livres."

    Wow¡ª

    What a piece of work! At this moment, all Joseph wanted to do was exim, what a piece of work!

    This guy served as Finance Minister for just over four years and made 5 million?!

    No wonder he''s scared like this¡ªwith some small provinces having a fiscal ie of about the same for a whole year. If this were taken to trial, even if he wasn''t executed, he would at least spend a lifetime in abor camp.

    Who would have thought that in trying to deal with Necker, he''d first snare such a big fish here.

    If Necker were on the same level as Carolina, just the two of them could subsidize France''s finances by over 10 million.

    This damn thing was even more profitable than organizing a fashion week! Joseph was irked to the point of itching teeth.

    He struggled to suppress the anger in his heart, as he still needed Carolina to perform meritorious service after confessing his crimes. So, he took a deep breath and spoke in as calm a tone as he could:

    "Since you''re being so honest, I, on behalf of the Royal Family, promise you that as long as you return the money you shouldn''t have taken, this incident will be as if it never happened.

    "Moreover, if you help me deal with Necker, you might even receive some rewards."

    "Really?" Carolina had thought the Crown Prince would at least discipline him, but to his surprise, the Prince was letting it slide. He became so excited he almost knelt down to kiss Joseph''s boots. "Thank you, Your Highness, thank you Her Majesty the Queen! You are indeed too kind! May God be with you both!"

    With his own affairs settled, he felt a sudden relief in his heart, and a sly smile shed across his face¡ªNecker, for all these years you have been against me, setting traps behind my back! Now I am going to send you to hell!

    He turned around, moved the table, and pressed a piece of the floor in the corner, which made a slight "click" sound.

    Then, he grabbed a chair and removed a stack of documents from a small hole that had appeared in the ceiling.

    "Your Highness, these are the evidence of Necker''s corruption and crimes that I discovered while I was Finance Minister," Carolina respectfully handed over the documents to Joseph. "He also knew some things about me at that time, so I dared not expose him. But now, I implore you to bring him to justice!"

    Joseph flicked through the files he took, with the first documents being carbon copies of some receipts. The descriptions indicated that they were about Necker''s supplementary appropriations to the south for the construction of an irrigation system, where the money eventually ended up in the hands of several local nobles, and Necker received a kickback of 350,000 livres.

    The following document showed that Necker had borrowed 3 million livres from a certain bank, a sum that never entered the treasury, yet France had to pay 20% interest annually. Only when Necker was removed from office five yearster was this money ounted for in the treasury. And one-third of the annual interest went into Necker''s pockets.

    The third document...

    As Joseph looked through the pages, his face turned ashen. He mmed the documents on the table and looked at Carolina:

    "How much did he embezzle in total in these documents?"

    A gleam of pride shed in Carolina''s eyes:

    "Your Highness, a total of 7.22 million livres."

    Joseph took a silent, cold breath; this man was even greedier than Carolina!

    Who knew, Carolina continued:

    "Your Highness, these are just the crimes I have evidence for. From what I know, what he has embezzled is far beyond this amount, especially his dealings with the banking industry. They were done very secretly, and I could only guess some traces."

    Joseph took a deep breath: "How much more could there be?"

    "It could likely exceed 10 million livres."

 Chapter 192: Chapter 170: Chasing the "Big Fish" (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    For some reason, when Joseph heard the figure "ten million livres," he felt no anger in his heart, but instead a bizarre sense of fort" surged to the top of his head.

    He leaned in towards Carolina, quite expectantly asking,

    "Is that the amount Necker pocketed himself, or the total sum of the problematic funds?"

    "It''s the profit Necker made from these transactions, Your Highness. Of the financial loans that passed through his hands at the time, more than half might have been abnormal."

    Joseph suddenly felt as though the whole world lit up, and he even heard the joyful singing of little angels by his ear.

    You see, during Necker''s tenure as head of the treasury, France''s borrowing from banks had increased by nearly one billion livres.

    If what Carolina said was true, even by the most conservative estimate, that would mean there could be illegal operations involving as much as five hundred million livres worth of loans.

    Joseph''s heart raced¡ªjust by getting hold of this illegal evidence, he could call for a re-examination of these five hundred million livres worth of loans!

    Usually, during the re-evaluation of a loan, interest payments are suspended!!

    There was even the possibility of renegotiating the loan agreements!!!

    And furthermore, for those loans that were extremely problematic, he could directly...

    Joseph pinched his thigh hard, stopping himself from continuing the thought, for the prospects were too beautiful, easily leading one to indulge.

    He stared intently at Carolina, his gaze seeming to burn:

    "How confident are you that there''s something wrong with those loans?"

    Feeling unnerved under his gaze, Carolina said subconsciously,

    "Based on my many years of gree...uh, my many years of financial experience, there''s over a 90% chance that there''s a problem, it''s just that there''s no evidence..."

    "Excellent!" Joseph excitedly stood up, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder,"You''ve made an exceptional contribution this time."

    Immediately after, Josephmanded him,"From now on, you will be under my guard''s protection all day, with no contact with any outsiders allowed."

    "Ah?" Carolina eximed in shock,"Are you, are you cing me under house arrest?"

    "Oh, no, this is only temporary. Once the matter with Necker is resolved, I will personally wee you in Paris."

    With that, Joseph picked up the paper and pen from the nearby table, quickly wrote a short letter, sealed it with wax, stamped his private seal, and then turned to leave.

    He handed the letter to Captain Kesode of the guards, instructing,

    "Please dispatch someone to return to Paris with utmost speed, and have the Police Headquarters immediately arrest Necker. That would be the former Finance Minister, Jacques Necker. Before my return, no one is allowed toe near Necker or his family.

    "Deliver this letter to Archbishop Brienne, and he will coordinate the matter."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    After arranging all this, Joseph felt incredibly reassured. Seeing that it was still early, he stretchedzily and smiled at Eman, suggesting,

    "It''s rare for us toe to Lorraine; let''s go have a look at Nancy."

    ...

    To the northwest of Toul City, not far from the star-shaped fortress built by Marshal Voban, just two leagues away, stood the open-air coal mine at D¨¦tuil.

    Clementine stood with a taut face at the edge of the enormous mine pit, staring nkly at the coal workers swinging their picks below.

    Just this morning, the Crown Prince had ordered his guard to escort her here for a visit, and before she left, he had considerately briefed her on Toul''srgest coal mine, wishing her a pleasant time.

    With no trees for shelter nearby, the mine pit constant breezes kicked up a haze of fine coal dust that danced in the air.

    The little girl irritably brushed away the handkerchief with which her maid Rosalia was trying to wipe her face,menting,

    "Stop wiping. There''s coal dust everywhere; it''s impossible to get it all off..."

    The maid cautiously said, "Miss, shall we go back?"

    "We can''t," the little girl puffed out her cheeks,"what if my cousin asks what I saw, and I can''t say anything?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Then, shall I apany you for a walk around?"

    "Mm." The little girl nodded. Surrounded by guards, she followed the spiral-shaped downward slope made ofpacted coal dust, making her way to the bottom of the mine.

    Several miners carrying full baskets of coal approached her. When they saw Clementine''s luxurious gown, as well as the imposing guards front and back, they were so frightened that they hurriedly stepped aside and bowed their heads to let them pass.

    Assisted by her maid, the little girl walked past the miners when suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her feet give way.

    One of the miners caught a glimpse of something amiss on the ground and cried out, "Look out!" Dropping his basket, he lunged forward to push her and the maid out of the way.

    Immediately after, the spot where Clementine had just stood cracked open, with the coal dust ground copsing "whoosh" downward.

    "Run!" A guard behind Clementine acted swiftly, scooping her up and bolting forward.

    Secondster, arge section was missing in the middle of the spiral slope; Clementine and the miners stood on one side of the gap, and the other guards on the opposite side, all staring at each other with hearts still racing.

    "Wah¡ª" It was only then that the little girl remembered to be frightened and burst into tears.

    Soon after, at the top of the mine pit, the mine owner came rushing over in a fluster, apologizing to Clementine with a crying tone:

    "Esteemed miss, I am so deeply sorry! As God is my witness, this ce hasn''t copsed for over ten years, I don''t know why... oh, my Lord! Are you hurt? This... what shall we do..."

    "It''s not your fault." The little girl choked back sobs as she nced at the small wound on her leg. The blood had mostly stopped.

    She turned to look at the miners a short distance away, with more or less cuts and scrapes on their bodies,bined with their ragged clothes and coal-streaked faces, they appeared very miserable.

 Chapter 193: Chapter 170: Chasing the "Big Fish" (Seeking Monthly Votes)_2

    Clementine limped over, feeling that it was her own bad luck that had involved others, and with a sense of guilt, took out a handful of candies to share with the injured miners:

    "Are you all right? Please have some candy, it won''t hurt after you eat it."

    The miners were ttered and scrambled to their feet, taking the candy but bowing their heads, not knowing how to properly express their gratitude.

    After a long while, a brave worker stammered:

    "May, may God bless you, kind Miss."

    At the moment, candy was a very expensive item. These people had hardly ever tasted candy in their lives, not to mention such high-grade sweets. Some were already calcting in their hearts to save the candy for their children as Christmas gifts, certain it would leave them with unforgettable sweet memories for life.

    The maid Rosalia followed her young mistress, handing out a few silver coins to each of the injured miners.

    The mine owner breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Clementine''s retreating figure¡ªhe had thought he would definitely have to pay a hefty sum, but she hadn''t med him at all.

    He then turned to look at the silver coins in the miners'' hands and suddenly barked with a dark face:

    "It''s all because of you good-for-nothings! You almost made me offend that noble youngdy. Give me that money right now!"

    ...

    Paris.

    In the Louvre District, surrounded by a spacious garden, a three-story vi with exquisite stone carvings and a multitude of floor-to-ceiling windows arranged in an artistic shape.

    A man dressed in a blue-gray coat, with a drooping nose and arge chin, suppressed his anger, pointing a finger at Erice:

    "You fool, I just asked you to keep an eye on Carolina. Why did you have to kill those two policemen? And one of them even got away!"

    "I''m terribly sorry, Mr. Necker!" Erice nced nervously at him, bowing his head, "Fred said that the policeman named M took out evidence of issues with your loan operations and demanded more evidence from Carolina."

    "You instructed us not to let any news about you leak from Toul. I had... I had no choice but to take out those two officers."

    In the eyes of the public, the Justice Investigation Department belonged to the Police Headquarters, so M and his colleagues were certainly policemen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Necker was taken aback and urgently asked, "Did Carolina say anything to those two men?"

    "That, I''m not sure. Later on, Fred was sent away by Carolina."

    Necker frowned deeply, muttering softly for a moment, then suddenly red at his subordinate and scolded:

    "Fool! What you should be doing now is finishing off that policeman, not running to Paris to spout nonsense to me!"

    "Listen to me," Erice hurriedly said, "Many people are now protecting that policeman, making it quite difficult to make a move. Plus, a few dayster, many more people arrived at Carolina''s ce..."

    Necker grew anxious: "Who are these people?"

    "Fred says those people are on very high alert, forbidding anyone to approach. Oh, there must have been over a hundred guards, and I think there was the Royal Family''s iris emblem on their uniforms."

    "The Royal Family?"

    Erice nodded and continued: "Fred seems to have also seen a young man, around fourteen or fifteen years old, of significant stature..."

    Necker''s pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints. There was only one fourteen or fifteen-year-old who could be apanied by hundreds of Royal Guards in all of France¡ªthe current Crown Prince!

    He paced anxiously around the room, sorting through the entire situation in his mind.

    First, the police had approached Carolina, mentioning problems with his loans. Then, Erice had killed a policeman, and the other was immediately heavily protected. Afterwards, the Royal Family had somehow gotten involved...

    If connected, it was very likely that the Royal Family knew about his dealings with the bank.

    This situation could be severe!

    Necker immediately took a bag of gold coins from the safe and handed it to Erice, sternly ordering:

    "Return to Toul with your men, find a ce to hide!"

    Erice, feeling the weight of the bag of coins, eximed happily:

    "Very well, Mr. Necker. But my men died that day, so I''ll just go into hiding."

    Afterward, he bowed respectfully and left briskly.

    It''s just you left now, huh? Necker thought coldly, pulling the bell to summon his butler, and with a grim face, gestured a cutting motion towards the retreating figure of Erice.

    The butler nodded and left, returning a few minutester:

    "Mr. Necker, it has been taken care of."

    "Very good," Necker then instructed, "Have thedy and the children get ready. We might be in trouble, we need to make a trip to the ''country estate''."

    "Understood, Mr. Necker."

    The butler left, and Necker called over one of his confidants and whispered some instructions.

    Before twilight, the confidant returned and told Necker:

    "Mr. Necker, just as you suspected, a significant number of secret police were dispatched to Toul a few days ago. Additionally, I''ve learned from the Pce of Versailles that the King had signed a document pardoning Carolina."

    Necker, having been the Finance Minister for many years and very wealthy, had ess to a broadwork of information among the French nobility.

    "Secret police? A pardon for Carolina?"

    Necker was nowpletely certain that the Royal Family was after him. Although it wasn''t certain that Carolina would cooperate with the Royal Family, he couldn''t take the risk.

    After all, his own affairs were much too significant...

    He quickly made a decision, retrieved the suitcase he had prepared earlier, and then called for the butler:

    "We leave immediately for the ''country estate''."

    "Yes, Mr. Necker."

    Soon, several inconspicuous carriages left the Necker residence. Fouche''s nted men immediately followed by carriage¡ªhow could Joseph not have someone keeping an eye on Necker?

    Meanwhile, in an ordinary house several hundred meters away from the Necker residence, the floorboards were lifted from inside. Necker''s family, together with the butler, crawled out one after another, for a tunnel leading directly to his vi had long been dug there.

    Necker and the others got into the carriage waiting outside and rode into the night.

    Just an hourter, nearly a hundred policemen led by Besancon surrounded Necker''s vi. There was also arge number of secret police and Police Affairs Department personnel assisting in the arrest.

    However, they only found over thirty servants; there was no sign of the Necker family, including an undercover operative from the Police Affairs Department who was stationed there, who only then realized that Necker had vanished.

    ...

    A ball was taking ce at the home of the Count of Isaac, President of the Banking Guild of France.

    A trim middle-aged man quickly entered the hall and found the Count of Isaac, whispering a few words into his ear.

    Thetter''s face changed dramatically and he turned to ask:

    "Is the news reliable?"

    The middle-aged man nodded, "All the newspapers are already writing the news about Necker''s house being surrounded by arge number of police. However, I got word from the secret police that they haven''t found Necker."

    Isaac immediately found several people in the crowd of the ball and took them upstairs with him.

    "Are you saying that Necker might be targeted by the police?"

    Isaac shook his head:

    "If it were just the police, it wouldn''t be enough to make Necker flee. It''s very likely that the Royal Family has taken action."

    Another man with reddish skin and a gaunt look frowned and said:

    "Why did the Royal Family act so quickly this time? Not a breath of this leaked out."

    "That''s still unclear," Isaac said gravely, "but I believe you all know how ''dangerous'' Necker is."

    He looked around at the few people in the room: "After all, nearly all of us have had dealings with him."

    A fat man with thick makeup and dark circles under his eyesined through clenched teeth:

    "Before, I kept saying to kick that guy out to Ennd, but you still wanted to bring him into the Pce of Versailles as the Finance Minister! Now look, we''re all implicated because of him!"

    "Calm down, Count Capefield." The gaunt old man raised his hand with a pacifying gesture, "What''s the use of talking about this now? The most important thing at the moment is to make sure the Royal Family doesn''t find Necker first."

    "The Marquis of Ludo is right," Isaac nodded, "We know Necker better than the Royal Family does, and we will surely find him faster. Then we''ll need to find a way to send him to Ennd, or else..."

    His eyes narrowed slightly and he drew his finger across his throat.

 Chapter 194: Chapter 171: Rapidly Entering the Industrial Age

    Joseph first visited M to inquire about his injuries, then he headed for Nancy.

    Toul is less than 5 miles away from Nancy, so just after noon, his convoy had already arrived at the newly established Nancy Industrial Development Zone.

    The development zone is located by the Morte River, encircled by a formidable grey stone wall that seems to stretch endlessly, covering an area of about five to six hundred acres.

    Still a distance away from the development zone, Joseph could already see smoke rising into the sky from the zone¡ªcoal mines were ubiquitous here, so coal wasmonly used as fuel in production. After the introduction of steam engines, the consumption of coal had greatly increased.

    The officials of the industrial development zone, upon learning of the Crown Prince''s arrival, hurriedly put aside their work and convened at the western gate to wee him.

    The principal person in charge of the development zone was named Alexander Ramo, who was not a local official of Nancy but was rmended by Mirabeau to manage the development zone. He also ran a fairlyrge ironworks.

    Joseph, as the initiator and nner of the development zone, enjoyed immense prestige and was surrounded by hundreds of officials and workshop owners. The air was filled with respectful and enthusiastic greetings and praise.

    Unable to decline their warm reception, Joseph made an impromptu motivational speech, only then managing to "escape."

    Ramo and about a dozen main administrators of the development zone began to take him on a tour of the park. The others, unwilling to leave, followed behind, curious and peeking from a distance of about fifty to sixty meters.

    "Your Highness, that over there is the ironworks. The workshops of the Gregoire brothers and Viscount Olivier are both veryrge," Ramo pointed towards therge buildings enveloped in ck smoke by the river, recalling various figures very clearly, "The two workshops have a total of 7 furnaces and 9 forging shops. They can produce over 50,000 pounds of iron ingots daily.

    "Especially the workshop of the Gregoire brothers, which uses thetest model of reverberatory furnace, resulting in very high-quality iron ingots."

    Joseph offered some words of encouragement to the two ironworks, but in reality, he was not entirely satisfied.

    50,000 pounds might sound like a lot, but it''s actually only around 25 tons daily, or 7,000 tons annually.

    You should know, this is nearly ny percent of Nancy''s steel production.

    At present, the entire France produces just around 120,000 tons of iron a year, which is far from enough for the Industrial Revolution.

    Moreover, Joseph himself was not too familiar with steelmaking processes and could only think of a few theories like "using coke" or "st furnace steelmaking." To increase production in the short term, it seemed the only solution would be to expand the scale.

    In fact, for a substantial increase in steel production, the key was demand.

    If it were possible toy arge number of train tracks nationwide, the intense demand would motivate capital investment into the steel industry, and thus foster new technologies.

    The prerequisite for building railroads was trains. The prerequisite for trains was a highly efficient and mature steam engine.

    Joseph murmured in his mind, this depended on Murdock''s progress...

    Ramo led him through the cluster of buildings along the riverbank, introducing various ss workshops, ironware workshops, and coal crushing sites along the way.

    Until a light grey two-story building came into view not far away, Ramo said with some excitement, "Your Highness, that is Mr. Jean Sone''s newly established ''Production Management Consulting Firm''."

    "The ''industrialization'' and ''production standardization'' you requested are currently being promoted by them."

    Joseph nodded, this consulting firm was indeed established under his orders for Jean Sone. After epting his production standardization training, Sone had rushed to Nancy to teach the new management concepts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The transition from workshops to factories is a significant task for the industrial development zone and will serve as a model for all of France.

    Although there is only one character difference between "¹¤·»" (workshop) and "¹¤³§" (factory), the implication is that of an entire Industrial Revolution!

    The so-called "workshop" simply gathers craftsmen in arge courtyard. Except for therger scale, it is not much different from the primitive small workshop, where management mostly relies on the owner''s whip.

    A "factory," on the other hand, is a product of the Industrial Revolution. It starts with aplete management system, ranging from the most basic issues of tardiness and leaving early to further responsibilities of shift and team leaders, and up to standardized production that significantly enhances efficiency.

    Moreover, the employment methods are quite different¡ªfactories operate under a fully capitalist employment system, where workers establishbor contracts with the factory and have the freedom of bi-directional choice. Workshops, usually follow a craftsman plus apprentice model.

    The apprentices are personally dependent on their masters and are supervised and solidified in this dependency by industry guilds.

    For example, in contemporary France, if you want to enter a certain trade, it''s not enough to simply have the skills. First, you have to find a master to sponsor your entry into the guild, beginning a 5 to 7 years apprenticeship where the master can exploit you at will. After graduating to a journeyman, you can nominally work independently, but you still rely heavily on your master in many aspects.

    It takes another 3 to 5 years to obtain guild registration and be a true craftsman, and then you start exploiting apprentices...

    This model poses a serious drag on industrial development. Many times, a factory could train someone in a matter of months to do a job that, because of guild rules, might otherwise take several years or even longer.

    Thest point is that factories must pursue and adapt to new technologies more aggressively.

    Striving for automation using machines to gain higher profits is the characteristic of factories.

    The transformation from a workshop to a factory, if following the normal course of history, would require a baptism of ten years or more of the Industrial Revolution to graduallyplete.

    Under the guidance of Joseph, the industrial development zone will directly adopt the most efficient model and sprint into the industrial era.

    Once industrialization matures, the major weapon of industrial production¡ªthe assembly line¡ªwill be unveiled.

    At that time, France''s factories will ughter all their Europeanpetitors!

    Ramo interjected, "Your Highness, although guilds have beenpletely banned in the development zone, craftsmen are ustomed to the master-apprentice model and will take some time to fully transition.

    "As for standardized production¡­ it is still being promoted, and not a single workshop has been able to implement it yet."

    "Hmm, that''s quite normal. As for you guys, don''t be impatient, and everything should be predicated on not affecting the workshop''s production," Joseph knew that such a significant management model enhancement could not be achieved overnight.

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Ramo then took Joseph through the development zone''s dormitory areas, schools, hospitals, and other regions.

    These facilities are of great help to the resident factories. The dormitories alone can significantly reduce the costs for workshops, enabling them even to hire vagrants. The hospital greatly improves the workers'' attendance rate.

    After walking for a while, Ramo gestured towards arge cluster of buildings from which white smoke was continuously billowing, "Your Highness, that is the French United Steam Engine Company."

 Chapter 195 - 172: Citywide Manhunt

    Murdock stared intently at the dark machine rumbling in front of him.

    Not until Sandler¡¯s voice overpowered the roar of the machine could one hear, "Pressure normal! Throttle valve normal!"

    Murdock immediately showed ecstatic joy, shouted "Release the steam," and then embraced each assistant one by one to celebrate.

    A factory supervisor jogged into the test shed and called out to Murdock, "Mr. Murdock, the Crown Prince has arrived!"

    "Ah? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?"

    "You said that during the test, unless God Himself came, nothing should disturb you..."

    "From now on, exclude both the Crown Prince and God!"

    "Oh, alright..."

    Once Murdock and others had performed their formalities, Joseph asked with a smile, "Just now, I seemed to have heard your cheers."

    "Yes, Your Highness!" Murdock pointed to the huge ck lump in the test shed, excitedly saying, "We¡¯ve seeded! It waspletely manufactured by our own technicians, and its power output, coal consumption are entirely in line with Watt Company¡¯s products."

    "You are absolutely the best steam engine technician in Europe!" Joseph immediately praised, "In just over two months, you¡¯ve built the most cutting-edge steam engine in the world. Congrattions to you and your technicians!"

    In fact, this steam engine was just a replica of a British product, and it even used many parts that were easily avable in the market.

    However, it performed a cut above the best steam engine France could previously produce, and it was aplished by Murdock and his team while they were busy setting up the factory.

    Murdock and the others, filled with enthusiasm, started the new steam engine again to give Joseph a demonstration.

    "Your Highness, with the sessful experience of this steam engine, we can now start manufacturing new high-pressure steam engines," Sandler yelled out.

    Murdock echoed loudly from the side, "Right! We will surpass Watt Company¡¯s products in one fell swoop!"

    Joseph pondered for a moment but then shook his head, "For now, a 15-horsepower steam engine can meet most needs; our goal should be how to sell more machines. After increasing the product¡¯s market presence, we can consider technological upgrades."

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    Murdock was briefly stunned, then quickly smiled and nodded, "The Highness is right, of course, recouping costs is most important."

    Joseph shook his head again, "It¡¯s not just about making money. It¡¯s more about nurturing the market, allowing people to be familiar with steam engines as soon as possible, and more willing to ept them. High-performance but expensive products will always be chosen by only a small number of users. Cheap and functional products are the main sales force."

    Murdock and Sandler both silently nodded in agreement.

    Joseph continued, "Your next main goal is to improve the reliability of the steam engine, and then make its appearance morepact and neat as much as possible, making it easier to transport and install.

    "Another thing is to provide various kits, such as those that can be directly modified to match current waterwheels, automatic looms, etc."

    He then looked towards the ck machine not far away and asked, "Mr. Murdock, how much does this steam engine cost to build?"

    "It cost about 13,800 livres, Your Highness."

    At this, Joseph¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but twitch¡ªtrue to its reputation as the pinnacle technology of the age, the price was indeed steep.

    "After mass production, what can we reduce the cost to?"

    "Estimated to be around 11,000 livres."

    Joseph nodded, "Then let¡¯s set the selling price at 13,000 livres per unit."

    "I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s a bit too low, Your Highness!" Murdock immediately objected, "You see, the Watt Company sells a simr steam engine for 17,000 livres."

    Joseph smiled, "How many can he sell in a year?"

    "Usually between 20 and 30 units."

    "What do you think of the price if we could sell 80 units per year, or even more?"

    Murdock¡¯s eyes widened, "Your Highness, with all due respect, I fear that sales figure may not be achievable..."

    Joseph patted his shoulder and smiled, "What if the wealthy parishes in France were willing to pool money to buy a steam engine for irrigation, or the mining areas to buy some for pumping water, and Lyon¡¯s textile workshops to drive automatic looms? Do you think we could sell 80 units then?"

    Murdock hesitated, "Your Highness, those parishes have never bought steam engines before. As for the textile industry, as you know, France has not yet produced an automatic loom..."

    "No need to worry about these things, the government will soon issue documents to the provinces, offering low-interest loans to parishes for purchasing irrigation equipment. And as for the automatic looms, I will have someone bring in the British goods and immediately begin copying them.

    "If we still can¡¯t reach the sales target, we could consider leasing, letting people use the steam engines first and gradually recouping the costs."

    The Watt steam engine didn¡¯t really take off until the early 19th century,rgely because of hispany¡¯s promotional efforts.

    But Joseph had started by using administrative measures to open up the market for France¡¯s steam enginepanies!

    With close technological capabilities, high sales volume would inevitably lead to more technical feedback and promote technological iteration.

    Government action vspany action, Joseph believed, would mean that in not too many years, France¡¯s steam engines would begin to sell back to Ennd.

    ...

    Less than a day after Joseph¡¯s carriage left Nancy, he encountered couriers from Paris on the way.

    Moreover, there were two batches, sent by Fouche and Brian respectively.

    The content of the two letters was essentially the same: Necker had fled. Although an arrest warrant had not yet been formally issued¡ªCarolina¡¯s evidence was still en route¡ªthe Secret Police, Paris Police, and Police Affairs Department had already set out in full force to capture Necker.

    Joseph immediately frowned, not expecting him to escape given such stringent arrangements.

    After pondering for a moment, he wrote a letter to Brian, instructing him to order the governors of the border provinces to closely monitor the exit channels, especially those heading to Ennd and Prussia.

    Several dayster, when Joseph returned to Paris, he saw Fouche already waiting by the roadside.

    Upon seeing the Crown Prince, Fouche almost bowed his head to the ground, desperately ming himself.

    Joseph waved his hand to interrupt him, motioning for him to get in the carriage, "That tunnel must have been dug before you sent people to infiltrate his house. It seems he was prepared to flee at any moment, so it¡¯s not entirely your fault."

    Fouche breathed a sigh of relief internally, "Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Highness."

    Joseph asked, "Have you found any clues to Necker¡¯s whereabouts?"

    "Not yet¡­" Fouche said, looking dejected, but quickly added, "However, I¡¯ve set up checkpoints on all roads entering and exiting Paris, spotters in waste areas and bushes, and people watching over every farmhouse within a radius of a mile. I believe Necker is still inside Paris."

    Joseph furrowed his brow in thought, "Or perhaps, we could have the Secret Police conduct a house-to-house search?"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Necker was worth hundreds of millions and certainly warranted such extensive efforts.

    Fouche then remembered something else and hastily spoke, "Right, Your Highness, besides the Police Affairs Department and the Secret Police, it seems there are others looking for Necker. There are even rumors in the underworld that this group has offered a reward of 50,000 livres for information on Necker¡¯s whereabouts."

 Chapter 196 - 173: Desperate Situation

    ```

    "Oh?" Joseph looked at Fouche and asked, "Do you know who is looking for Necker?"

    "This, we can¡¯t be sure yet. However, our informant at the ssen Bank reported that the bank has recalled all of itsmercial spies, probably for some other important task. And there is news from the Paris Bank that they are hiring arge number of private detectives," Fouche replied.

    "It is indeed the people from the banking industry," Joseph nodded slightly. It seemed that Carolina was right; Necker must have involved in a lot of unsavory dealings with the major banks, and these people wanted to find him before the government did.

    He tapped the armrest of his chair thoughtfully, finding it strange that Necker, as a spokesperson for major banks and a senior member of the Banking Guild, should have sought help from the industry immediately after the incident, yet he chose to hide at the first opportunity.

    Thus, there was only one possibility¡ªNecker did not trust the people of the Banking Guild.

    This was not surprising, as Necker was Swiss and didn¡¯t have deep roots in France. Now that an incident had urred, he couldn¡¯t be sure that the French bankers wouldn¡¯t silence him to prevent the leak of information.

    Thinking this, Joseph became even more convinced of the need to mobilize the Secret Police to search house by house, and he was willing to call in the army if necessary¡ªhe had to find Necker before the Banking Guild did!

    Joseph further urged Fouche to step up the search, then he hurried off to the Pce of Versailles, nning to discuss with Brian and Robel of the Secret Police aboutunching a citywide manhunt in Paris.

    In the carriage, Clementine, noticing the Crown Prince¡¯s serious expression and furrowed brow, asked tentatively, "Cousin, are you troubled by something? Talk to me; things often seem less troubling when you talk about them."

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Joseph sighed and asked casually, "Clementine, how would you go about looking for someone who has gone missing?"

    The young girl pondered for a moment and earnestly replied, "Well, I would first go and ask his friends or servants where he might have gone, and then..."

    At this, Joseph suddenly stopped, realizing that he had overlooked something important¡ªthe people from the Banking Guild were far more familiar with Necker than he was!

    Even Necker¡¯s subordinates could be rmended by some major bank.

    With these people close to Necker providing leads, no matter how many people he used, it would be hard to ensure an advantage...

    What to do?

    Clementine kept talking to herself, but noticed that her cousin¡¯s brow was furrowing even more. She quickly reassured him, "Did one of your friends disappear? You don¡¯t need to worry so much. Maybe he¡¯s just got something to do and he¡¯lle back by himself after a while."

    Joseph managed a slight smile at her and said, "Thank you for your constion, but that person will not appear on his own..."

    Wait a minute!

    He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly felt like he had grasped something.

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    If he couldn¡¯t find Necker faster than the Banking Guild, why not make Necker show himself?

    Just as ancient strategists would leave one side of an encirclement open, the enemy would surely flee in that unprotected direction.

    If he could block all other ways out for Necker, then Necker would have no choice but to take the path he had left open for him!

    Joseph refined this idea, and a strategy for leaving an open route began to take shape in his mind.

    He sincerely thanked Clementine, "You¡¯re absolutely an expert at finding people; I¡¯m truly grateful for your help!"

    The young girl, blushing with pride, popped a piece of vani mint candy into her mouth as a reward and then offered a piece to her cousin as well.

    The carriage stopped in the marble square of the Pce of Versailles, and Joseph alighted and made a beeline for the Finance Minister¡¯s office.

    In this "leave one side open" n, the key was the "open side," and the difficultyy in requiring Queen Mary¡¯s cooperation.

    Soon, Minister of the Interior Mono and Justice Minister Breti, among several other Cab Ministers, all gathered in Brian¡¯s office, looking at Joseph in surprise.

    "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I don¡¯t quite understand. Shouldn¡¯t we be focusing all our efforts on arresting Necker?"

    "But why have you ordered the recall of the arrest warrant and even asked Queen Mary to announce his pardon?"

    As Joseph¡¯s political allies in the Cab, they had naturally heard about the embezzlement charges that Carolina had exposed against Necker.

    Joseph looked around at them and said, "When a person faces a situation of certain death, if he sees a chance to live, he will undoubtedly take that route. I want the Royal Family to be Necker¡¯s only way out."

    Breti immediately said, "Your Highness, with such serious charges of embezzlement against Necker, he should be strictly tried. Pardoning him might not be appropriate."

    Joseph replied, "Necker himself is not important. What I want is the information he has!

    "As for the pardon, heh, although the King has pardoned him, if someone else wants to punish him, we can¡¯t do anything about it."

    Brian looked at Joseph, "Your Highness, what exactly does Necker know?"

    "It could involve several billion livres of government debt!"

    There was a moment of silence in the room.

    In the afternoon, several Cab Ministers, leading a group of renowned nobles, went to Petit Trianon Pce, to persuade Queen Mary to announce the cancetion of Necker¡¯s trial and promise that he would not be sentenced to death, nor would there be lengthy imprisonment.

    Queen Mary had previously seen the report about Necker¡¯s embezzlement submitted by Brian. Although she was puzzled by the actions of the ministers and nobles, she couldn¡¯t resist their importuning due to her soft-heartedness.

    ```

 Chapter 197: Chapter 173: Desperate Situation_2

    After everyone''s persuasion with phrases such as "disying the Royal Family''s clemency and benevolence," "showing His Majesty''s concern for his ministers," "prioritizing the recovery of embezzled funds," and "giving the former minister a chance to turn over a new leaf," Queen Mary felt that it seemed quite reasonable and thus hazily agreed to it.

    Early the next morning, Queen Mary publicly announced in front of arge assembly of nobles and journalists that Necker would be dealt with leniently, and disyed the document signed by the King.

    At the same time, several pamphlets began to circte wildly in Paris.

    The bulk of the pamphlets'' content were the usual noble erotic stories, but inserted among them was a piece of news: someone was offering 150,000 livres for the head of Jacques Necker. Even just for providing information, one could get 100,000.

    Subsequently, the criminal underworld of Paris received an even more astonishing offer: 180,000 for the death of Necker, 120,000 for information.

    On that day, the front pages of all the major newspapers in Paris had at the top half "Necker possibly implicated in corruption, the Royal Family decides to spare him from severe punishment," while the bottom half stated, "Unknown forces offer a sky-high bounty for the death of Necker."

    The Secret Police and the Police Affairs Department both received new orders to redirect arge number of the forces searching for Necker to the outskirts of Paris, sealing the city tightly to prevent Necker from escaping.

    The next day, the mysterious power raised the bounty on Necker to 200,000.

    And the newspapers and pamphlets, having obtained information from various channels, began to seriously analyze who wanted Necker dead.

    Of course, under Joseph''s deliberate guidance, all articles unanimously pointed to the Banking Guild.

    ...

    In an inconspicuous house on the north side of Paris, Necker''s butler Elonc carefully observed the street through the gap in the curtains to ensure there were no suspicious individuals before he brought a tray of food to the bedroom.

    He closed the door, then sequentially pulled on the bedhead and the dressing table, and a faint "click" sound came from behind the wardrobe.

    Elonc lifted the floor behind the wardrobe, bending down to enter the square opening that was revealed.

    In the dimly lit second basement, Necker, looking haggard, took the tray and first distributed the food to his wife and two children, skipping lunch himself to grab the newspaper from the tray.

    It was the "Paris News." He skimmed through the front page of the article and felt a tightness in his chest.

    Although it wasn''t explicitly stated, the article insinuated, between the lines, that the banking tycoons were behind the 200,000 livres bounty on his life, and their credit was absolutely reliable; even if the killer died, the bounty would be delivered to his family.

    "These bastards possessed by the devil!"

    Suppressing his voice, Necker mmed the newspaper to the ground.

    "Paris News" was the newspaper of the Duke of Orleans, who was one of the major yers behind the Banking Guild.

    If even his newspaper was speaking this way, it meant that there was an absolute intention to see him dead, without leaving any room for escape.

    These men, for whom he had made so much money, were ready to cast him aside without hesitation at the first sign of trouble!

    He was unaware that in the past two days, the "Paris News" had been blocked from getting published by the news bureau for various reasons and could not actually be distributed.

    And the "Paris News" that now appeared on the market had been fabricated by Joseph''s "Paris Commercial News" publishing house and then sold by newsboys.

    As for copyright infringement¡ªha, let the "Paris News" sue in court after Necker''s affair was over, at most they''dpensate you tenfold for the loss; did they really think they could shut down the Crown Prince''s newspaper?

    Necker then picked up a few pamphlets brought by the butler and was rmed to see that the bounty had risen again, reaching the terrifying amount of 300,000 livres.

    He knew all too well what this number meant.

    Not to mention making the entire Parisian underworld go crazy, even an ordinary citizen would turn into the coldest-blooded murderer upon seeing this sum!

    It also meant that no one he saw could be trusted anymore. Those who had made arrangements to help him escape could not be contacted again; 300,000 livres could lead them to betray him at any moment.

    After all, though he imed to have a fortune of ten million, most of it was anonymously deposited in various banks, arge part of which was in foreign banks. He only had 2,000 gold coins in his possession¡ªit was simply not possible for him to carry much cash with him because of its weight.

    Therefore, he was absolutely incapable of bribing those greedy scoundrels seeking the reward.

    Moreover, even if he coulde up with arge sum of money, he wouldn''t dare take the gamble¡ªwho knew whether they would take his money and then turn around and decapitate him for 300,000 livres.

    After all, it was 300,000!

    What were credit and morals but a joke in the face of such a vast fortune.

    Madame Necker looked at the newspaper in her husband''s hands and asked in a trembling voice, "Dear, are we still leaving tomorrow?"

    Necker suddenly grabbed her arm and snapped, "Leave! All you think about is leaving! Do you want to get us killed?!"

    He pointed toward the basement entrance, "I swear, before I even get on the carriage, that coachman would stab me twice from behind! It''s all over... everything is over..."

    He slumped onto the bed, but his eyes inadvertently swept over the newspaper that was spread open, where he saw a piece of news he had read the day before¡ªQueen Mary had publicly dered that his life would be spared and he wouldn''t even be sentenced to more than five years of imprisonment.

    The newspaper also spected that as long as Necker returned the embezzled funds and paid some fines, he would most likely be exiled in the end.

    A fierce struggle began in his heart, and, after a long while, he suddenly stood up from the bed, his eyes filled with hatred.

    If the Banking Guild wants me dead, then they can''t me me for cooperating with the French Royal Family!

    That evening, the butler Elonc quietly vanished into the night...

    About an hourter, hundreds of Police Affairs Department and Secret Police personnel surrounded the cottage where Necker was hiding.

    Fouche led the charge personally, only to find that the secret basement waspletely empty.

    As he was bing increasingly anxious, several of his subordinates ran in and reported that Necker had been captured.

    "Where did you catch him?" Fouche nced at the empty basement, asking doubtfully.

    "He crawled out from the sewer on the side of the street by himself."

    Fouche had no idea that the 300,000 livres reward meant that Necker couldn''t even trust his most loyal butler, fearing he might bring an assassin back, so he left the house earlier and went into hiding.

    Fouche finallypleted his mission and immediately escorted Necker to the Bastille.

    ...

    Royal Pce.

    The bigwigs of the Banking Guild were anxiously looking at the Duke of Orleans.

    Originally their people had gotten wind of some of Necker''s whereabouts, but the sudden emergence of the hefty reward threw all of their ns into disarray.

    "I hadn''t expected the Royal Family to pardon him," the Duke of Orleans also frowned, "With this 300,000 livres reward, Necker might very well surrender to the Royal Family."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Count Capefield said, "We need to let Necker know as soon as possible that we are not behind the reward!"

    The Count of Isaac looked at him contemptuously, "If we could find him, would we need to go to all this trouble?"

    The Duke of Orleans shook his head, "Nowadays the publications are controlled, even my newspaper was forged, it''s difficult to get the message to him."

    At that moment, the Duke of Orleans'' butler hustled in, whispering a few words into his ear.

    "What? That fool got caught!" the Duke of Orleans eximed, looking at the butler, "Is the news reliable?"

    "Ites from our people in the Secret Police, he''s currently on the way to the Bastille."

    Everyone in the room immediately fell into a panic.

    The Duke of Orleans stared at them and shouted, "Calm down, everyone! Before, we couldn''t find Necker, and only the Royal Family could spread rumors, but now that he has appeared, maybe it''s a good thing."

    After pondering for a moment, he said to the butler, "Go find Colonel Lavier immediately, and see that he gets to Necker, tell him..."

    Chapter Continue:

    Two hourster.

    Necker was finally locked up in a Bastille cell, exactly as he had wished.

    Contrary to what people imagined, the cell was a suiteplete with a toilet and dining area, very clean and tidy, even furnished with a sofa and a padded big bed.

    Fearing another mishap, Fouche personally brought along more than a dozen subordinates, who watched Necker and his family at all times, not exempting even the use of the bathroom.

    At this moment, a tall officer approached with guards, exchanged pleasantries with Fouche, and gestured toward Necker, "As you know, every prisoner whoes here must undergo a routine check, I have to go through the motions."

 Chapter 198: Chapter 174: Your Enemy Always Understands You Best

    "Oh, of course, please go ahead," Fouche said, stepping aside to let the officer through.

    After all, he was merely a low-ranking policeman. The fact that he could guard Necker here all depended on the permission issued by Count Robel of the Secret Police.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The tall officer nodded and smiled at him and then approached the prisoner to take a careful look at this man with messy hair and a shaggy beard to confirm he was indeed Necker before pretending to search him.

    "We''ve already searched him, you can rest assured. No dangerous items or valuables," Fouche assured him from the side.

    The officer moved to Necker''s side as if he was checking his trouser pockets but leaned in close to his ear and whispered rapidly, "As long as you say nothing, you will be rescued within three days and then taken to Ennd."

    Necker was startled and turned his head to look at the officer, who had already put on his gloves and was walking toward the door: "No problems here, I''ll leave the rest to you."

    Fouche waited for him to leave, immediately closed the door securely, and signaled to his subordinates: "Come on, make it quick!"

    The interrogation of Necker had already begun that very evening.

    The two Chief Examiners were Police Commissioners from the Secret Police, with Fouche and his colleagues listening in¡ªsuch a case that agitated the Queen would undoubtedly have to be officially handled by the "ws" of the Secret Police.

    However, the interrogation continued till dawn, and yet Necker barely spoke a word.

    Even when faced with irrefutable evidence, he only looked at the Chief Examiner who was raging and neither admitted nor denied anything, as if he was not the person involved at all.

    The two Chief Examiners, exhausted, decided to take a break for a while.

    Fouche ordered Prosper to keep a close watch on Necker, forbidding even the Secret Police from leaving without permission, and then returned to the cell on the third floor of the Bastille with an assistant.

    The officer from the Police Affairs Department guarding the cell saluted him, "Everything is normal, sir."

    Fouche nodded and nced through the small window in the door, then pulled over a chair and dozed off next to the door. Chapter Continue:

    It wasn''t until noon that the clinking of dishes and cutlery woke him up.

    He squinted and saw an officer and two soldiers approaching with food in their hands.

    Fouche''s subordinate immediately stepped up, exchanged a few words with the officer, who then smiled, took some spare utensils, and tasted each dish.

    Once the officer from the Police Affairs Department gave the all-clear, the door was opened and they motioned inside: "Pleasee in."

    The officer entered, and in front of several guards, ced thevish food on the table. However, no one noticed that as he lifted the dish of creamed pea soup, his thumbnail dipped into it.

    After the food was served, the officer gestured to Necker, who was sitting rigidly on the couch, and to the woman and child huddled in the corner of the room: "Your meal is served."

    Almost an hourter, a disturbance erupted in the cell with loud voices and a woman''s scream.

    Fouche, who was still catching up on sleep, abruptly opened his eyes, sprang from his chair, and rushed into the room.

    There he saw Necker lying on the couch in pain, his body spasming asionally, with dark blood trickling down his stubbled face onto the floor.

    Fouche touched Necker''s neck to feel his pulse and turned to his subordinates asking, "Has he been poisoned?"

    The officer from the Police Affairs Department pointed at the food on the table: "It appears so, sir. He started having stomach pains soon after he ate, and then this happened."

    "The hand is quick," Fouche said with a cold smile, instructing those around him, "Arrest the ones who just brought the food.

    "Oran, find some animals to test this food."

    "Yes, sir!"

    ...

    Royal Pce.

    The Duke of Orleans pushed open the door to arge hall on the second floor, smiling and greeting the banking magnates who had been discussing strategies, "Don''t look so glum, gentlemen, the situation isn''t that dire.

    "I suggest we all enjoy a delicious dinner first, perhaps by The situation will have resolved itself by then."

    "Necker has had dealings with you too, so how can you be so carefree?" asked the owner of Bnger Bank, looking at him, "What exactly is your n?"

    "You''ll find out soon enough," the Duke of Orleans gestured towards the hallway, "The dining room is this way."

    Count of Isaac, catching something in his demeanor, said in surprise, "You''ve really solved it?"

    Seeing the Duke''s silent smile, the others were instantly overjoyed: "Oh, God, you have saved us all!"

    "Wonderful, looks like there''s no trouble after all..."

    "I swear, you are the finest, greatest of the Cape![note 1]"

    As the banking tycoons heaped empty ttery, they bowed to the Duke of Orleans, each secretly relieved that choosing him as their patron had been such a wise decision!

    Just then, the butler Donnadieu hurried over, presenting a small, seal-waxed scroll respectfully to the Duke of Orleans.

    Thetter lifted the scroll smugly to show everyone in the room, then broke the seal and slowly unfurled it.

    However, upon seeing the two lines of text, his expression darkened instantly. He turned and demanded of the butler, "Didn''t Ravier say it was done?!"

    "Yes, that''s what he reported at noon," the butler answered tremulously.

    The Duke of Orleans tore the note into dozens of pieces with a vicious motion, dropping them on the floor: "How can this be possible?"

    The note was from his mole within the Secret Police. It contained only two sentences: Necker would be interrogated in the afternoon, he had not implicated any other banks.

    But Ravier had told him Necker had been poisoned at lunch!

 Chapter 199: Chapter 174: Your Enemy Always Understands You Best_2

    The Duke of Orleans suddenly remembered something and hurriedly grabbed the steward, "Has Ravier been found?"

    The steward was somewhat confused and quickly bowed, "I will send someone to inquire immediately."

    The Duke of Orleans closed the door to the hall with the back of his hand and paced back and forth, cursing under his breath, "That fool Ravier, why didn''t he prepare more!"

    He suddenly stopped, realizing that no matter how Necker had eluded the poisoning, he most likely would no longer believe the lie of being "saved to go to Ennd."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    That is to say, the dealings between Necker and the banks were very likely to be known to the Royal Family.

    He pulled over a chair and sat down tiredly, feeling agitated and at a loss¡ªwhat to do next?

    He had already lost control of public opinion and the High Court, and his infiltration into the army was abandoned due to a baffling assassination attempt. If he lost control over finances now, then the Orleans family''s century-long challenge for the throne would certainlye to an end in his generation!

    No, there must be a way. The Duke of Orleans wiped the sweat from the palm of his hand on his coat, What other powers can I still call upon...

    Count Capefield, who was beside him, saw the atmosphere suddenly turn somber and couldn''t help but ask cautiously, "So, are we still going to have lunch now?"

    ...

    The Bastille.

    In a cell on the third floor, Necker, who had changed into a white coat, cleanly shaved his beard, and was wearing a wig, stared wide-eyed at another "himself" lying on the ground, his heart filled with dread.

    If the police had not taken him to the small building across from the Bastille for interrogation, the person vomiting filthy blood and turning into a corpse would have been him.

    Yes,st night Fouch¨¦ had ced a death-row inmate here to impersonate Necker, and thanks to Necker''s previously unkempt hair and beard, it was difficult to see any difference at first nce.

    Joseph had long known that the Bastille was as prable as a sieve. Jeanne, who had concocted the "Affair of the Ne," had been able to escape from here, let alone such an important target as Necker. So, he ordered Fouch¨¦ to create a fake target to draw fire, while the real Necker was kept in a civilian house by the roadside, which was surprisingly safe.

    Necker suddenly thought of something and turned to Fouch¨¦ in a hurry, "What about Susan and the children?!"

    Susan was the name of his wife. To lure the assassin into a trap, these police had used his wife and children to cooperate with the imposter.

    Fouch¨¦ gestured toward the inner room, "They''re fine. Their food was personally delivered by my people."

    Necker breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the body on the ground, and suddenly said coldly, "This was just your ruse to plot against me, wasn''t it?"

    The door was pushed open, and Prosper walked in, tipping his hat to Fouch¨¦ in greeting, "Chief, the one who brought the food was named Ca, a lieutenant."

    "Did you catch him?"

    "He''s dead."

    Fouch¨¦ kicked the sofa in frustration, "Damn it! How did he die? Who killed him?!"

    "He was poisoned," said Prosper, "He''s still hanging on to life, but he can''t speak anymore."

    Fouch¨¦ nced towards Necker, his tone full of sarcasm, "Would you like to see how we poison an officer to plot against you?

    "His Majesty the King has already pardoned you. Who do you think most wants you dead now?"

    Necker''s head drooped despondently, hisst sliver of hope utterly extinguished.

    Before long, Joseph also hurried to the Bastille upon hearing the news.

    After listening to Fouch¨¦ briefly describe the events since yesterday, he first asked, "Is the assassin still alive?"

    "Sorry, Your Highness, he breathed hisst two hours ago."

    "So soon?" Joseph frowned, "Didn''t you perform gastricvage on him?"

    "Er, what''s gastricvage?"

    Joseph shook his head and sighed. It seemed that gastricvage hadn''t been invented in this era. If they could have performed it on the poison victim immediately, he might have survived the night, and perhaps they would have been able to extract information about the mastermind behind the scenes.

    "How much did Necker confess?"

    Fouche bowed his head, "He has been silent. He says he will only reveal more if we agree to exile him."

    Joseph sneered, "Still trying to bargain? Once that person arrives, he will confess everything obediently."

    "Alright, go attend to your duties, but keep a close watch on Mr. Necker."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    After Fouche and the others left, Joseph then turned his gaze to Bernard-Ren¨¦ Jourdan de Launay, themander of the Bastille''s garrison, who had a pained expression on his face as he stood by.

    "Marquis of Launay, do you realize how important Necker is? Do you understand the impact his death would have caused?

    "That, Your Highness, I am truly sorry. It was negligence on the part of my officers," Launay wiped the cold sweat from his brow, relieved that the Royal Family had been alerted so quickly and that Necker was not dead, otherwise, his position would have been difficult to keep.

    Joseph gave him a cold look, "Negligence by your ''subordinates''?"

    "Oh, no, no," Launay bowed repeatedly, "It was my negligence!"

    Joseph nodded, "Hmm, I will report this truthfully to Her Majesty the Queen."

    "Ah?" Launay immediately panicked, "Please don''t do so, Your Highness! Give me another chance, please..."

    Joseph stopped walking and looked at him, "From now on, change the guards at the gates of the Bastille, the cooks, the cleaners¡ªeveryone to my people. Your officers and soldiers are to stay at least a hundred steps away from Necker''s cell."

    "Good, good, I will follow your orders!"

    "Furthermore, you have half a month to find the mastermind behind the murder plot against Necker."

    "Yes, yes, I will definitely find that person!"

    Joseph knew that the mastermind behind this was almost certainly someone from the Banking Guild, but there was no way Launay could find them.

    Nevertheless, the Bastille had be a sore point in the hearts of the French people, frequently used to smear the Royal Family. He took this opportunity to gain leverage, which would make dealing with the Bastille much easierter on.

    Night fell.

    In the interrogation room on the second floor of the Bastille, Necker was gnashing his teeth, only repeating "I need a promise from the Royal Family," "Only exile is eptable," and such.

    Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room was pushed open, and a familiar face appeared before him.

    Necker was taken aback, blurting out, "Carolina? What are you doing here?!"

    Carolina, donned in a simple ck coat, casually bowed to him and smiled warmly, "Good evening, Mr. Necker. How long has it been since west met? Ah, since my exile two years ago, right?"

    "You, why have youe?" Necker repeated mechanically.

    Carolina nodded to Fouche and the others before taking his seat at the Chief Examiner''s position, expertly flipping through the interrogation records and case files.

    After a moment, he raised his head to look at Necker and smiled again, "The Crown Prince has sent me to be your Chief Examiner. Mr. Necker, my old friend, are you surprised?"

    "Why you..."

    "Heh, we''ve fought in the open and in the shadows for so many years, I am probably the person most familiar with those things you''ve done in this world." Carolina browsed the dossier, "Let''s not waste time, let''s start with this loan agreement you have with Bnger Bank."

    "No, I need a promise for exile!"

    "Hmm, let me guess, you probably signed two contracts for this loan of four million livres with Bnger Bank." Carolinapletely ignored him, feeling a surge of vengeful pleasure as his mind swiftly pinpointed all suspicious details and deduced them with his years of experience in embezzlement, "Look here, at the government''s interest expenditure, you may have bnced the ounts, but the direction of the funds here has left a trail..."

    Necker listened to him drone on for over an hour, his expression shifting from anger to shock¡ªCarolina''s words matched the reality more and more until they were almost identical. And this was something only he and the directors of Bnger Bank knew!

    "Hmm, it seems you''re agreeing." Carolina nodded in satisfaction and asked the clerk, "Did you get all that?"

    "Yes, Viscount Carolina."

    "Very well. Tomorrow have the Royal Police make arrests and check the ounts ording to this; I''m sure there will be discoveries to be made."

    Necker''s cold sweat immediately began to stream down his back...

 Chapter 200: Chapter 175: The Terrifying Financial "Black Hole" (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

    Carolina saw Necker''s terrified expression and, as if relishing a hot cocoa with lots of sugar on a chilly day, squinted his eyes contentedly and flipped through a pile of case files, "Hmm, shall we discuss your agreement with ssen Bank six years ago, or the one with Vincent Trade Bank seven years ago..."

    Necker suddenly mmed his hand on the armrest of his chair and bellowed with bloodshot eyes, "Carolina, on what grounds do you interrogate me? You think I don''t know about the things you''ve done? I''m going to expose you! Expose you! Even if it means going to prison, I''ll take you down with me!"

    Carolina looked at Necker with ease, waiting for him to vent. He then pulled a document out of his pocket, waving it with a smile, "No need for you to expose me, my affairs have already been fully disclosed to the Royal Family. Look, here is the King''s pardon, my exile is over.

    "Moreover, after I return all the illegitimate profits, I will no longer be held ountable."

    Necker was stunned, "How... how is this possible..."

    Carolina''s smile grew even wider, "Do you know what the biggest mistake of your life is?

    "It''s seriously underestimating the Royal Family''s capacity. Oh, and you''ve also unauthorizedly disclosed the Royal Family''s expenses, ming the financial problems on them.

    "I, on the other hand, have chosen to remain steadfastly loyal to the Royal Family. So now, it is I who am examining you.

    "Alright, let''s continue..."

    Over at the Royal Pce, the Duke of Orleans finally received the news he had been waiting for.

    "Lieutenant Colonel Lavier says that the person sent to administer the poison has forever closed his mouth, and there will be no investigation leading to him. Much less implicating you,"

    the butler Donadian whispered, ncing at the slightly rxed brow of the Duke of Orleans, then passed over a small roll of paper sealed with wax, "This has juste from the Secret Police."

    Since Necker''s arrest, the Duke of Orleans''s inside man at the Bastille sent updates daily.

    The Duke of Orleans unfolded the slip of paper. This time there were many more words than usual. He quickly read through it, and his face immediately turned pitch ck.

    In the hall, there were already more than a dozen banking magnates, all linked to Necker, gathered to discuss a n of action. Seeing the Duke of Orleans''s expression, they hurriedly crowded around.

    "Your Grace, what has happened?"

    "How is Necker doing, any news?"

    The Duke of Orleans simply tossed the slip of paper to them without a word, staring nkly outside the window.

    Count of Isaac picked up the paper, and eximed in shock, "Carolina is in charge of the investigation? He''s returned from exile?"

    He paused, then stuffed the paper into the hands of Viscount Bnger beside him.

    Thetter nced at it and, as if his hand were burnt, threw the paper onto the table¡ªthe loans operations that his bank had conducted with Necker could no longer be concealed. By now, the police and the Secret Police should be on their way to his home and bank.

    "My, my offenses have been uncovered, what am I to do..."

    Although others were curious about the contents on the slip of paper, no one dared to reach for it, as if it were a scorpion ready to sting at any moment.

    Bnger was finished, and no one knew who would be next.

    Seeing everyone''s frightened silence, Count of Isaac quickly spoke up to boost morale, "Don''t be afraid; with so many of us, we are sure to find a solution!"

    He turned to look at the Duke of Orleans, the pir and thest resort for all of them, "Isn''t that right, Your Grace?"

    Over ten pairs of eyes suddenly turned to the Duke of Orleans.

    Thetter''s heart tightened as well, knowing he needed to take no step back or it would mean aplete defeat in the struggle against the Royal Family.

    No, there must be a way...

    Veins bulged on his forehead, and palms wet with perspiration, yet his tactics were exhausted, and he had no solution at hand.

    Suddenly, he remembered the words of Count of Isaac, murmuring to himself, "So many of us... many people."

    A spark returned to his eyes, indeed, how could he forget their greatest advantage¡ªnumerical strength!

    Even if the Royal Family had leverage over the major banks through Necker, what could it do? If he had enough people to cause a significant disturbance, the Royal Family would have to yield!

    Right away, the Duke of Orleans turned around and pointed at Bnger, "You must immediately admit to all charges and then dere your bank''s bankruptcy."

    "No," Bnger''s face turned pale, "What are you trying to do?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Set the forest aze, plunge people into terror," the Duke of Orleans said, with a cold glint in his eye, "Don''t bother with debts and credit issues, don''t handle the transfer of ims, just leave the mess of bankruptcy for others to worry about! Oh, not only dere bankruptcy but also publish the bank''s ounts."

    "Why, why would we do that?"

    Count of Isaac''s eyes shifted, quickly grasping the underlying strategy, "Bnger Bank''s books certainly don''t have enough funds to pay depositors and those nobles who have invested. Dering bankruptcy, they will surely be in a rush to get their money back!"

    Marquis of Ludo also had a moment of insight, "But most of the bank''s money has been lent out, and arge portion of it is government loans that cannot be recalled in the short term. Those unable to get their money back will definitely plunge into madness."

    The Duke of Orleans nodded proudly, "More than half of Versailles Pce''s nobility have invested their money in your banks. Tell them that the Royal Family will investigate even more banks, and they will all go bankrupt like Bnger Bank, then their money will never be recovered."

 Chapter 201: Chapter 175: The Terrifying Financial "Black Hole" (Vote for Monthly Ticket)_2

    ```

    "What do you think the nobles will do?"

    Isaac sneered coldly, "They will surely keep the King and Queen awake at night!"

    "Exactly!"

    Bnger looked at everyone''s excitement, his voice trembling, "Then, what should I do..."

    The Duke of Orleans stepped forward, patted his shoulder to reassure him, "Don''t worry, once this is over, I will find a way to get you out of prison, and give you some money, perhaps then you can go back to your old business."

    ...

    The next morning, while Fouche''s men and the Secret Police were still auditing Bnger Bank, Viscount Bnger brought the bank''s executives before countless reporters, admitting to all the bank''s illegal dealings with Necker, and voluntarily handed over a portion of the illicit profits¡ªthus leaving not a single cent on the bank''s books.

    Afterward, Bnger Bank dered bankruptcy, and the baffled police, after sealing the bank, arrested Bnger and the bank''s executives.

    The sudden news, spread by those with ulterior motives, quickly disseminated throughout the Pce of Versailles. For a time, all the nobles were frantic with worry, nervously asking each other upon meeting, "Have you invested money in that bank?"

    Suddenly, the inside story of Bnger Bank''s bankruptcy erupted¡ªNecker had been involved in many illegal transactions with the bank, and now that Necker had been arrested, these matters had also been uncovered.

    Then came even more terrifying news from those "in the know"¡ªthere were far more banks than just Bnger''s that had transactions with Necker. As Necker faced trial in the Bastille, it was unknown how many more banks would be affected.

    That evening, dozens of anxious-looking nobles gathered in the great hall of the Royal Pce, eagerly looking to the Duke of Orleans for advice.

    "These banks are all implicated in bribery, illegal transactions, and the like, and will face hefty fines," said the Duke of Orleans with a worried look, "so no one will want to buy these banks, because nobody wants to take on the additional fines."

    A nobleman with a pained face said, "Then how can I get back the money I invested in the bank... I heard that ssen Bank is also in trouble."

    "Yes, please help us think of a way! It is said that more than ten banks have been scammed by that Necker."

    "Oh God, that''s half of my estate!"

    "If the bank goes bankrupt, all the money I''ve saved for over a decade will be gone..."

    Having stirred the crowd sufficiently, the Duke of Orleans then put on a show of difficulty, saying, "In fact, I too have invested a lot of money in the banks.

    "Right now, if Necker''s trial continues, those dozen banks will surely go under one after another.

    "So, unless the interrogation is stopped, no one can save our money."

    "Exactly!" someone immediately echoed loudly, "We must stop interrogating Necker."

    "We should suggest to the Royal Family that he be banished immediately!"

    "But, it is said that the evidence this time is conclusive, and the Royal Family might not agree..."

    The Duke of Orleans immediately pointed at the speaker, "Viscount Protodem is right. We must unite and put some pressure on the Royal Family to halt Necker''s trial."

    "But how can we pressure the Royal Family? Now even the High Court listens to the Royal Family."

    The Duke of Orleans revealed a smile, "Just follow my lead, we should do this..."

    ...

    Paris.

    In the office of the Industrial nning Bureau, Joseph looked at the report in his hand, unable to hide his glee.

    Bnger had actually confessed, and his bank had dered bankruptcy.

    Joseph had originally thought that he would struggle a bit, such as using a confession or renegotiating a loan agreement as bargaining chips to negotiate for a lighter sentence or even a pardon.

    Joseph had also prepared to "fleece" the bank on this deal, but unexpectedly, the other party surrendered outright.

    With Bnger Bank bankrupt, and without dealing with debts and credits, and no other bank willing to take over, all debts turned into bad debt, meaning that the French Government couldpletely avoid paying back the money it had borrowed from them.

    After all, the contract was signed with Bnger Bank, and with no bankruptcyw, liquidationw, and the like, if one party to the contract "dies," the contract can be terminated.

    That was a loan of 35.2 million livres!

    Just like that, it was written off.

    ```

    This kind of delight was far stronger than the hard-earned 35 million Joseph had used to repay the loans.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    It was like the joy of finding money while walking.

    He counted on his fingers, Carolina had said that there were a total of 13 banks with illegal dealings with Necker, even if all of them had loan amounts like the Bnger Bank, once all of them were dealt with, the government debt could be directly reduced by 450 million livres!!

    Faster than robbing a bank!

    Moreover, Bnger Bank was just a small-scale bank, a big bank like ssen Bank could have loan amounts of over a hundred million livres!

    Although France''s debt crisis could not be said to be resolved just like that, overall, it would be much easier to handle, and the dawn of aplete solution to the debt problem would also appear.

    After basking in the delight concerning the debt for a while, Joseph put down the documents, but he faintly felt that something was not quite right.

    Was there a problem somewhere?

    Seeing the bright sunshine outside the window, he decided to take a walk in the courtyard and contemte the problem.

    However, just as Joseph reached the entrance of the Industrial nning Bureau, he faintly heard the sound of a woman''s sobbinging from an office corner, along with another voiceforting her.

    "Thank goodness you withdrew the money to buy those two skirtsst month, otherwise the loss would have been greater."

    The woman choked, "But there''s still a full 80 livres in the bank ... how could it just copse like this?"

    "I heard it was those damned banks, all for a bit of filthy lucre, making deals with corrupt bureaucrats and getting caught."

    "What am I going to do? That was the money for repairing my house..."

    "Ah, what can be done? My neighbor lost even more, I think it was about 100 livres."

    At these words, Joseph was taken aback, suddenly understanding what was wrong.

    Not all of the money in the bank belonged to the bank itself, much of it came from depositors and investors!

    With the bank''s bankruptcy, the government no longer had to repay the loan, but it was these people who ultimately bore the loss.

    Although since John Law''s Mississippi Company incident, which led to widespread default by the Royal Bank, the French people''s trust in banks hit rock bottom, resulting in a very low savings rate.

    For example, it took his Bank of France Reserve more than four months to barely attract less than 200,000 livres in savings, but this small amount of money would cause significant problems in ordinary people''s lives.

    Then there was the money that the nobility invested in the banks, which was a muchrger sum.

    Indeed, more than half of some banks'' assets came from wealthy nobles, who then lent the money to the government to earn interest.

    While they might not struggle to live due to investment losses, the money they put in was clean, legitimate money.

    The government debt was indeed nearly half a billion less, but the sudden appearance of such arge financial ck hole in France would inevitably lead to social chaos.

    With this in mind, Joseph could not help but furrow his brows.

    It appeared that this massive debt had to "evaporate" slowly, not die abruptly.

    But how to go about it?

    As he pondered how to minimize the impact of the bank bankruptcies, he saw two carriages enter the yard of the Industrial nning Bureau.

    As the carriage door opened, Brian''s attendant was the first to get off, setting the steps in ce.

    Before he could open the door, Brian, impatient, pushed the door himself and stepped out, facing Joseph. He hurriedly came forward to greet him, and then said, "Your Highness, I''m afraid there might be trouble!"

    Joseph frowned and asked tentatively, "Is it rted to the bank bankruptcy?"

    Brian nodded, "Have you heard as well? Yes, the copse of the Bnger Bank was so sudden, causing many nobles to suffer heavy losses. It is said that someone lost millions of livres."

    He took a deep breath and added, "What''s more, many nobles, fearing other banks may copse suddenly, have gathered at the Petit Trianon Pce, requesting Her Majesty the Queen to issue a decree, to halt the interrogation of Necker."

    Joseph sneered, "I was originally nning to help them reduce the losses, but if they intend to threaten His Majesty with this, then they can''t me me for not being polite!"

    Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Brian said anxiously, "Your Highness, this matter could be very troublesome.

    "I''ve heard that nobles n to form an alliance, iming that if Necker''s interrogation isn''t stopped, they will no longer lend a sou to the government!"

 Chapter 202: Chapter 176: French Industrial Development Fund

    "Oh? They sure know how to exploit the government''s weaknesses," a cold light shed in Joseph''s eyes.

    After serving as the assistant to the Finance Minister, he had gained a clear understanding of France''s financial situation. A significant portion of the money borrowed by the government came from wealthy nobles, ounting for more than twenty percent.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    If one also considered the money nobles deposited in banks and the state bonds they purchased, they were arguably thergest group of creditors to the government''s debts.

    That is to say, if the nobles were to stop providing funds to the government, the national finances would quickly be unsustainable. Historically, these characters had instigated the "Anti-Tax Alliance," using tax resistance to ckmail the Royal Family, and ultimately they seeded.

    No wonder Brian came hurrying to Paris to find himself; he truly feared the nobles woulde to blows with the government.

    Brian said with an anxious look, "Your Highness, shall we postpone the trial of Necker and have him pay a fine first..."

    Joseph frowned, "What, are you scared by those nobles?"

    "No, it''s not that." Although Brian was saying "it''s not that," his expression was filled with tension, "But you know, if they really did that, even if only a small half of them did, the finances would..."

    Brian wanted to say more, but Joseph gestured towards his carriage, "Let''s go to the Pce of Versailles and discuss it on the way."

    The carriage started slowly, and inside, Joseph asked, "Archbishop Brienne, have there been simrmotions caused by bank bankruptcies before?"

    Brian shook his head in recollection, "Your Highness, it was usually just one bank with problems, and since it wasn''t rted to any case, the bankruptcy process wasn''t so swift, giving people time to manage their investments in the bank."

    "But this time Bnger Bank copsed too quickly, and with over a dozen more banks facing bankruptcy soon after, everyone is terrified."

    Joseph nodded, "So, the reason the nobles are reacting so furiously is because Bnger Bank did not settle its debts, nor did it announce a n to offset debts with credits, abandoning all their investors?"

    "Precisely, Your Highness."

    Joseph narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, then continued, "So, if someone were to acquire Bnger Bank now and promise the nobles to acknowledge and repay their investments, they''d immediately be satisfied and disperse?"

    Brian said with a pained expression, "But as it stands, nobody is willing to buy it, because no one knows how much the bank will have to pay in fines..."

    He paused as if realizing something, "You mean, to waive its fines?"

    Joseph immediately shook his head; if those involved banks weren''t penalized, wouldn''t that mean allowing them to sheer millions or even hundreds of millions of livres off the government for nothing!

    The current problems all focused on how to pay the nobles'' investments.

    He reviewed all the banking and financial operations from future knowledge, yet found no ready-made solution. Brian was even more clueless, only able to look at him with a frown.

    As trees and buildings whipped past the window, Joseph thought about the various ways these great nobles had previously hampered him and damaged the country, and he felt a surge of anger.

    He punched his fist onto the seat, grinding his teeth, "Just confiscate all those bastards'' money!"

    He exhaled, knowing it was just a temperamental outburst...

    Wait... a new thought urred to him. Although he couldn''t confiscate the nobles'' money, he could dy payment to them!

    If it could wait five or seven years for France''s financial issues to alleviate, the country would be fully capable of paying off these debts.

    Therefore, some tactics would be required to make the nobles "voluntarily" leave their money behind.

    When it came to tactics, he immediately thought of "debt-to-equity swap," but felt it wasn''t quite right; the shareholding system of that era was far from perfect, and it wouldn''t be easy to handle such arge amount.

    Then he considered a variation, something like a "debts-to-funds swap"...

    As the carriage left Paris City, Joseph looked up at Brian with a smile, "If no one acquires it, then my Bank of France Reserve will make the purchase."

    "Your bank?" Brian eximed in shock, "Your Highness, if you want to acquire Bnger Bank, not only will you need the acquisition costs, but you will also need to prepare arge sum to pay the investments the nobles might reim."

    "And even if you manage to gather the funds to acquire Bnger Bank, there are still over a dozen more banks that are going to fail. You can''t possibly acquire all of them, can you?"

    Joseph smiled, "Why not? I indeed n to acquire all of them."

    "But where would you get such a vast amount of money?"

    Joseph shook his head, "There won''t be a need for much money."

    "The banks'' credits minus their debts generally result in an asset bnce of several million to tens of millions of livres. And because of these cases, the government can impose fines equal to the value of these assets."

    "Then the government can use the amount fined to invest in the Bank of France Reserve, allowing the bank toplete the acquisition at zero cost."

    The so-called bank''s credits were the loans lent out, most of which were to the government. The debts were the deposits from the public and the investments from the nobles. After offsetting the two, plus the bank''s cash, tangible assets, and so on, one has the bank''s assets.

    Brian patiently exined, "Your Highness, that is true in the ledger ounts. But once you''ve acquired those banks, if the nobles want to reim their investments, you will need to pay them. Meanwhile, the assets, which are loans to the government, cannot be recovered immediately."

    Joseph calmly said, "As long as the nobles don''t reim their investments, that will do."

 Chapter 203 - 176 French Industrial Development Fund_2

    Brian sighed, "Your Highness, but what if they don¡¯t cooperate with you? Especially after this recent turmoil, they¡¯ll surely feel that keeping their money in the bank is not safe enough..."

    Josephughed and waved his hand, "Then it¡¯s not up to them."

    Two hourster, the carriage stopped in the Marble Courtyard.

    As soon as Joseph got out of the carriage, he heard someone outside the Pce of Versailles shouting loudly, "For the financial stability of France, the interrogation of Necker must be stopped!"

    "Please, Your Majesty, grant us your mercy and leniency!"

    "If banks keep going bankrupt, I¡¯ll never dare to buy government bonds again..."

    "Right, and government loans too! We¡¯ve got to hold tight to our own purses!"

    Joseph looked at those excited nobles, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, and signaled to Brian beside him, "Archbishop Brian, the door is about to be blocked by them, let us go to the Petit Trianon Pce first."

    "Alright, Your Highness."

    No sooner had they walked a short distance when they saw a plump figure, with wavy hair bouncing, trotting towards them.

    "Count Mono?" Brian halted.

    The Minister of the Interior bowed to Joseph and Brian in turn, then hesitated and said, "Your Highness, where are you going? I have some suggestions I¡¯d like to discuss with you."

    Joseph smiled, "We¡¯re going to see Queen Mary. You can join us. Oh, what is it you want to discuss?"

    Mono hurried to catch up, with an apologetic smile, "Your Highness, regarding Necker¡¯s case, perhaps it might be better to postpone it for a while."

    "Oh? Why?"

    "Look, many nobles will suffer huge losses because of this. You have to be their advocate, right? This is definitely a good opportunity to enhance the prestige of the Royal Family."

    Joseph nced at him but said nothing.

    Mono rambled on for a while, realizing he couldn¡¯t bluff his way through, and could only wring his plump hands andugh dryly:

    "Your Highness, actually, I also have some investments in ssen Bank.

    "Of course, I¡¯ve already requested to withdraw the money, but as you know, the bank needs 20 days to raise the funds. If we could continue with Necker¡¯s case after 20 days..."

    "How much did you invest?"

    "Ah, it was over 700,000 livres."

    Joseph rubbed his forehead and said coldly, "You know how much of an impact Necker¡¯s affair has. At this time, is it your choice to support me or your 700,000?"

    Mono¡¯s forehead beaded with sweat as he said with difficulty, "Of, of course I support you. You know I always follow your orders. But the bank..."

    "That¡¯s good." Joseph gestured towards the Petit Trianon Pce, "Come with meter to persuade Queen Mary."

    "Ah? Persuade Her Majesty about what?"

    "To step forward and establish the ¡¯French Industrial Development Fund¡¯."

    One hourter.

    Queen Mary looked at the three men before her, finally turning to Brian and said, "Are you sure this ¡¯Industrial Development Fund¡¯ will keep those people outside from bothering me?"

    Brian hurriedly responded, "Yes, Your Majesty, I guarantee it."

    Joseph added, "It will also significantly reduce the national debt."

    The opinions of two Cab Ministers, highly trusted by the two Queens, convinced her, and she finally nodded, "Then fine, do it as you say. After all, it doesn¡¯t require any government money."

    She furrowed her brows slightly, "However, what Archbishop Brian just said about those ¡¯funds,¡¯ ¡¯bonds,¡¯ and the like is a bitplicated, I¡¯m not certain if I can remember it all by morning."

    Joseph immediately interjected, "I can assist you with that."

    The Queen immediately smiled and touched his head, "Dear, your mind is always so sharp, I¡¯m simply green with envy. You shall exin it tomorrow then."

    When the three of them came out from the Petit Trianon Pce, Joseph gestured to Brian, "Archbishop Brian, then please trouble you to announce to the nobles as discussed earlier."

    "Very well, Your Highness."

    Brian left, and Joseph turned to Mono, "To be honest, I never expected you would disrupt my arrangement for a bit of money."

    Mono was startled and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please forgive me, I didn¡¯t mean to..."

    Joseph raised his hand to interrupt him, "Rest assured, your money will not be less, and it will even be more. Especially your shares in the Bank of France Reserve, the future profits will be enough for you to live in luxury for a lifetime."

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He left the Minister of the Interior with a bewildered face and hurried towards Louis XVI¡¯s workshop.

    The King was much easier to talk to than Queen Mary. Joseph took just over ten minutes to persuade him to attend the "Industrial Development Fund" briefing tomorrow.

    In fact, during those ten minutes, more than half of the time was spent helping Sixteen ovee the fear he would face when confronting dozens or hundreds of people.

    ...

    North Africa.

    In a fortress-like prison to the east of the Mitidja area of Algiers.

    Charles listlessly piled the dust on the ground into a small castle, asionally turning his head to look at the tiny air vent behind him.

    The sunlight seeping in through it let him know that he had been locked up in this damned ce for a full eight months. Explore new worlds at NovelBin.C?m

    The shipmates who had been captured with him had already been ransomed one by one or had turned into corpses.

    Only he had not been able to return.

    Not because no one cared about him, quite the contrary, because, as the first mate of the "Golden Wheat," he had be the most valuable person on the ship after the captain had died in the pirate attack that day.

    To be honest, he didn¡¯t like his "noble" price at all, because it meant the Congress couldn¡¯te up with enough money to ransom him.

    The sound of dragging footsteps came from the end of the gloomy corridor. Charles hurriedlyy on the ground and peered through a crack in the wall towards the neighboring cell. It was empty.

    He became somewhat anxious, kicked the bars of the cell fiercely, and then lowered his voice to call out, "Ali! Ali, the guard ising, did you hear me?"

    As the legs of the owner of the dragging footsteps appeared from the shadows, a corner of the bed in the neighboring cell was pushed open, and a stalwart middle-aged man with a beard poked his head out.

    The man moved swiftly, "hissed" through a hole beneath the bed in one second, covered the hole with debris, and posed as if seated on the bed.

    The guard happened to walk up to Ali¡¯s cell door, nced indifferently inside, and shoved a piece of dry bread and a bowl of yellow-green soup, the ingredients of which were unknown, through the small opening under the cell door.

    He then delivered the same lunch to Charles andzily walked on to the next cell.

    Charlesy on the ground looking towards the neighboring cell, saw the bearded man eagerly eating the dry bread, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Hey! Can you be a little more alert? I thought I would never be able to talk to you again."

    Ali, speaking English with a strange ent,ughed, "Don¡¯t worry, I always know the position of the guards. I was just trying to work a bit longer."

    "Oh, but you¡¯ll have to find someone else to chat with in the future."

    "Find someone else?" Charles sat up in surprise, "What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you going to be hanged?"

    "Look at what you¡¯re saying?" Ali grumbled while chewing the bread, lowering his voice, "In three days or less, I¡¯ll be able to escape."

    "Someone is willing to pay the ransom for you?" Charles felt somewhat sad, "But congrattions to you. Although besides you, there¡¯s no one else here who speaks English to talk to me. I¡¯ll miss you."

    Ali grimaced, "No one is paying for me. But my tunnel is about to break through."

    "A tunnel? Haha," Charlesughed, "Do you really think it¡¯s possible to escape from this hellish ce by digging a tunnel?

    "This is the most well-guarded prison in Algiers!"

    He once againy down to get closer to the crack in the wall, "Do you know? Even the Pasha of Tunisia was locked up here. Oh, they say in some cell upstairs. Do you think just because you¡¯ve been digging for two months, you can escape from here? Haha."

    Ali muttered disdainfully, "Obviously you¡¯ve never lived in Mitidja."

    "Yeah, I¡¯m American, it¡¯s my first time here," Charles shrugged, "Invited by the warm and hospitable pirate gentlemen."

    "So you don¡¯t know, the Pasha of Tunisia escaped more than a decade ago. The guards in this prison are fools, it¡¯s easy to slip away."

    "What? He escaped?" Charles¡¯s eyes widened, "How is that possible?"

    "Everyone in Mitidja knows about it," Ali gestured upwards, "The one locked there is a fake, to fool the Guard during inspections."

 Chapter 204 - 177: The Banking Industryâ€™s Major Earthquake

    "Haha, that¡¯s quite the amusing joke," Charlesughed even louder.

    He had been running the Mediterranean route for over ten years and had some understanding of the situation in the North African countries. The Tunisian Pasha imprisoned here was named Eunice, but he wasn¡¯t actually a true Pasha.

    "Pasha" referred to the Governor of Tunisia, appointed by the Ottoman Empire, who was in practice the King of Tunisia. Eunice had led a rebellion as a prince and proimed himself Pasha. His efforts, however, were crushed by his father. He then fled to Algiers and was imprisoned.

    How could such an important figure have escaped so easily?

    Ali took a sip of his soup and began today¡¯s story. This was a daily ritual between him and Charles, where they would share their experiences to pass the time¡ªdigging tunnels was impossible in the afternoon when the guards would make their rounds.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "I really shouldn¡¯t mention this to anyone, but since you¡¯re an American, there¡¯s no harm in speaking of it."

    After finishing his food, Ali wiped his mouth and said, "Don¡¯t think of Lord Eunice as a mere prisoner. Back in Tunisia, he had many followers, including several generals. And when he came to Algiers, he brought with him arge fortune."

    "He was locked up here by the Guard, but it took less than a year for someone to help him escape."

    "Now he lives on the West Coast, wealthy and powerful, and even owns a beautiful castle. Many there rely on him for their livelihood."

    Charles scoffed, "These legends always sound so mythical, like the Ghost Pirates of the Caribbean."

    Ali immediately responded, "This is no legend, my friend. You know what I do. My boss has met Lord Eunice and even dined with him."

    Charles knew that Ali was a smuggler with extensive operations, handling one-seventh of the smuggled goods from Ennd to Algiers each year. That was also the reason he wasn¡¯t hanged immediately after being caught¡ªhis boss might be willing to pay a ransom for his release.

    Ali continued to speak of Eunice, indicating that smuggling operations on the Algiers West Coast couldn¡¯t proceed without Eunice¡¯s approval.

    Sometimes he even took a cut from the Algiers Navy¡¯s deals.

    Charles spat on the floor with annoyance¡ªhe had been captured by the "Navy" of Algiers.

    The "story salon" only came to an end when darkness fell and Ali resumed his digging.

    Two dayster, when the guard came to deliver food, they discovered that Ali had escaped.

    Charles, watching the soldiers cursing around the hole in the opposite cell, was greatly shocked and filled with regret¡ªif he had believed Ali and dug a tunnel to the adjacent cell, he could have escaped with him!

    He sighed heavily, looking at the ceiling, recalling Ali¡¯s often-repeated words, "My friend, once we¡¯re out of here, I¡¯ll treat you to the finest fermented grape juice and the most beautiful girls. Oh, remember my address..."

    Stay updated through NovelBin.C?m

    That afternoon, a piece of news began circting among the nobles at the Pce of Versailles¡ªthe Queen has decided to establish the "French Industrial Development Fund."

    No one was quite clear on what a "fund" was, but it was generally understood that the government would amass arge sum of money to invest in France¡¯s industry, and anyone could contribute to the fund, sharing in the profits if the investments were sessful.

    It sounded a bit like buying into apany, but it seemed far less risky. However, as the fund¡¯s total amount was rumored to be up to hundreds of millions of livres, it immediately became a topic of interest.

    The next morning, the "Necker Case Alliance" gathered in front of the main gate of the Pce of Versailles and began loudly protesting.

    Their numbers had grown since the previous day, now totaling over four hundred.

    In reality, thousands of nobles had investments in banks implicated in the Necker case, but many were afraid to make a fuss.

    However, once the headstrong few hundred opened the way, the rest were bound to follow suit.

    Viscount Protodem stood on the steps in front of the main gate, shouted some slogans, then gestured dramatically, "Follow me as we plead with the Queen!"

    Although it was called pleading, it was actually a threat of "not lending money to the government" to force the Royal Family¡¯s hand.

    Just as the crowd was about to turn towards the Petit Trianon Pce, two toons of pce guards in red uniforms ran over and, following the officer¡¯smands, took positions around them.

    The nobles were slightly startled, thinking the Royal Family intended to use the guards to disperse them, but those who lived at Versailles were ustomed to such spectacles and showed no fear. Instead, they prepared to confront the soldiers with even louder protests.

    It was then that Archbishop Brienne emerged from the main gate of the Pce of Versailles, apanied by the Crown Prince and a group of officials from the finance department.

    The nobles from the "Necker Case Alliance" paused briefly, then redirected their focus onto the Finance Minister, "Archbishop Brienne, please advise the Queen to halt the interrogation of Necker!"

    "Using Necker to use those banks must be a Cab conspiracy!"

    "Archbishop Brienne, please give serious consideration to our financial issues and put an end to the Necker case."

    "Indeed, otherwise we shall no longer purchase any government bonds!"

    With a smile, Brienne raised his hand for silence, then proimed loudly, "Necker¡¯s tenure was marked by serious embezzlement, and the interrogation of him cannot be stopped."

    "Moreover, the implicated banks will indeed face severe punishment," Joseph added from the side. He appeared there as the assistant to the Finance Minister, primarily responsible for supporting the argument.

 Chapter 205: Chapter 177: The Major Earthquake in the Banking Sector_2

    The nobles below instantly became agitated, "You can''t do this!"

    "What will we do if those banks go bankrupt?"

    "We shall petition Her Majesty the Queen!"

    "I have some good news for everyone," Brian''s voice calmed the crowd, "The Bank of France Reserve will acquire Bnger Bank, taking over the previous debts of the bank."

    The bulk of the bank''s debt was the nobles'' investments.

    The nobles of the "Necker Alliance" burst into cheers, "Acquisition? That''s excellent!"

    "Long live His Majesty the King! Long live the Bank of France Reserve!"

    "We are saved atst!"

    However, some quick-witted nobles immediately spotted the problem and asked loudly, "Archbishop Brian, does the Bank of France Reserve have sufficient funds?"

    "Yes! There may be more banks with issues in the future, is the Bank of France Reserve going to acquire them too?"

    Brian nodded, "Yes. The government will take a share in the Bank of France Reserve. With the bank''s existing assets, there should be tens of millions of funds."

    Before the nobles could raise any objections, Joseph stepped forward and said, "Indeed, these funds are far from enough to cover your investments in the banks, but illegal banks must also be punished!

    "So, the benevolent Queen has decided to set up the French Industrial Development Fund to protect everyone''s money from loss."

    He then exined the purpose of the fund, concluding with:

    "All investment certificates from banks acquired by the Bank of France Reserve can be invested in the industrial development fund."

    His words immediately triggered painful memories of the "Mississippi Company fraud" among the crowd¡ªwhere John Law had once had people exchange government bonds for shares in the Mississippi Company, ending in massive losses.

    An intense wave of protest erupted from the nobles. Joseph waited for them to quiet down before brandishing a document, "The industrial development fund is guaranteed by the Bank of France Reserve and the finances of France.

    "Firstly, the ounts of the fund will bepletely transparent, and any customer investing over 500,000 livres can inspect the ounts at any time.

    "The fund will announce its budget at the beginning of each year. It will also publish a financial statement every six months, detailing earnings."

    "Furthermore, we will require allpanies receiving investment to likewise disclose their operations and ept financial audits from the fund."

    "Lastly, all affairs of the fund will be decided by the fundmittee, without government interference."

    Transparency and open ounting,monce inter times, were highly progressive in the 18th century. Even the most transparently managedpanies like the British East India Company were far from this level of openness.

    Upon hearing this, the nobles below began to whisper among themselves, and the "nts" arranged by Joseph in advance also began to chime in:

    "If we can check the ounts at any time, that seems very secure."

    "Mainly, with the guarantee of the Bank of France Reserve and government finances, I think there''s no problem."

    "Plus, it''s an investment in domestic industries, unlike the distant American ''gold mines,'' where we can see the operational conditions all the time."

    Theirments influenced more people, and before long, the nobles began nodding in agreement.

    Viscount Protodem and his ilk, seeing the tide turn against them, loudly said, "What fund? Who knows how it will be managed in the future? It''s safest to halt Necker''s trial!"

    Joseph sneered, "Archbishop Brian has just said, the case must be thoroughly investigated!"

    "Then we can only consider not lending money to the government anymore..."

    No sooner had Viscount Protodem finished his sentence than Joseph''s "nts" began to murmur to those around them, "I think, it''s impossible for everyone to stop lending money to the government."

    "Why? Didn''t we seed that time we refused to pay taxes?"

    "Hehe, that was about giving money away. If you say no, of course everyone would agree. But this is about lending money to the government, where you can earn interest."

    "I guess in the end, everyone will say they won''t lend, but in private, it''ll be the same as ever."

    "Yes, they deceived us by not lending money to the government, and after the interest on government bonds went up, they invested in secret,"

    "Now, lending to the government seems the safest option. Look at what happened when investments were made in banks; such a huge trouble it caused."

    In just over ten minutes, the nobles became unwilling to bring up the matter of "refusing to lend money to the government"¡ªpreviously mentioned as a means of ckmailing the Royal Family. But now, with the solution provided by the French Industrial Development Fund, who would want to quarrel with interest rates?

    At that moment, a messenger reined in his horse not far away and hurried over, delivering a letter to Brian.

    After quickly skimming through the letter, thetter loudly announced, "Just now, it was confirmed that Necker had three illegal transactions with ssen Bank. Eleven bank managers were arrested, and an exhaustive inspection of the bank''s ounts is underway."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The nobles present immediately panicked, especially those with investments in ssen Bank, breaking out in profuse sweat.

    Based on the situation with Bnger Bank previously, a bank under scrutiny would likely go bankrupt soon. Their money was going to be lost!

    In reality, if these banks operated normally, even when illegal issues surfaced, they could finance the payment of fines and recover after a few years.

    However, the Duke of Orleans, in an attempt to force the French finances into a corner, caused Bnger Bank to go bankrupt at breakneck speed, terrifying the investing nobility. This led other nobles to withdraw their money from various banks, severely tightening the banks'' capital.

    Now, with the Necker case on their hands, the banks had no ability to manage their funds, leaving bankruptcy as the only option.

    Of course, the timing of announcing ssen Bank''s troubles was also prearranged by Joseph.

    The nobles on the scene couldn''t hold back any longer, especially those who invested in ssen Bank, shouting loudly, "I''m willing to transfer the money in the bank to invest in the Industrial Development Fund!"

    "I am also investing, please give me a copy of the agreement!"

    "I want one too!"

    "And me..."

    Joseph stepped forward at just the right moment, signaling for everyone to be quiet, "I must rify one point in advance: if you are transferring bank investments to the Industrial Development Fund, you must wait five years before you can withdraw all of the principal."

    This was the key to the "bond-to-fund" model¡ªto buffer the panic and prevent a run on the banks by the investing nobility. Actually, if the fund were profitable, they likely wouldn''t withdraw their funds after five years. Who wouldn''t want to make money?

    Upon hearing "not until after five years," people hesitated again.

    Brian, following the script, delivered the final hit, "To ensure the safety of everyone''s investments, the French Industrial Development Fund guarantees a full refund of the investment if there is a loss for six consecutive months. If the fund''s capital is insufficient, the French Treasury will take over and pay the debts!"

    The eyes of the nobles present immediately lit up again.

    If the fund makes money, just sit back and enjoy the profits. If it loses money, the government guarantee ensures the return of the investment.

    What''s there to worry about?

    Even with potential risks, they couldn''t be bothered with that now; transferring their money to the Industrial Development Fund was far better than it going up in smoke with a bank''s bankruptcy.

    Brian''s officers immediately signaled to the crowd that they could visit the Finance Minister''s office to collect the "bond-to-fund" agreement.

    Almost instantly, the crowd in front of the Pce of Versailles disappeared without a trace. Viscount Protodem, seeing that he couldn''t stop the crowd, frowned and hesitated for a few seconds before quietly making his way upstairs.

    Around midday, the King and Queen personally held a ceremony to establish the "French Industrial Development Fund," once again endorsing the fund in their royal capacity.

    As the news spread, nobles involved in bank investments rushed to the Finance Minister''s office, and soon the doors of the office were overwhelmed and broken by the crowd.

    A dayter, under tremendous pressure from Carolina, Necker finally copsed¡ªhis shady dealings with the banks were urately reconstructed by them, resulting in the downfall of two banks already.

    After receiving a promise of leniency for his confession, Necker spilled all the beans about his illegal transactions with the banks.

    Carolina also breathed a sigh of relief.

    He had ced the cases with more evidence and was confident of their oue in the front, which is why he could process them so quickly.

    If Necker kept mum, the following investigations would have slowed down significantly, with nearly half of the transactions being ones he wasn''t confident he could resolve.

    But Necker surrendered. A major earthquake in the French banking industry wasing!

 Chapter 206: Chapter 178 The Central Bank of France

    Bastille, in the interrogation room on the third floor.

    Viscount Carolina was satisfyingly arranging Necker''s confession, ncing at him with the corner of his eye, "Mr. Necker, thank you for cooperating with my work. Now, my task is finished. What remains is between you and the representatives of the Royal Family."

    As he was speaking, the door opened, and several Secret Police officers escorted in a nobleman wearing silver-rimmed sses and a resplendent blue long coat.

    "Look, Count Herman is here."

    Viscount Carolina rose and exchanged pleasantries with Count Herman, yielding the seat of the Chief Examiner. However, thetter did not sit down but instead took a document from his assistant and ced it in front of Necker.

    "Mr. Necker, ording to the interrogationmission''s report, the total amount of your embezzlement is 8,927,000 livres."

    He looked toward Viscount Carolina, who immediately nodded to confirm the uracy of the amount.

    Count Herman continued, "Her Majesty the Queen, in ordance with her previous promise, has decided to punish you leniently, so the penalty is only 2 million livres. The total is..."

    "11,927,000 livres." Viscount Carolina answered smilingly.

    "Oh, yes. Thank you, Viscount Carolina."

    Count Herman then turned to Necker: "So, all you need to do is return the ill-gotten money and pay the fine, and you can leave here."

    "The Queen has also graciously permitted you to choose whether to go to Lorraine or Foix."

    He patted the document on the table: "Look, this is the pardon issued by Her Majesty."

    For Necker''s case, being exiled to maind France was definitely a special pardon.

    Necker had long since lost any thought of resistance, took the pen and paper, and wrote down an address and a series of numbers.

    He handed the paper to Count Herman, resigning to his fate, "Go here, there''s a safe, inside which are bank drafts and the method of withdrawal. This is the code."

    "I''m not sure if it''s enough for 12 million livres, but it should be over 10 million... That''s really all there is."

    The representative of the Royal Family took the paper and nodded, "Thank you for your cooperation. So, you''ll have to stay here for a while, until these funds are fully transferred. Additionally, I must inform you, the shortfall will have to be covered by your houses and estates."

    "Do whatever you want..."

    Count Herman left, and Viscount Carolina, somewhat dissatisfied, curled his lip; he hadn''t expected Necker to end up only in exile ¨C he''d thought the man would have to stay in jail for years.

    But what he didn''t know was that Joseph had no intention of simply letting Necker off the hook.

    Necker''s predecessor as Finance Minister was Jacques Duergo, a highly capable economist. During his tenure, heid the foundations for France''s capitalist economy with a series of financial reforms, heralding the "golden age" of the 18th century for France.

    Once Necker seeded him, he quickly halted Duergo''s reform policies and instead maintained the finances through heavy borrowing, eventually leading France into a debt abyss.

    For such a "termite" like Necker, how could Joseph let him get away with a simple exile? The French tradition of leniency towards the upper ss would not stand with him!

    Of course, everything had to wait until Necker had coughed up all the money, and it was essential not to tarnish the Royal Family with the stain of going back on their word.

    ...

    Royal Pce.

    Duke of Orleans looked at the newspaper in his hands with an ashen face¡ªtoday, nearly all of Paris''s newspapers published the French Industrial Development Fund''s notice of disclosure.

    Apart from some basic information about the fund, the disclosure mainly announced theposition of the sole management body¡ªthe Management Committee of the fund.

    Themittee had ten seats, six of which were elected by the clients with the highest investment amounts, one seat held or appointed by the Finance Minister, one appointed by the Bank of France Reserve, and thest two were appointed by the Royal Family.

    All matters rted to the fund were decided by themittee, and neither the Royal Family nor the government had the right to intervene. Of course, what he didn''t know was that Joseph had left a "backdoor" open¡ª the French Government was the client with the highest investment amount, followed by him, the Crown Prince, and then the Royal Family.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Hence, out of those six seats, at least four could be secured. Adding the two seats inherent to the Royal Family and one from the Bank of France Reserve, he could ensure absolute control over the fund.

    Duke of Orleans irritably tossed the newspaper aside.

    He had anticipated that the malicious bankruptcy of the banks would cause panic among the nobility, and also predicted that the French Government would be unable to pay back the nobles'' investments. He just had to wait for the nobles to unite and pressure the pce, forcing the Royal Family to capitte, thus interrupting the Necker case.

    But what he could never have expected was that the government woulde up with an "Industrial Development Fund"! Merely with a concept, they had "sucked" in all the money the nobles had invested in the banking sector, thus quickly calming the nobles'' panic.

    When he first heard about the fund, he was ready to use the history of the "Mississippi Company" to lead the nobles to think of it as a "scam."

    However, as soon as he saw this "fund disclosure" information, he immediately knew this approach would not work.

    The management and operation of the "Industrial Development Fund" were too transparent, managed by amittee model, where investors could check ounts at any time, investors could form an independent auditmittee, and any losses were immediately reimbursed...

    There was no room left for any "darkness" to seep through. Inevitably, since funds had developed over many years inter times, the obvious loopholes had been closed, and Joseph only needed to copy them.

    Duke of Orleans was well aware that if he could not leverage the power of the nobility, banks involved in the Necker case would be burst one by one. And if he couldn''t preserve theserge banks, his influence in the Banking Guild would plummet greatly.

 Chapter 207: Chapter 178: The Bank of France_2

    The situation was even more embarrassing for him, as he himself had tens of millions of livres invested and was stuck in several banks that had run into trouble.

    He couldn''t help but let out a long sigh. Did he have to turn to the Industrial Development Fund as well?

    The door opened, and the butler Donadian walked in and bowed, "Master, all the guests have arrived."

    The Duke of Orleans nodded, rose from his seat with extreme fatigue, and walked toward the grand hall on the second floor.

    The two-story-high doors were pushed open by guards, but the scene behind them sent a chill through his heart¡ªapart from about ten people from the Banking Guild, there were only seven or eight nobles, sparsely standing in the vast hall.

    Just a few days ago when he had convened the nobility to counteract Necker''s policies with "not borrowing money from the government," the hall had been bustling with people, hardly any space to stand.

    The morale of the people had dissipated...

    As the "pir" arrived, those in the hall quickly gathered around to pay their respects.

    The Duke of Orleans was about to say something to boost their spirits when the Marquis of Ludo, looking anxious, spoke up, "Your Grace, I heard from a friend that Necker''s interrogation is over, and he must have told them everything."

    He nced behind him and asked, "What are we to do?"

    Of course, the Duke of Orleans already knew about it. If there had been a solution, he would have used it already. Why would he wait until now?

    Seeing that he didn''t respond, the Marquis of Ludo asked carefully, "Your Grace, do you think we should discuss terms with the Royal Family?"

    The Duke of Orleans, feeling helpless, looked up at the crystal chandelier. Just then, someone came in and whispered something to the butler, who immediately reported to him, "Master, we''ve just received news that arge number of police are heading to the City Trade Bank."

    The owner of the City Trade Bank, De Lachaussee-Poulet, immediately turned pale and without even excusing himself, he turned and ran out.

    ...

    In the streets and alleys of Paris, people were talking about the recent session of bank bankruptcies.

    "Today, the City Trade Bank was also seized; I wonder if it will go bankrupt."

    "It''s as certain as the sun not falling from the sky. The bank managers have been arrested; I even saw the police stuffing them into a carriage at noon."

    "It''s said that there are many more banks involved. Who knows when it will all end..."

    "Oh God, my 60 livres in the bank, just gone like that!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "What? Don''t you read the newspapers?"

    "Read the newspapers?"

    "The paper says the bankrupt banks have been acquired by the Bank of France Reserve. Previous deposits can be withdrawn there."

    "Really?! You''re not joking, right?"

    "It''s in the papers; just submit an application, and you can withdraw the funds in no more than half a month. Or you can also convert it to a deposit with the Bank of France Reserve."

    "That''s great, thank you! I''ll go apply right away!"

    ...

    At the Pce of Versailles.

    Joseph was reviewing thetest acquisition report.

    In recent times, the Bank of France Reserve hadpleted the acquisition of four bankrupt banks and was currently tallying ounts and receiving various assets.

    Just the branches of the Bank of France Reserve in Paris had increased to more than a dozen overnight, although most of them hadn''t even had time to change their signs.

    Joseph frowned as he read the report, which mentioned the problem of staff shortages¡ªmainly a severeck of management.

    The management of the banks involved in Necker''s case were mostly arrested, and the Bank of France Reserve couldn''t possibly provide that many managers at such short notice.

    He had intentionally slowed down the pace of blowing up the banks involved; if all thirteen banks were to be demolished at once, it''s feared that a good half of France''s financial market would fall into chaos due to management problems.

    "The foundation is still not solid enough," Joseph shook his head in private, realizing that it would take at least half a year to fully absorb these financial assets.

    However, time wasn''t an issue. For these bankrupt banks, nobody was willing, nor dared, topete with the Bank of France Reserve.

    The Bank of France Reserve didn''t have much money, but the shareholder lineup was intimidating enough to deter anypetitors¡ªthe King and the Queen each owned 5%, the Prince of Conde 4%, the Count of Artuwa 4%. The Finance Minister, the Minister of the Interior, and the head of the Secret Police also owned shares. Of course, thergest shareholder was still the Crown Prince of France.

    However, to establish the French Industrial Development Fund, the French Treasury had now be a major shareholder of the Bank of France Reserve.

    After Joseph himself made a substantial additional investment, other shareholders'' stakes were diluted somewhat. The current shareholding structure was as follows: the French Government held 40%, the Crown Prince 41%, the King and Queen 4% each, Conde and Artuwa 3% each, Mono 2%, and Brian and Robel each held 1.5%.

    Following the acquisition of four major banks, the nominal assets of the Bank of France Reserve had reached an astonishing 190 million livres!

    However, the bulk of that was loans to the government. The bank''s debts were transferred to the Industrial Development Fund through an investment agreement with the nobility. In other words, the Bank of France Reserve now owed the Industrial Development Fund hundreds of millions of livres.

    Fortunately, the agreement stipted that withdrawals could not be made within five years, otherwise the Development Fund would almost immediately copse.

    In the future, France''s finances would invest in various industrial industries in the name of the Development Fund, and all this money would be considered as repayment for the loans from the Bank of France Reserve.

    The Bank of France Reserve would then transfer these investments to the Development Fund, and once the investments yielded returns, the Development Fund would also profit.

    In this way, the expenditures of the French finances would no longer all flow into the pockets of bank capital, but would be used to support industrial development. The profits from the industrial industries would in turn support the finances, creating a truly virtuous cycle.

    Of course, this was just Joseph''s theoretical design; actual operation would surely encounter many problems, but these were the unavoidable tuition fees of industrial development.

    At least, after the Bank of France Reserve took over the loans from the bankrupt banks, it would renegotiate the loan agreements with the French Government, significantly reducing the interest rates.

    As for how much the interest rate should be reduced, Joseph nned to wait until all the acquisitions wereplete before having Brian calcte the total amount of loans the Bank of France Reserve would acquire, then deduce how high an interest rate would allow the French finances to maintain a bnce.

    Then, the new agreement would be signed ording to this interest rate.

    No matter what, it would absolutely be much lower than the current staggering interest rate of over 15% on loans from the French finances.

    Afterpleting the acquisition of the thirteen banks involved, Joseph''s next n was to gradually take control of the French financial industry using the massive scale of the Bank of France Reserve¡ªalthough it didn''t have actual cash, the nominal loan amount was astronomical¡ªand then step by step, transform the Bank of France Reserve into France''s "Central Bank."

    This process was bound to encounter some administrative issues, as well as resistance from the existing banking capital, but if it could be aplished smoothly, then the French Royal Family, or rather, the Crown Prince of France, would firmly grasp the financial lifeline of France!

    Joseph signed the operational n submitted by the manager of the Bank of France Reserve, contemting when would be an appropriate time to detonate the next bank when Eman gently knocked on the door, saying, "Your Highness, Archbishop Brian has arrived, and he''s brought three bankers with him."

    "Oh? Bankers?" Joseph was somewhat surprised but still got up and said, "Please show them to the sitting room."

    Shortly after, in the spacious sitting room, Brian and others sessively paid respectful homage to the Crown Prince, and then Brian gestured toward the people behind him: "Your Highness, please allow me to introduce them. This is the Marquis of Ludo, this is Count Capefield, and this is Mr. Bouvarandere."

    Joseph narrowed his eyes; he had been frequently reviewing the Necker case filestely and was very familiar with the banks involved. These three men were the owners of three of those banks. At the same time, they had another identity, that of the leaders of the Bank of France Guild.

    He invited them to sit down and asked with a smile, "May I know why you gentlemen are here to see me?"

    Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Ludo and the others were so agitated they were near tears.

    The Duke of Orleans couldn''t save them, so they decided topromise with the government, or rather, beg for mercy.

    However, they couldn''t even find a ce to beg. First, they went to the Secret Police, who told them they were just cooperating with the arrests. Then they went to the Police Headquarters, and through it found a mysterious department called the Police Affairs Department, only to be advised that they were just following orders.

    Afterward, the Marquis of Ludo and his associates turned to the High Court, the internal administration system, but both were clueless. Finally, they found the financial system, and after paying a considerable amount of "benefits," they learned that the real mastermind behind the Necker case was the current Crown Prince.

    Then, after spending more money, they finally managed to see the Crown Prince with the help of Brian.

    The Marquis of Ludo spoke very nervously, "Your esteemed Highness, the Crown Prince, the things we did with Necker before were grievous mistakes, oh no, severe crimes! We havee to deeply realize our errors.

    "We dare not seek your forgiveness, only to atone for our previous misdeeds.

    "Your merciful Highness, from now on, we are your most humble servants. Just nod, and whatever youmand us to do, we will agree without hesitation!"

 Chapter 208: Chapter 179 Malas Self-Doubt

    Joseph was pondering how best to deal with these individuals when he heard Earl Capefield chuckle:

    "Your Highness, besides us, there are banks such as the Trade Credit Bank and Ravel Bank who also wish to gain your forgiveness..."

    The Marquis of Ludo red at him harshly to prevent him from continuing, thinking to himself that he should not have brought this fool along. If it were not for the Capefield Family''s great influence in the Banking Guild, with this fool''s brains, the family''s properties might have gone bankrupt ten times over!

    "Oh?" Joseph, however, looked towards Capefield, "How many banks do you represent this time?"

    Thetter hurriedly pointed outside the window: "Seven, Your Highness. They are all waiting outside the Pce of Versailles."

    Seven banks? All were influential major banks involved in the Necker case. Joseph nced at the few men, suddenly realizing that this might be an opportunity to prematurely start the "Central Bank" of France.

    Moreover, it was difficult for the Bank of France Reserve to absorb so many banks now, so letting them give up some interests and ept regtion was not uneptable. If this could expedite the establishment of the "Central Bank," that would be a great gain.

    Joseph immediately smiled, not following the rhythm of the people in front of him but directly saying:

    "Do you wish to preserve your banks?"

    The Marquis of Ludo and the others were clearly stunned, then hesitantly nodded their heads "bashfully":

    "If you could bestow your grace..."

    Joseph smiled lightly: "Can you represent the four banks outside?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Marquis of Ludo nodded again and again: "Yes, Your Highness. They have entrusted me with full authority."

    "Very well," Joseph nodded, "I have several conditions."

    The Marquis of Ludo and the others immediately perked up their ears.

    "First, you will reduce the loans to the government by 10%, and the loan agreements will be renegotiated, with interest rates not to exceed 3%."

    The three banking tycoons looked at each other, their faces full of agony.

    The reduction of loan amounts might seem to be only ten percent, but each one of them had lent tens of millions of livres to the French Government; this amounted to millions of livres in total losses for them.

    Moreover, a 3% interest rate at this time was almost like a no-interest loan. You have to know that even the government bonds sold to the public came with interest rates between 9% and 12%.

    However, Necker''s confession was now in the Bastille, and if they didn''t agree, the previously bankrupted four banks would serve as an example.

    After struggling for two seconds, all of them gritted their teeth and nodded: "We will follow Your Highness''smand."

    "Hmm," Joseph continued, "Second, the Bank of France Reserve will obtain 30% of the shares of your banks. You have illegally earned money from the national treasury for more than a decade; consider these shares as a fine.

    "And I can promise that these shares will not be sold without the consent of the bank''s board of directors."

    This time, the Marquis of Ludo and the others agreed without much hesitation.

    They already intended to use the shares as a bargaining chip to gain leniency from the Crown Prince. Although the Crown Prince asked for a bit more than they had prepared, they received a promise that the shares would not be sold.

    That meant the Bank of France Reserve would only share in the dividends, and their banks would not suffer due to the shares being dumped. They found this condition entirely eptable.

    Joseph was quite satisfied with their attitude, and with added emphasis, said: "Third, and this is the most crucial one.

    "Your banks must support the currency policy announced by the Bank of France Reserve.

    "At the same time, you will use the influence of the Banking Guild to get more banks to support the Bank of France Reserve."

    The Marquis of Ludo''s expression changed, and he cautiously asked: "Your Highness, when you mention currency policy, what are you referring to?"

    Joseph responded: "In the future, the Bank of France Reserve will issue national banknotes like the Bank of Ennd. Your banks will ept these notes for payment and exchange."

    These so-called banknotes are essentially "certificates that can be redeemed for gold and silver coins" issued by the banks. Anyone with these notes could exchange them for money at the corresponding bank.

    If a bank is robust and trusted by all, people would, for convenience, ept these banknotes for payments among each other rather than actually exchanging them for gold and silver coins.

    They thus be the de facto circting currency.

    In fact, the British Pounds that are currently in cirction in Ennd are strictly speaking, only the banknotes of the Bank of Ennd. But the Bank of Ennd has grown so significant, overshadowing all other banks and obtained the "sole legal banknote" authorization from the British Government, and gradually evolved into Ennd''s Central Bank.

    At present, the Bank of France Reserve does not have the same overwhelming capital advantage as the Bank of Ennd, so Joseph could only use administrative measures to promote banknotes from the Bank of France Reserve.

    However, this process would certainly not be smooth, given the limited capital of the Bank of France Reserve, and the general public would most likely distrust its banknotes. This distrust was the biggest obstacle for the Bank of France Reserve to be the Central Bank of France.

    Previously, Joseph nned to take three to five years to gradually cultivate the market''s trust in the banknotes of the Bank of France Reserve. But with the endorsement of the Banking Guild and the eptance of the banknotes by these seven major banks, this process could possibly be shortened to a few months.

    At the same time, the Bank of France Reserve and these seven banks, because they have banknotes ¨C that is, paper money as a medium of cirction ¨C will crush other banks in terms of cirction efficiency and convenience.

    Before long, other banks, in order to maintain theirpetitiveness, would also have to ept the banknotes from the Bank of France Reserve.

    When the vast majority of the nation''s banks have epted the banknotes from the Bank of France Reserve, it will be possible to enact a decree ¨C designating these notes as the sole legal paper currency of France.

 Chapter 209: Chapter 179 Malas Self-Doubt_2

    Next, they used the advantage of issuing banknotes to regte other banks.

    "Who dares to disobey? We''ll tighten your cash flow tomorrow and see how many days you canst!"

    The Marquis of Ludo and hispanions exchanged nces once again¡ªepting the banknotes of other banks meant that others could give their printed paper to customers, who then could bring these papers to their own bank to exchange for silver coins.

    Although their own bank could also bring the received banknotes to the Bank of France Reserve to exchange for silver coins, there would be a couple of days'' dy in this process, during which their hands would umte tens of millions of banknotes, essentially bing a factual reservoir of paper currency.

    Not to mention, interbank settlements could hardly ur every few days; at best, they would take ce once a month. All the banknotes for that month would be pressing down on their own bank.

    Mr. Bouvarandere said with a stiff upper lip:

    "Your Highness, just in case, I mean just in case, the Bank of France Reserve''s banknotes depreciate, then wouldn''t we..."

    Joseph had anticipated their concerns and immediately said:

    "The Cab will soon issue a decree stipting the exchange rate between the Bank of France Reserve banknotes and precious metals, and maintain it unchanged. Of course, if you are not at ease, the Bank of France Reserve can also sign an agreement with you topensate for your losses if the banknotes depreciate significantly in a short time."

    He could make such a promise because he had enough confidence. After all, the currency system of that age was based on gold and silver, which meant the value of paper money was very stable, unless there was a major economic crisis.

    Moreover, even if a crisis did happen, causing severe devaluation of the French banknotes, it didn''t matter. The banks would bepensated ording to the agreement. Only that this time, banknotes, already epted by everyone, would be used forpensation.

    Anyway, there was already an economic crisis; just state yourpensation amount, and I''ll keep the printing press running 24 hours a day to print it for you."

    In the end, the Marquis of Ludo and the other participants had no choice but to ept Joseph''s terms¡ªthey couldn''t arm wrestle the thigh, after all, at most they would just settle the ounts more diligently each month, and consider that month''s bank flows a gift to the Bank of France Reserve.

    Joseph stood up, smiled at the three men in front of him, and raised his arms, saying, "Congrattions to you, oh, and also to those four banks waiting outside.

    "From now on, you will no longer be implicated by the Necker case. You are safe."

    He then gestured towards Archbishop Brienne and said, "After this, Archbishop Brienne, representing the Bank of France Reserve and the French Government, will sign an agreement with you all."

    The three banking magnates hurriedly bowed to express their thousands of thanks for the Crown Prince''s leniency. Though they were extremely dismayed in their hearts, not knowing how much money they had lost, they were also relieved that, after all, their banks were saved.

    After the Marquis of Ludo and others took their leave, Joseph suddenly remembered a question: there were four banks that had gone bankrupt and been acquired before, and today seven more banks had "surrendered." Including those involved in the Necker case, there were thirteen banks in total¡ªwhat about the remaining two?

    At 4 p.m., Fouche hurried to the Pce of Versailles to answer his question.

    "Your Highness, Perni, his wife, and two sons were captured by the Police Affairs Department on their way to Rouen this morning. What should we do..."

    "Seize the bank immediately,"

    Joseph sighed. These people were too impetuous. If they had fled half a dayter, they could have taken a "free ride" with Marquis of Ludo.

    But since they fled now, they could only face harsh treatment. He hoped that after taking over the Perni Family Bank, the Bank of France Reserve wouldn''t run into a severe staff shortage.

    Fouche nodded and continued:

    "Your Highness, the tworgest shareholders of Denaro Bank happened to return to Switzend right when the case broke out. It seems they heard the news from Paris and have not been seen since."

    Although Denaro Bank''s main business was in France, it was a Swiss Bank with headquarters in the canton of Schwyz in Switzend.

    In other words, it was likely that the bank''s profits had already been sent to Switzend, so even if its assets in France were seized, there probably wouldn''t be much money to take.

    Joseph frowned and said, "It seems we''ll have to use diplomatic means."

    ...

    Three dayster, a solemn yet low-key recognition ceremony was held in Hague Hall of the Pce of Versailles.

    It was solemn because Her Majesty Queen Mary presided over it in person.

    Aside from the officers from the Justice Investigation Department who were beingmended, the main attendees were senior members of the police system, as well as the Crown Prince and Baron Breti, the Justice Minister, totaling less than 30 people, which could hardly be considered lively.

    After a melodious round of music, Queen Mary, dressed in a light purple elegant gown, ascended the tform on the west side of the hall, smiling at M and the others, she loudly said:

    "Gentlemen of the Justice Investigation Department, with your excellent work and your courageous spirit, you have saved France from enormous losses and have also brought corrupt individuals, who have evaded justice for years, to trial!

    "Here, on behalf of the Royal Family, I extend to you our highest respects!"

    This time, M, with his assistant, uncovered the astonishing corruption case of Necker, and through a series of maneuvers by Joseph, made over a hundred million livres for France''s finances, significantly advancing the establishment of the central bank of France; the merit of such achievements was indeed immense.

    In previous operations, Evans of the investigation department was killed, and M was also injured by a knife, so Joseph decided to properlymend them.

    Court officials came forward with wreaths. Queen Mary personally ced one on M, who was still using crutches. Director of Police Services Nethanson awarded the others their flowers.

    Then, amidst the apuse of everyone present, the Queen announced that due to the exceptional contributions of the Justice Investigation Department, the decision was made to elevate it to the Bureau of Fair Investigation, to be directly managed by the Cab.

    At this point, the French "Anti-Corruption Bureau" finally shed the "mask" of the police system and formally stepped forward with an official identity.

    The Bureau''s directorship would still be held by the Crown Prince. M became the head of operations. Demn took charge of the archives. The Bureau had four departments under it, with thergest, the operations department, nning to expand to seven teams, totaling more than 200 people.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In reality, this number was hardly significant in the enormity of France''s bureaucratic system, but it was the most advanced institution for administrative inspection in all of Europe. While other countries still relied on royal authority to monitor officials, France had already taken the lead in establishing an independent departmental oversight.

    This was also why officials were reluctant to attend themendation ceremony¡ªnobody could guarantee their hands werepletely clean. Necker had once been powerful enough to rival France in wealth, and yet he fell from grace overnight, didn''t he? If one caught the attention of the investigation officers, it could mean ruin.

    Next, Queen Mary publicly awarded M with a 500-livre bonus. Other department members who were involved in Necker''s case also received a reward of one month''s sry. As for Evans, who sacrificed his life, hispensation was a considerable 4000 livres, and the Royal Family sponsored all his son''s schooling expenses.

    After the award ceremony concluded, the Queen invited all present to join the banquet.

    Leaving Hague Hall, Baron Breti was the first to congratte M:

    "You really are an outstanding investigator, solving cases that have been unsolved for so many years."

    M looked at the Baron''s luxurious outfit and couldn''t help but frown slightly. Before he could decide how to respond, Besancon approached with a smile and said:

    "Her Majesty the Queen has high praise for you. I believe it won''t be long before you''ll be granted a noble title."

    Frient and Fouche followed suit with their ttering remarks.

    M nced around at the people beside him, but his expression grew increasingly troubled.

    Noble title?

    He chuckled to himself, wondering if he was really going to be one of these filthy nobles.

    He looked up again at the artistic and exquisite sculptures on the roof of the Pce of Versailles.

    Why am I here?

    What am I doing?

    It is ironic that what I''ve done garners the praise of the nobility!

    Have I betrayed the people of France?!

    Suddenly he stopped, iming his wound was too painful to attend the dinner, and, leaning on his crutch, he turned and headed towards the exit of the Pce of Versailles.

 Chapter 210: Chapter 180 "Beguiling the Jacobins

    The next day.

    Paris, second floor of the Industrial nning Bureau.

    "So, you suddenly leftst night just because you wanted to resign?" Joseph looked at the three people in front of him, and then smiled, "Now that I know your wound is not serious, I am relieved."

    "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." M leaned on his cane and bowed slightly, "And thank you for your trust. However, we have still decided to leave the Investigation Bureau."

    Joseph paused for a moment and asked, "Can you tell me the reason?"

    Danton hastily said, "We don''t want to be associated with those filthy nobles!"

    Demn followed up, "Also, we don''t want to work for the Royal Family anymore."

    Joseph couldn''t help but smile wryly when he heard this, as most people resign because they cannot get promoted or receive a raise, yet these few decided to quit just after receiving a promotion.

    Well, this is indeed very Jacobin...

    "I am curious, what is it you want?" he asked.

    M replied emphatically, "We want to be forever loyal to the people of France!"

    Joseph thought to himself that it would be best topletely deal with these radicals this time, else they might keep resigning every now and then, which wouldn''t do.

    Moreover, they were opinion leaders of the entire Liberal faction. If he could manage them, it would greatly reduce the hostility of the radical Liberals towards the Royal Family.

    He recalled the "sophistries" he had read in forums from his previous life, thinking: These should suffice to deal with 18th-century theories, right?

    "Loyal to the people," he nodded slowly, "which means making life better for the people, right?"

    M thought about it and, finding that the logic seemed correct, replied, "That''s right, Your Highness."

    "So for that goal, you want to resign?"

    "Yes..."

    "Have you ever considered, after you leave, who will oversee corrupt officials like Necker? Another group of corrupt officials? Do you think this will make life better for the people of France?"

    M and the others were taken aback.

    Joseph immediately targeted the "core" of their ideology: "I think, gentlemen, your animosity toward the Royal Family is unjustified."

    "No!" Danton, the youngest and most bold, immediately retorted, "It is because the Royal Family indulges in luxury, disregards the people''s suffering, and constantly protects the interests of the nobles, that the people are oppressed!"

    "Really?" Joseph asked calmly, "Without the Royal Family, will the people definitely be better off?"

    Influenced deeply by Rousseau, M and the others almost instinctively recited Rousseau''s words: "Natural rights, everyone is born free, and no one can restrict another''s freedom, not even the king..."

    Joseph interrupted him: "May I ask, Mr. Mara, if people are born free, can the rules set by predecessors bind their descendants?"

    M was about to say "No," but he suddenly froze. That''s not right, he thought. If they cannot, does it mean that someone who has never participated in the decision-making of social rules can do whatever they please?

    And if ''they can,'' doesn''t it mean the descendants are not free?

    Joseph smiled, "You see, the idea that people are born free is fundamentally wed. Each of us, including the king, is in fact not free."

    Danton offered help from the side:

    "Rousseau said, we need to establish a reasonable social contract, and then everyone should abide by this contract!"

    Joseph immediately asked, "What do you mean by a ''reasonable contract''?"

    This question remained unanswered by any great thinkers until the 19th century. No, even in the 21st century, people were merely trying. M and the others, with only the most superficial theoretical foundations of Rousseau, were inevitably bewildered.

    "It''s..."

    Demn hurriedly said, "Yes, it''s Congress. The, the people delegate power to Congress, and Congress makes the rules!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Congress?" Joseph said with a smile, "Once Congress receives power, will it definitely consider the people''s welfare?"

    "How, how could there be any doubt about that?"

    "No, they will only think about themselves." Joseph shook his head, "Look at the United States, what kind ofnd purchase policies has their Congress devised? You must buy at least 60 acres, and they won''t sell less. The poor? Sorry, they can''t buynd.

    "Or look at our neighbors, Switzend. The cantonal parliaments'' rules serve only warlords and businessmen, making it easier to control cities and pocket thest penny from the people''s purse."

    "I dare say if such things happened in France, people would have already gathered outside the Pce of Versailles to protest. The King would be cursed thousands of times and eventually forced to amend these policies."

    "No, these are just isted incidents..."

    "Really? Take the American Congress, for instance. Their legitors design oppressive policies, then go home to enjoy life after a couple of years, leaving the problem to the next Congress. Of course, the next batch of legitors do the same, they have no concerns, because Congress is just a tool for them. Only the King truly cares about this country, because he has no ''next term''."

    M and the others were hesitant, shaking their heads: "No, something you said must be wrong!"

    Joseph said, "Human society has always been oppressive in structure, a fundamental and universal reality. The King is just a symbol and archetype of this phenomenon, and so is Congress, and any high authority.

    "Our inherited past might be narrow and outdated, needing relentless revision and improvement. But the past has also brought us tremendous benefits. Every word we speak, every thought we have is a gift from those before us, and the foundation on which we live, such as technology, wealth, and opportunities, is also brought by precursors.

    So, it''s unreasonable to view the social structure as purely oppressive. It''s not about negating everything from the past whenever we encounter a problem."

 Chapter 211: Chapter 180 "Bamboozling" the Jacobins_2

    ```

    "The Royal Family and the people are not enemies. They can join hands and move forward together for themon goal of France,"

    "Yes, France does have many problems, such as the unreasonable privileges of the nobility and the exploitation of the poor by the rich. We need to solve these issues, but the problems were not brought by the King."

    "Do you think that everything will be better without the King? No, it will only get worse. The nobles and the wealthy will assume new identities and continue their indulgence and oppression."

    "You were, after all, working for the Royal Family before, but look, the people of Paris are cheering for you. Isn''t this more helpful to them than saying ''I am loyal to the people'' a thousand times?"

    Joseph paused for a moment before finally saying, "To be honest, I have always been implementing His Majesty the King''s reform measures."

    "For instance, the Official Investigation Bureau is part of it. As you all have seen, during this period, there have also been reforms in police services, taxation, finance, and more. There will be even more initiatives in the future until all of France''s problems disappear."

    "Won''t you join me inpleting this great process?"

    The room fell silent for a long time until M suddenly withdrew the resignation application on the table, took half a step back, and bowed with aplex expression, "Your Highness, I hope to see a better and more just France."

    ...

    With May arrival, the weather became increasingly hot and dry, as if it were the peak of July or August.

    Thest rainfall was three months ago. Large tracts of vegetation had been withered yellow by the scorching sun, and the ground was riddled withrge cracks, like thirsty mouths waiting for rain to fall from the sky once more.

    However, in the vineyards of Lacheze Parish to the east of Bordeaux, there was a vibrant green scene.

    Even though the same fiery sun hung in the sky, the grapevine-covered trenches had streams of water trickling through them.

    Three hundred paces to the west side of the vineyard, an antique-bronze Steam Engine made rhythmic "ck" sounds as it continuously pumped water from a tributary of the Garonne River into the irrigation canal.

    The water then flowed through the channels that had been dug, spreading over the entire three and a half acres of vineyard, saving the grapes from drought''s ughter.

    This highlymendable pumping machine was a mass-produced 15-horsepower Steam Engine made by the French United Steam Engine Company.

    Likewise, in the fields to the south of the parish, another Steam Engine of the same model was working hard to ensure that the vige crops could survive this dry summer.

    Next to the Steam Engine, there was a grass shed where two shirtless farmers were sitting, squinting and enjoying the shade.

    Before long, a middle-aged man in a gray coat arrived with a group of carpenters. From a distance, he shouted: "Andre, Auror, are you cking off again?!"

    The two farmers quickly put on their shirts and jumped up, "No, no, Mr. Dietrich, we''ve been keeping an eye on it..."

    Dietrich nced at the Steam Engine nearby and said loudly, "Do you know how expensive this thing is? A full 13,000 livres! Without it, the crops of our entire parish would wither under the sun.

    "If it gets damaged because of ack of water or coal, I swear, I''ll hang you from the parish bell tower!"

    "You, don''t be angry, we promise we won''t doze off again." Andre said, picking up a shovel and filling it with coal as Auror immediately opened the boiler lid of the Steam Engine to add the coal.

    "See, now it''s working fine," Auror said, ncing at the boiler''s water level and smiling apologetically at the parish Governor.

    Dietrich gave them a fierce look, pondering that he should appoint another supervisor.

    A month ago, seeing the parched fields of the vige, he had almost despaired.

    Though the vigers were driving carts back and forth to water the crops, that little water was hardly effective. If it didn''t rain within five days, all the nted potatoes would die and then the wheat...

    It was then that the ordered pumps were delivered. They were purchased with a loan from the newly established Agricultural Bank of the parish.

    ```

    Several technicians from Nancy took two days to install the water pump; then they added coal and ignited it.

    Then the water from the Garonne River was continuously pumped up, far more than what 100 horses could carry, and within a few days, all the crops in the vige were saved.

    The parish Stadtholder Dietrich wiped the sweat from his brow and called to Andre and Auror to help the carpenter unload the wood from the carriage.

    Looking at the wooden nks taller than a person, Andre grinned and asked, "Mr. Dietrich, are you seeing us so tired that you''re making us a wooden hut to rest in?"

    Dietrich kicked him in the butt and angrily said, "Youzybones, always thinking about resting!

    "This is to make a protective shed for the water pump."

    "A protective shed? What''s it for?"

    "I don''t know." Dietrich, while directing the carpenters to dismantle the thatched shed on the steam engine, said offhandedly, "It''s the Governor''s orders. All steam engines, water wheels, windmills and the like must be covered with wooden sheds, and they have to be sturdy."

    He shaded his eyes from the sun and looked toward the vast wheat fields: "God bless us, may we get through this drought sessfully."

    ...

    In the southeast of Paris, a man with a fierce face walked out of the Celebrity Technical Institute, he casually waved his hand to the thin, young man behind him and said in a coarse voice, "Take Viscount Dominic back, and when he''s sober, please tell him that after this deal is done, I''ll invite him to y again."

    "Alright, Mr. Imano. Thank you for your hospitality."

    Once that young man turned to leave, the drunkenness in Imano''s eyes instantly vanished; he quickly walked to the other side of the institute to his own carriage and said in a low voice to the coachman, "Quick, to the Marquis''s house."

    As the carriage raced, Imano''s heart was filled with excitement. Just now, he had heard a piece of news from the drunken Viscount Dominic that could make him rich overnight¡ªregarding the man his boss hated to the core.

    However, he failed to notice a carriage trailing far behind him until he entered the vi of the Marquis of Ludo, only then did it turn and leave. Inside that carriage was Viscount Dominic, who had been heavily intoxicated just half an hour before. He had another identity, that of a captain for the Squad Four of the Police Affairs Department.

    Marquis of Ludo locked the door of his study before turning to face Imano and whispering, "Is the information urate?!"

    Thetter nodded repeatedly, "The brother-inw of Viscount Dominic is an officer at the Bastille; he spoke out while drunk."

    A chill passed through the Marquis of Ludo''s eyes as he repeated, "Leaving Paris at ten o''clock in the evening, four days from now, correct?"

    "Yes, my lord Marquis."

    "Very well, you have done a great job!"

    After Imano left, the Marquis of Ludo immediately instructed the butler to invite several tycoons from the Banking Guild to his home.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Still in his study, the Marquis of Ludo said through gritted teeth, "Necker will secretly leave Paris in four days. There might be Secret Police escorting him, but this could be our only chance to deal with him!"

    The moment the words left his mouth, Earl Capefield''s eyes showed a murderous glint; he clenched his fists and said, "No matter the cost, I want him dead!"

    As they were discussing how to proceed, Ludo''s butler knocked on the door from outside, saying, "My lord, the Crown Prince has sent someone, requesting your presence at the Industrial nning Bureau."

    Ludo''s heart tightened¡ªhad the fact that he knew Necker''s whereabouts been leaked?

    He braced himself and went out, and before long, he met with the Crown Prince at the Industrial nning Bureau.

    After Joseph waited for him to pay his respects, he smiled, motioned for him to sit down, and then took out a document asking, "I see from your bank records that you previously invested two million livres in the British automatic loom industry?"

 Chapter 212: Chapter 181 Industrial Spy

    Now, the Bank of France Reserve had be the major shareholder of the seven banks, including that of Marquis Ludo, and could inspect their ounts at any time.

    Joseph recalled that a few months prior, a teenage girl had mentioned to him that several French banks had heavily invested in the British textile industry. He thus conveniently checked and, indeed, found that these seven banks were all on the list.

    Upon hearing this, Marquis Ludo "swooshed" up from his chair.

    He had been so frazzled by Necker''s case that he hadpletely pushed the investments in Ennd to the back of his mind!

    Even the vagrants in Paris knew that France and Ennd were at odds, with the British having seized France''s colonies in India and North America. Currently, he was using French money to invest in Ennd, which, if taken seriously, could almost be seen as treason.

    Marquis Ludo wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and, staring at the tips of his shoes, said anxiously to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, this, this is a mistake. I will immediately withdraw all the investments from Ennd.

    "Oh, and then pour them all into the industrial development fund!"

    Joseph flipped through the documents in his hands and gestured for him to sit down, "Hm, a fixed annual interest of 15%, plus a share of the profits, will certainly yield more than 20%."

    Marquis Ludo turned deathly pale with fright and was about to plead further when he heard the Crown Prince add, "No need to rush to retract such a good investment just yet, but it must be put to good use."

    Marquis Ludo asked cautiously, "What do you mean by..."

    Joseph gestured again for him to sit down, "There''s no need to be so nervous.

    "You and Count Capefield, among others, have invested more than 20 million livres in the British automatic loom industry, making you definitively the major shareholders.

    "For such a substantial investment, it should only be reasonable for a shareholder to pay a visit to Ennd to check on the operation, right?"

    Marquis Ludo tremulously perched on the edge of his seat, nodding, "Yes, it''s quite reasonable indeed."

    "Very good," Joseph smiled, "I need you to go to Ennd as a shareholder and bring me back a few of thetest automatic looms, along with some technicians familiar with the looms'' structures, and also workers who know how to operate these machines."

    Marquis Ludo''s mouth fell open in shock, and after a long moment, he finally managed to stammer, "Are you, are you asking me to be an industrial spy?"

    Joseph waved his hand dismissively, "That wouldn''t be the proper way to put it. France has poured significant sums into Ennd; it only makes sense to verify if the technology we''ve invested in is truly as advanced as imed, right?

    "Oh, I will send someone from the Police Affairs Department to apany you. You only need to use your status as a shareholder to get a clear picture of the British factories'' situation, and they will take care of the specifics."

    Marquis Ludo, who had spent his lifetime counting money in his bank, was hesitant and struggling with the idea, but then he saw the Crown Prince''s gaze turn icy.

    Being caught messing with the British looms mightnd one in prison, at worst for a few years, and perhaps he could even bail himself out. However, if he did not go, he would enter the Bastille right now.

    Marquis Ludo swallowed hard, resignedly nodding, "Alright, very well, Your Highness. I will head to Ennd at once and make sure to bring back everything you desire!"

    By the time he returned home with a heavy heart, the Count of Capefield and others had eagerly gathered around, asking what the matter was for the Crown Prince to seek him out.

    Since Marquis Ludo was about to engage in industrial espionage, he naturally did not wish for too many to be privy to this, and so he brushed it off as a banking ounts issue.

    The other banking magnates did not suspect a thing, instead pulling out their n to solve Necker''s problem, asking him to review it with them.

    But Marquis Ludo''s mind waspletely preupied with the British looms, and he merely nodded distractedly.

    ...

    Four dayster, three inconspicuous carriages left the Bastille, drove a wide circle around Paris, and finally left the city under the cover of twilight from the eastern side.

    And behind them, always at a distance, a man dressed as a postman followed on horseback, asionally leaving a trail marker.

    The three carriages eventually turned northeast, inside sat the Necker family.

    He finally decided to take refuge in Lorraine, after all, it was closer to Switzend, and his friends there might be able to take care of him.

    The hot wind outside the carriage window blew on his face, making him feel unbearably irritable. His many years of hard work hade down to this, fleeing Paris like a rat in the dead of night.

    It''s all Carolina''s damn fault! He clenched his teeth, vowing vehemently in his heart, "I swear, I will make you suffer even more than me!"

    The following twilight, the convoy arrived in Sommedieue. The Police Affairs Department agent Lange, in charge of the escort, checked the time and saw they wouldn''t make it to the next town, so he ordered his men to rest at the coaching inn at the town hall.

    Once they settled Necker, Lange began ying cards with his subordinates in the outer room of the house.

    Before long, a Police Affairs Department agent entered the room and whispered a few words in his ear.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Lange nodded, grabbed a bottle of wine from beside him, and began drinking with several men. Meanwhile, the agents responsible for guarding the back of the house also started to drink.

    After nightfall, an old carriage stopped on the road opposite the Sommedieue town hall, from which several men dressed as merchants alighted.

    The former "postman" immediately bowed his head and came over, whispering, "Good opportunity, those secret police are all drinking."

    The "merchants" nodded, signaling to their fellows to grab their weapons from the carriage and climb over the town hall''s eastern wall.

    The streetmps had already been extinguished by the "postman", and the three "merchants" easily picked the main door lock and crept into the town hall.

    These were experienced assassins, who silently found Necker''s room and then saw the secret police, drunk and staggering.

    The leader''s face lit up with pleasure, lit a torch swiftly, and bypassed the guards, giving a signal to hisrades with his eyes.

    The men drew their swords and gently opened the inner room door before rushing in and stabbing wildly at the bed where Necker was, over ten times, before stopping.

    The leading assassin brought the torch close to the bed to confirm it was Necker, then immediately signaled to his men to retreat.

    They hadn''t expected that this mission, worth thirty thousand livres, would bepleted so easily. Already thinking about how to enjoy this fortune, they stepped out of the town hall door.

    "Wait!"

    Suddenly, the lead man halted, his years of experience as an assassin alerting him to a hint of danger. Before they could react, dozens of torches suddenly red to life around them.

    Under the glow of the firelight, nothing but the dark muzzles of flintlock guns were visible.

    ...

    Marquis of Ludo had not expected his operation to go so smoothly.

    He arrived in Ennd just two days ago and was enthusiastically led by a textile factory manager to visit the entire automatic loom industry.

    Afterward, he spent arge sum of money to bribe two technicians responsible for maintaining the looms.

    After preparations were made, a Police Affairs Department agent named Prosper led a team to steal an automatic loom overnight¡ªfixed to a waterwheel and impossible to dismantle intact without professional technicians¡ªand transported it through Ennd''s ind waterways to the Dover port, where a ship was already waiting.

 Chapter 213: Chapter 182 Scapegoat

    ```N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Two British technicians resigned one after another within half a month, and arrived in France by boat with the Marquis of Ludo, along with six textile workers and their families.

    Subsequently, both the looms and the technicians were sent to the Pce of Versailles. There, the "Honorary Lifetime Chairman of the French Engineering and Technical Association," and His Majesty King Louis XVI of France would personally undertake the task of disassembling and reproducing the machine.

    Initially, Joseph had intended for Murdock to handle the reproduction, but considering that he was working on the development of the high-pressure steam engine, and the Royal Workshop at Versailles had more precision machining equipment, it was ultimately decided that the important task would be entrusted to the King.

    At first, Louis XVI was somewhat reluctant when he learned that the new research task was not the new rifled gun as had been agreed upon, but after Joseph introduced him to the enormous profits of the British textile industry and the significance of this automatic loom for the textile sector, His Majesty rolled up his sleeves and devoted himself to the cause of France''s industrial development with unwavering dedication.

    However, the shortage of research talent also gave Joseph a sense of crisis.

    In all of France, only the King''s small team and the highly paid British possessed the capabilities for engineering research, while so many mathematicians and physicists in France were unable to contribute, which was quite unreasonable.

    When returning to Paris, as Joseph gazed out of the carriage window, he pondered whether he should truly establish the French Engineering and Technical Association and perhaps instigate an award like the "Royal Award for Scientific Progress," to stimte the speed of engineering research.

    ¡­

    When the Marquis of Ludo returned home, he immediately learned of the news about Necker''s assassination.

    Before he could take any pleasure in the news, he saw the bold headline on the newspaper handed to him by the butler: "Murderer of Necker Captured on the Spot During Assassination Attempt, Undergoing Interrogation."

    Immediately, the Marquis of Ludo felt his world spin and he slowly slumped onto the sofa, muttering through clenched teeth, "Bouvarandere, that idiot... always boasting about his influence in the underworld, and yet the assassin he hired was such trash!"

    In fact, it wasn''t really fair to me Bouvarandere. The assassins he found were definitely top-notch, but the Police Affairs Department had arranged for more than 80 people to follow Necker from a distance and controlled the area within half a league. Unless the assassins could fly, escaping was impossible.

    Joseph knew that the banking magnates implicated by the Necker case and who had suffered great losses would hate Necker to the bone, so he deliberately leaked thetter''s whereabouts and had the apanying Police Affairs Department cooperate.

    The Royal Family might have pardoned Necker, but if the Banking Guild wanted to kill him, what was it to the Royal Family?

    Moreover, the assassin was captured at the scene, with weapons and evidence in abundance and the motive crystal clear, making it impossible for anyone to concoct a conspiracy theory.

    Of course, if the Marquis of Ludo and others were indeed deeply cunning and uninvolved in the act, Joseph was in no hurry. After all, Count Capefield was clearly a man with more temper than brains; stir him up with spy-spun rumors a few times and he won''t be able to hold back, Joseph believed.

    The Marquis of Ludo stared at the newspaper in his hand, then abruptly stood up and instructed the butler to prepare the carriage and rush to Count Capefield''s residence.

    Two hourster, a meeting of banking tycoons converged, all wearing faces of concern. They had actually known about the assassin''s capture for a few days, but with the "brain trust," the Marquis of Ludo, not in France, they had no choice but to wait.

    The Marquis of Ludo surveyed the five men before him and spoke gravely, "Although Necker has been exiled, he is still the former Finance Minister, so this matter is going to be quite severe!"

    "What are we going to do?"

    ```

    The Marquis of Ludo''s eyes sparkled with a murderous glint, "The assassin was hired by Bouvarandere, so he can only be troubled to bear all the me now!"

    Everyone was startled and only then did they notice that Bouvarandere had note today.

    After a moment, everyone could only sigh helplessly, tacitly agreeing to the Marquis of Ludo''s n.

    ¡­

    Switzend.

    By the Murg River, the City of Frauenfeld.

    Count Saigul yed idly with the cup in front of him but showed no interest in the tea inside¡ª the quality of the leaves was such that even his servants at home would not drink it.

    "These dragging Swiss..." He pulled out his watch and nced at it, deciding to urge the Swiss Federal Assembly once more.

    He had been in this godforsaken mountainous ce for a week now, and although the Swiss had been very respectful to him as a diplomat from a major country, they had yet to give him a satisfying reply.

    Seeing that he was about to leave, his assistant hurried to keep up, "Lord Earl, are you going to the Congress Hall again?"

    "Yes," Count Saigul replied, donning his hat and frowning, "I do not want to stay here another day; there''s no decent tea, not even a drinkable coffee... "

    The assistant helped him open the door, "What can we do? Their Federal Assembly can''t handle anything, just keep on asking the cantonal congresses. Or perhaps, we should visit the canton of Schwyz."

    Count Saigul gave him a look, "I represent His Majesty the King of France, how can I stoop to negotiate with a mere cantonal congress?"

    Several Swiss servants busied themselves calling a carriage, preparing the steps for Count Saigul who climbed in grumbling, "This poor and pitiable country, without even a capital. Can you imagine that? No capital!

    "God, why did I take on this arduous task? That Denaro Bank had better produce the seven million livres, or there will be trouble..."

    Yes, he was in Switzend to demand the extradition of the fugitive shareholders of Denaro Bank and to urge the bank to return the involved funds and fines.

    The carriage rumbled over the rugged mountain road, asionally requiring the two Swiss servants "hanging" on the back of the carriage to jump down and help push it in order to ascend the steep hills sessfully.

    When Count Saigul arrived at the gray-yellow two-story building of the Swiss Parliament, a square-faced, short-statured middle-aged man was walking out to meet him. He hurriedly lifted his hat in greeting, "Oh, the honorable Count Saigul, I was just on my way to find you. There is finally news from the canton of Schwyz."

    Count Saigul recognized the man as Fuller, a member of the Swiss Federal Assembly and immediately responded with some joy, "Have the two fugitives been caught? What about the ill-gotten funds?"

    Fuller invited him into the Parliament Building, apologizing with a smile, "They have not been caught yet, but the Schwyz cantonal congress has already sealed Denaro Bank. However, there is less than four million livres on the bank''s books, and more than half of that is loans; it may take some time to recover it..."

    Count Saigul''s face immediately darkened as he stood up straight, fixing Fuller with an intense gaze, "On behalf of His Majesty the King, I formally notify you that Switzend must pay all ill-gotten funds and fines to the Bank of France Reserve within three months."

 Chapter 214: Chapter 183: The Combined Fleet on the Mediterranean (Added for 1000 monthly tickets)

    Paris.

    The second floor of the Industrial nning Bureau.

    Joseph looked at the six men before him with a smirk that was not quite a smile, "It seems that you are not too saddened by Mr. Bouvarandere''s sudden suicide."

    The Marquis of Ludo quickly put on a sorrowful expression, "Your Highness, we are indeed very heartbroken, but in order not to affect your mood, we refrained from showing it."

    "Is that so?" Joseph nodded, "What do you know about Necker''s death then?"

    A middle-aged man, with sunken eyes and a sallowplexion, hastily said, "Your Highness, it was all Bouvarandere''s doing, we know nothing about it."

    He was Viscount Reclixian, the owner of the Dauphine Credit Bank.

    "Is that so? But Lady Bouvarandere confessed that the assassination of Necker was a plot devised by all of you. However..." Joseph nced at the six panicked men and changed his tone, "I don''t quite believe what she said."

    All six men felt a jolt in their hearts, never expecting that Bouvarandere would tell his wife such a confidential matter. Had they known, they would have gotten rid of her too!

    "Your Highness, she is trying to extort us," the Marquis of Ludo said, cing his hand over his heart, "I swear to God, we truly have nothing to do with this!"

    Joseph smiled, before directly throwing out his conditions, "I summoned you here because next month the Bank of France Reserve is going to issue banknotes.

    "I expect each of you to purchase 1.5 million livres.

    "Oh, and another thing. Archbishop Brienne is about to introduce the ''Banking Act,'' the most important part of which is the reserve requirement. You must lead the support for this bill."

    The Marquis of Ludo and the others exchanged nces, carefully asking, "Your Highness, what is a reserve requirement?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "It means taking a portion of the deposits made into your banks¡ªcurrently 5%¡ªand transferring it to the Bank of France Reserve. It serves as a guarantee of the bank''s credit."

    The reserve requirement is one of the central bank''s important tools for regting the financial market. In truth, a ratio of 5% is almost negligible, but Joseph only set it low in order to ustom the banks to this regtion.

    The Marquis of Ludo quickly calcted in his mind that these were obviously terms meant to make Bouvarandere take the me alone. At present, the savings rate in France was not high, so 5% was not a significant sum of money. And the 1.5 million livres in banknotes could also be used to pay customers.

    Consequently, he made a subtle gesture to the other five, and took the lead in bowing, saying,

    "I am delighted to do something for the nation''s finances. Your Highness, I will follow yourmands."

    As Ludo and the others were leaving the Industrial nning Bureau, a tall man with distinct Nordic features, was talking to a teenager beside the garden of the Bouvarandere family vi.

    "So, besides your father, six others were involved in the murder?"

    The boy nodded fiercely, enunciating each word, "My father said so himself. That day, they discussed it at the Marquis of Ludo''s home."

    The tall man nodded, stood up, and walked away. Under the brim of the hat was the face of Necker''s butler, Elonc.

    ...

    On the southern side of Menorca Ind in the Mediterranean, at the edge of the Barbary Coast.

    Apanied by the calm rhythm of the waves, Charles, who had a clean-shaven face, was wearing a tricorn hat and the crisp uniform of the US Navy, was anxiously peering through his telescope at the surface of the sea to the southwest from the forecastle of the American naval escort ship Constetion.

    Captain White came up from behind and patted his shoulder, "How is it, do you see them?"

    ```

    "Not yet," Charles shook his head, then immediately added, "But they will definitelye."

    "God bless that smuggler didn''t lie. Otherwise, you might be held ountable for that $500 when we get back."

    Charles looked back at White, his tone certain, "I trust Ali, Captain."

    The Ali he spoke of was the man from Algiers who had once been locked in the cell next to him andter seeded in escaping through a tunnel.

    Half a month ago, Charles was finally redeemed by the Virginia State Assembly for $8,000.

    To his surprise, the ship that came to pick him up was not a French or Spanish warship, but the Constetion, the newest 30-cannon escort ship recently purchased by the United States.

    Due to the long hiatus of the United States Navy, this ship even had French and Italian sailors on board. And Charles, who had briefly served in the Continental Navy and had rich sailing experience as a first mate, was invited by Captain White to be a sailor on this escort ship, which had been in French service for over thirty years.

    Since the Constetion''s second lieutenant was a novice with an influential background, Charles was in effect performing the duties of a second lieutenant.

    Later, two American escort ships, along with French and Dutch warships, formed a Combined Fleet and began searching the Barbary Coast for pirates.

    Unfortunately, these pirates were extremely cunning, the fleet roamed the seas for half a month and came up empty-handed.

    It was at this time that Charles suddenly remembered that Ali had once said his boss knew Eunice, who had significant ties with the pirates of Algiers.

    So he suggested that they might get some information on the pirates from Ali, and as it happened, the fleet was then passing near Dahra, Algiers. White reported this idea to the fleetmander and, after obtaining permission, Charles went to the address left by Ali to find him.

    Afterward, Ali offered the movements of the Algiers Navy for $1,000. Pay half upfront, and the rest after the pirates were sighted.

    And the fleet, based on the information from Ali, had already been waiting for a whole day, but the pirates had yet to show up.

    Charles wiped the sweat from his palms; truth be told, he was beginning to waver. Why had he believed the words of a smuggler?

    $500, if it came from his own pocket, would take at least six or seven years to repay.

    Just as he was starting to despair, the tip of a blue-and-white g suddenly appeared on the horizon.

    He was immediately ted, turned around, and shouted to the captain, "They''re here! They''vee!"

    He then realized that the captain had already returned to the cabin¡ªthe lookout tower had spotted the signaling boat a minute earlier.

    Immediately, the bait ship "Wings of the Seagull" set sail on the predetermined course.

    There it would encounter the pirates and then lead them into the Combined Fleet''s ambush.

    Charles rushed back to the cabin, his heart filled with a longing for revenge.

    The n was going very smoothly¡ªthe "Wings of the Seagull" acted panicked and quickly headed for Menorca Ind. Two pirate galleys followed closely behind.

    The Combined Fleet''s warships emerged from behind the concealed rocks. A French Navy ship armed with 60 cannons, apanied by an escort ship, intercepted from the west, while the American ship and a Dutch escort ship passed by the merchant ship from the east and headed straight for the pirates.

    Therger pirate galley had 18 cannons and the smaller one just 12¡ªthey were no match for the Combined Fleet.

    When they realized something was amiss, they immediately turned and fled toward the southwest.

    ```

 Chapter 215: Chapter 184 The Dawn of Frances Finance

    The Combined Fleet, upon seeing the pirate ship trying to escape, wasn''t too surprised and maintained its course, squeezing the pirates'' space smaller and smaller.

    The dozens of oars on the pirate ship were rowed so vigorously they almost took flight, quickly on the verge of escaping through the encirclement from the east and west sides, when all of a sudden, a tall warship appeared from the south, bearing the blue field and fleur-de-lis g on its mainmast.

    It was the 42-gun cruising frigate "Cleder."

    Even though in the gentle winds of the Mediterranean, the oar-sail ship had a certain speed advantage, the formation of the Combined Fleet was impable; "Cleder" just needed to calmly wait there, and the warships from the other two directions would soon close in.

    In the end, the cornered pirate ship exchanged fire with "Cleder." The oue was inevitable¡ªthe third broadside from "Cleder" broke the pirate ship''s mast and a 28-pound cannonball blew away the entire bow of the ship, which only had 12 cannons.

    A slightlyrger pirate ship tried to break free from the entanglement but had seven of its oars on the port side severed by a cannonball from "Cleder."

    The oarsmen on the pirate ship were too slow to react, still rowing with all their might. Due to the imbnce in thrust on either side, the ship immediately made a sharp 60-degree turn to the left.

    By the time the pirate ship managed to adjust its direction, two escort ships of the Combined Fleet had already caught up from behind.

    The Dutch "Walrus" escort ship was the first to fire. When Charles''s "Constetion" caught up, ready to unleash a barrage of fire, he suddenly saw a huge burst of mes erupt from the aft of the pirate ship¡ªit was clear that the ammunition store had been hit.

    And just like that, the battle ended...

    Charles came up to the deck, with a gust of heat mixed with the scent of burning wafting into his face, he watched the screaming pirates jumping into the sea, floundering like fish scooped up in a, creating sshes of water.

    He couldn''t help but recall the scene when the pirates had boarded the "Golden Wheat." Suddenly, a rage surged up in his chest; he snatched the gun from the sailor next to him, saw it was already loaded, and immediately took aim at the pirates below and fired a shot.

    Soon, the horns signifying victory sounded from several warships.

    As Charles was cursing at the burning pirate ship, he heard Captain White''s voice from behind, "Lad, you made your mark this time!"

    ...

    Pce of Versailles.

    One of the things Queen Mary used to hate the most was holding cab meetings because they often brought bad news, especially about the nation''s debt, which seemed like a hole that could never be filled.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    But today, she had been looking forward to the cab meeting ever since breakfast.

    Because she had seen Brian''s report yesterday, and through a series of operations via the industrial development fund, the country''s debt problem had unexpectedly seen significant easing.

    This was a stubborn problem that had gued France for over a hundred years since the time of Louis XV, and now, under her diligent governance, she finally saw hope for a solution!

    She first went to the Royal Workshop, made the sleep-deprived Louis XVI¡ªwho was tinkering with a loom¡ªchange his clothes, and then dragged him to the meeting hall.

    The cab ministers had already arrived, evidently also aware of the good news, each of them looking spirited, except for the Duke of Orleans, wearing a ck coat, sitting there lost in thought.

    After everyone had paid their respects to the king and queen and sat down at the queen''s gesture, Brian excitedly announced in a loud voice, "Today, I have a great piece of good news to tell everyone.

    "With the blessing of the Almighty and the meticulous governance of our great king and queen, France''s debt has significantly decreased in the past month!"

    As he spoke, he took out a document and began to read: "As of three days ago, the national debt had decreased by 130 million livres, and now only 2.11 billion livres remain."

    He paused, looking around at everyone present, his voice filled with excitement, "Especially notable is that the interest on the debt has been reduced from 180 million livres per year to less than 100 million livres."

    "At this rate, France''s finances will soon bnce ie and expenditure!"

    The current annual revenue of France is 510 million livres, with nearly 430 million livres going towards debt interest. This means that with just an additional 20 million or so in revenue, we will achieve a bnced budget for the first time!

    Everyone immediately stood up and bowed towards Louis XVI: "Long live the King!"

    "Long live Queen Mary!"

    Though the Duke of Orleans was saying the same, his heart was bleeding.

    How could he not be clear on how the national debt was reduced? It was all the money from the thirteen banks!

    After the turmoil, several of the banks tied to his lineage had suffered substantial losses. At the same time, with the Marquis of Ludo and others aligning with the Royal Family, his influence in the Banking Guild had plummeted dramatically.

    He suddenly felt a tightness in his chest; having lost control over the national finances, he had nowpletely lost any possibility of defeating the Royal Family.

    While others continued tovish praise on the King and Queen, he sank into his chair, drained of strength.

    It seemed the centuries-old aspirations of the Orleans family were utterly hopeless in his generation. Hemented internally and resolved to only focus on training Philippe, hoping for his growth...

    The matter of finance took a full "discussion" of nearly an hour before everyone reluctantly moved on to the next item on the agenda.

    Brian took out a document and signaled to the ministers: "His Majesty has signed a decree to establish the role of Minister of Industry within the Cab, primarily responsible for the supervision, management, and investment of the country''s industrial affairs."

    He gestured towards the golden doors of the conference hall, and two guards promptly opened the doors. Mirabeau, wearing a dark blue coat, meticulously made up, and perfumed, strode energetically through them.

    Brian continued, "On the rmendation of Crown Prince His Highness, Count Mirabeau will serve as Minister of Industry."

    He was somewhat resistant to this appointment¡ªthe nouveau riche Mirabeau, with little family background, somehow managed to get connected with the Crown Prince and had now made his way into the Cab in one fell swoop.

    However, the Crown Prince also mentioned that Mirabeau was very knowledgeable about developing industrial enterprises and would greatly promote France''s industrial development.

    At present, the biggest potential for financial growth in France lies in industry. If Mirabeau can advance French industry to the level of Ennd, no, even just half of Ennd''s level, it would increase the annual revenue by tens of millions of livres, thus allowing France to truly achieve a bnced budget.

    As the Finance Minister, his name would certainly be etched in history, and his reputation could even surpass that of Cardinal Richelieu, bing the most able minister in France.

    Thus, Brian epted Joseph''s proposal, allowing a rising noble to be the first Minister of Industry.

    After a simple routine appointment ceremony, Mirabeau took a seat at the end of the conference table.

    At this moment, a court official entered the conference hall softly and handed a report to the Navy Minister, the Marquis of Castries.

    Thetter quickly read through the report, immediately turned to the King with a smile, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, there''s more good news! A week ago, our fleet sunk a Barbary pirate ship and captured another."

 Chapter 216: Chapter 185 The Terrifying "Ice Hammer

    The ministers, upon hearing this, immediately showered the King, the Queen, and now the Crown Prince withpliments once more.

    They all remembered that it was the Crown Prince himself who had proposed this cost-free n to tackle piracy, and now it indeed began to show initial signs of sess.

    Joseph, intrigued, took the report from the Marquis of Castries and started to read it, quickly discovering that it was an American named Charles who had obtained intelligence on the pirates from Algiers, enabling the sessful ambush.

    When he saw Charles mention that his information might havee from a former Tunisian Pasha named Eunice, he couldn''t help but narrow his eyes.

    A former "Crown Prince" of Tunisia, still influential there? If this were true, perhaps his North African n needed some adjustments.

    Previously, he had nned to follow historical trajectories, starting with an attack on the pirate strongholds on the northern coast of Algiers, followed by purging pirates across all of Algiers. The other identity of the Barbary pirates was the navy of the North African states, deeply intertwined with their power elites. Eradicating the pirates would, in effect, turn the whole nation inside out.

    But now, it seemed Tunisia might provide a better foothold!

    After the Cab meeting concluded, Joseph immediately sought out the Marquis of Castries and ordered him to send a message to the Combined Fleet, calling for this man named Charles toe to Paris.

    The Navy Minister was somewhat surprised but agreed at once.

    Afterward, Joseph called for Fouche to expedite the construction of the intelligencework in Algiers and Tunisia.

    ...

    In the central Pacific Ocean, two medium-sized sailing ships emzoned with "Gemini Trading Company" were seemingly drifting aimlessly on the sea.

    The ships had offloaded their cargo in the Far East and had purchased nothing, so they were exceptionally light and thus extremely fast.

    After sailing straight west for a week, the ships turned south for more than ten nautical miles before again turning eastward, sails full.

    If one examined their sailing records for the past month, it would appear they were loitering in the nearby waters, seemingly in search of something.

    Aboard the armed merchant ship "Temper", Captain Fraute marked a few points on the nautical chart and, frowning, said to his first mate, "If we still can''t find it a hundred nautical miles further south, we''ll have to head to Batavia for supplies, then return to Europe."

    Just then, the excited shout of a lookout came through the speaking tube: "Land! Land ho! 25 nautical miles to the east-southeast!"

    Fraute hurriedly examined the chart and confirmed that the lookout''s mentioned position had no known inds, then excitedly grabbed a telescope and rushed to the foredeck.

    Indeed, before long, a dark grey ind with mottled green patches appeared in his telescope.

    His heart surged with excitement¡ªthe Crown Prince was right, there really was an ind here!

    In the following days, Fraute led the crew to find a suitable sheltered harbor and set up an advance base on the ind, flying the iris g representing the King of France.

    Five dayster, they encountered the first group of the ind''s indigenous people. After a difficult session ofmunicating through gestures, they hired nearly a hundred natives with trinkets like small knives and iron pots, starting to extract the brittle rocks that were abundant on the ind.

    The captain of the "Harmonium" watched as the crew and natives loaded the rocks into the hold and asked Fraute, "Are you sure these are the stones the Crown Prince was asking for?"

    Thetter nodded: "This is the only ind in these waters; it can''t be wrong."

    "Alright then. But at least we''ve discovered new territory; there should be a good bonus in it, right?"

    "I hope so," Fraute looked towards the distant sea, "but the location of the ind was pointed out by the Crown Prince. We just came to confirm it. Oh, he even knew the name of the ind, what was it again?"

    "Seems like it''s ''Nauru''."

    "Yes, Nauru. What a strange name."

    As more of the native inhabitants of Nauru rushed over to mine stones, it took just over ten days for them to fill the cargo holds of the two armed merchant ships, each nearly 500 tons discement.

    Fraute left more than a dozen sailors to guard the station and ordered the two ships to set sail back to Europe.

    ...

    The hot month of July arrived.

    In a small vige in France, 30 miles north of Berry.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Geiszler leaned against the rooftop, taking a wooden nk from his wife standing below and movedboriously to cover thest hole, measured it, and hammered in the nails with force.

    The entire roof was a crisscross of "patches," and just buying these nks had cost Geiszler a full 1 livre and 7 sous.

    Geiszler looked towards the chicken coop not far away, which had copsed by more than half, which made him involuntarily think back to the terrifying disaster three days ago.

    The weather was clear at the time, and he was "attending" to the new water pump with nche from the vige when he suddenly felt his shoulder being struck violently by something, making him wince in pain. Looking over, he found arge bruise forming on his shoulder.

    Believing it was the work of some mischievous vige child, he looked around angrily but saw no child. Instead, he heard nche scream in agony and saw him copse to the ground while holding his head.

    "What''s wrong with you?" Geiszler rushed to help him up and was shocked to see a gash on his forehead, and beside him, in the dirt,y a fist-sized "ss ball" with bloodstains on it.

    Geiszler picked up the "ss ball," and immediately a chill shot into his palm. It was then he realized that it was actually a ball of ice!

    Soon after, thudding sounds of heavy objects striking the ground began to resound nearby.

    The half-raised nche suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted in horror, "The sky! Take cover! These things are falling from the sky!"

    Luckily, a wooden shed had already been built over the water pump, and the two men hurriedly crawled inside.

    Soon, the individual "thuds" around them merged into a continuous barrage, and the wooden shed over their heads made a frightening "bang bang" noise as if a devil outside wanted to smash them to death with a hammer.

    The terrifying "hammer" pounded for nearly 40 minutes before gradually stopping. Geiszler saw that even the thick nks on top of the shed had several cracks smashed into them.

    He suddenly remembered something, pushed open the shed door, and stood frozen in ce.

    The once lush wheat fields had turned into t ground, the nearly mature wheat smashed into mush by countless fist-sized hailstones, mixing with the ice, mud, and water into one mass.

    Nearly half of the trees in the distance hung with broken branches and leaves, as if they had been ravaged by a mad giant, and on the ground, one could even see the ttened corpses of wild animals lying in pools of blood.

    "No, no, oh God, have mercy..." Geiszler murmured tremblingly, ignoring the ice balls on the ground and stumbling back to his own home.

    "Ate! Are you all alright?!"

    The next moment, he saw his wife, her face covered in blood, holding the two children and walking out of the house with a look of terror.

 Chapter 217: Chapter 186 Panic and Countermeasures

    "My dear, are all the nails hammered in?"

    The voice of his wife startled Geiszler from his reverie, and he hurriedly called out from under the eaves, "Oh, it''s all done; you can startying the straw now."

    His gaze fleetingly caught the scar on her forehead, a remnant from the hailstorm, when fragmented wood from the broken roof had gashed her. Fortunately, the wound wasn''t deep, and she and the children had taken refuge under a dining table, narrowly escaping disaster.

    Lady Geiszler tied up arge bundle of thatch with a rope, watching as her husband dragged it up onto the roof and spread it out bit by bit.

    By noon, the roof of the Geiszler home was more or less restored to its former state.

    Geiszler, wiping the sweat from his forehead, entered the house and saw his wifee out from the inner room, cing on the table a te that was missing arge chip¡ªtheir most intact te¡ªand summoned him with a smile, "Tired, aren''t you? Have something to eat."

    Geiszler ate a few spoonfuls of the vegetable soup soaked bread, then pushed the te aside, "Ah, save this for tonight. I''ll go back to the field to see if there is anything else we can salvage."

    There was still more than half a month until the wheat ripened, but many of the grains had already formed, turning green. Although they were mixed in the mud after the hailstorm, they could still recover some.

    He was determined to gather every grain of food! After this crop failure, his family''s stored grain would onlyst for three months, and as a tenant farmer, he still hadn''t paid the rent to Viscount Colbert.

    Geiszler sighed silently, pondering how much money he would need to borrow to buy enough seeds for the emergency nting for the next half year, and to sustain his family until the autumn harvest.

    Suddenly, he made the sign of the cross on his chest and silently thanked the merciful Crown Prince, praying, "May God bless you and grant you many years of life!"

    If it hadn''t been for the Crown Prince clearing his previous debts, this crop failure would likely have bankrupted his family...

    Stepping out of the house, he had only taken a few strides when he heard the sound of a child crying from the neighbors'', the Geoffreys. Among the sobs, he could faintly hear the child crying for food.

    Lady Geiszler also heard and came out, exchanging a nce with her husband before suggesting, "There''s still some of the green grain we cookedst night left, should we...?"

    "Ah..." Geiszler nodded.

    Geoffrey had contracted lung disease at the beginning of the year and could only lie in bed all day long. His family was destitute. After this disaster, their bankruptcy was inevitable.

    Geiszler took the broken bowl his wife handed to him. Seeing a piece of ck bread atop the boiled grains, he said nothing more and headed towards his neighbor''s house.

    Mrs. Geoffrey took the food with trembling hands, thanking him profusely, while three gaunt children quickly gathered around, eagerly stuffing the food into their mouths.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Geiszler paused for a moment before managing to ask, "Is there anything else we can do to help you?"

    "No, that''s all..." Mrs. Geoffrey returned the empty bowl to Geiszler, her head lowered, her words trailing off with hesitation, "The food you gave is already a great help."

    She knew the neighbors, though managing, certainly didn''t have the means to help them daily.

    Under her table was a nearly empty bag of broken wheat. Even if rationed, it wouldst at most half a month. As for livestock, they had all been ughtered and eatenst year. This meant that in half a month, her only option would be to take her family to the city to beg.

    Given her family''s situation, not even usurers would lend to them.

    Geiszler sighed, about to turn and leave when Father Marmont from the parish hurried in, anxiously telling Mrs. Geoffrey, "God bless, you can apply for a ''bread loan'' now!"

    The woman, taken aback, quickly made the sign of the cross and asked, "Respected Priest, what is a ''bread loan''?"

    "His Majesty the King wants to help families like yours, so the parish bank will lend you money," Father Marmont exined. "Go to the church first, fill out an application there, and starting from next month, you can receive a loan of four livres a month, or the equivalent in grain. The interest rate is only six percent."

    "You better hurry, I still need to inform the Jullien family."

    He turned and took a few steps, then quickly turned back to add, "Oh, and your seeds for emergency nting aren''t settled yet, right?"

    "Remember to also apply for government relief seeds. But it''s only potatoes."

    "Actually, those aren''t bad at all, certainly better than starving, right? Plus, there''s no interest. You just need to repay the same amount at the end of the year."

    After Father Marmont and Geiszler left, Mrs. Geoffrey''s eyes suddenly reddened. She knew that even though it was only four livres per month, it would be just enough to keep her family alive!

    Taking a deep breath, she turned and asked her three children to kneel with her. With a trembling voice, she prayed, "Thank you, Your Majesty the King, for your kindness! Thank God! We are saved..."

    She stood up under the bewildered gaze of her children, turned away, wiped the tears from her eyes, and hurried towards the parish church at the fastest pace she could manage.

    Simr to the Geoffreys'' situation, scenarios like this were ying out in ruralmunities across France.

    Thanks to Joseph''s preparations several months in advance, although the terrible natural disaster struck as expected, France did not experience the Purgatory-like conditions of history.

    If families like the Geoffreys went bankrupt, they would have flooded into the cities to beg; many of these people would be key yers in the forting Revolution. Families like these numbered a million across All of France!

    At the same time, the cities, with millions more mouths to feed, would see bread prices skyrocket immediately, making it unaffordable for city dwellers too. Historically, after the hailstorms, the price of bread in Paris quickly doubled, bing a direct catalyst for the Revolution.

 Chapter 218: Chapter 186 Panic and Countermeasures_2

    At present, with the advent of the Steam Engine sent to the countryside,nds that would have produced no crops due to drought managed to yield some harvest. Although it was only green wheat and amounted to only about thirty percent of a normal harvest, it was indeed better than nothing.

    Furthermore, in the provinces that had extensively nted potatoes, the impact of hail was very limited. Especially in the south, where potatoes were nearly ripe, after the hail, the farmers only needed to dig out the potatoes from the ground to ensure their food supply for thetter half of the year.

    At the same time, the "Parish Small Bank" that Joseph had set up earlier to help the rural areas purchase Steam Engines yed an unexpected role this time.

    Because he now had the powerful tool that was the Bank of France Reserve at his disposal.

    After the disaster struck, Joseph and the Cab decided that the Bank of France Reserve would directly provide loans to the parish banks, which would then divide and lend to impoverished farmers, ensuring that the disaster-stricken farmers wouldn''t starve to death.

    Suchrge-scale government funding for disaster relief was unheard of in the eighteenth century. In fact, disaster relief wouldn''t cost much -- nearly four million livres a month, totaling between twelve and fourteen million by harvest time. The payoff was the stability of the entire lower ss of France.

    For a country, chaos is always a severe drain.

    It''s not just about spending money; it also drains the nation''s foundation and prospects for development, diminishing people''s confidence in the country. These are things you can''t buy back with any amount of money.

    Historically, after the chaos of the French Revolution, it took the country a good ten years to gradually get back on track and start developing again. That was only because of the arrival of Napoleon, a man capable of turning the tide; otherwise, it might have taken another ten years.

    As for the twelve million for disaster relief, Joseph had his own additional n: it could be used to elerate the cirction of banknotes.

    Beginning next month, the Bank of France Reserve will officially issue banknotes, and the loans that the parish banks receive from the Bank of France Reserve will be disbursed entirely in banknotes.

    Of course, to ensure stability in the countryside, for the first two months, the Bank of France Reserve will also transport an equivalent amount of silver coins to each parish, allowing farmers to exchange banknotes at any time.

    Once everyone is ustomed to banknotes and has developed a certain level of trust in them, they will gradually reduce the amount of silver coins distributed.

    ording to Joseph''s n, the initial issuance of banknotes would be fifty million livres, with an over-issuance of 5%. In other words, the Bank of France Reserve actually prepared forty-seven and a half million livres in silver coins.

    This small degree of over-issuance would not affect the national finances in any way. In fact, a moderate intion is actually beneficial to economic development.

    Therefore, the funds needed for disaster relief would only require the issuance of two hundred million livres in banknotes, which could basically be covered by the over-issued portion.

    However, Joseph was well aware of the importance of maintaining stable currency values, especially during the initial introduction of banknotes. Reckless over-issuance could not be afforded; otherwise, it would backfire. The reason British Pound banknotes had remained strong and gradually epted by other European countries was precisely because of their stable value.

    In this transition period from gold and silver coins to banknotes, the gold standard was the most suitable mary policy, which also meant that excessive issuance of banknotes could not happen.

    ...

    In arge city like Paris, people werepletely unaware of the farmers'' despair. The impact of drought and hail on them mostly manifested in the price of bread, besides repairing damaged buildings and public facilities.

    When reports of failed crops from all over the country gradually reached Paris, even though there were no actual signs of food shortage, the price of bread immediately began to rise under the influence of public panic.

    The price of bread in Paris was always an issue of utmost concern for the French Cab, without exception. Every time Parisians hadints about the price of bread, it signaled that a riot was on the verge of breaking out!

    Pce of Versailles.

    "So, many nobles have protested against these regtions?"

    Joseph flipped through the "Millers'' Duties Act" in his hand and looked at Brian in front of him.

    The Finance Minister nodded somewhat helplessly, "You know, the mill tax is a significant source of ie for those people. Although the act only stipted certain scenarios, they are still very resistant."

    This was the bill that Joseph had submittedst month, yet it had still not been approved.

    Its main content was: millers are obligated to maintain the normal operation of their mills meticulously. If a mill can''t be used for two consecutive months, the local parish would have the right to build a public mill.

    At present, in most European countries, the right to mill flour was still held by the Feudal Lords. Even if farmers had wheat, they had to pay a tax and go to the Feudal Lord''s mill to have it ground into flour.

    Joseph thought for a moment, then changed one word in the document, turning it into "Mill Owner Rights Act."

    "This way, we first describe the traditional mill rights in detail, and the duty part only needs to take up half a page at the end. No one should object to this."

    Currently, the rights of mill owners are inherited ording to medieval customs, and there really are no specific writtenws, but the power of custom is as solid as a rock, implemented everywhere, and even courts would make judgments based on it.

    So, Joseph directly wrote them into the legition, seemingly endorsing the nobles, but in reality, they didn''t gain any benefits. And the duties that followed were indeed added in earnest.

    Brian immediately showed a smile, "Your Highness, I think they will surely look forward to the bill''s swift passage."

    While they were talking, a finance official knocked and entered, hurriedly saluted them, and then rushed to say:

    "Your Highness, Archbishop, we''ve just received news from Paris, bread has risen to 4 livres 8 sous 7 deniers per loaf."

    Upon hearing this, Brian''s expression immediately turned serious, "It''s gone up by 7 deniers in just two days?"

    "It seems so."

    "Those scoundrels!" Brian stood up, "Immediately have someone inspect all the bakeries, arrest anyone who dares to hoard or secretly raise prices on the spot!"

    Presently, the bread price controlw in Paris was just this stringent¡ªanyone who dared to raise the price, even by 1 denier, would be immediately arrested.

    Joseph expressed some doubt, "Archbishop Brienne, with the government emphasizing price controls every day since the hailstorm, and even the police helping to monitor, why would anyone dare to raise prices?"

    "You may not know," Brian sighed, "those bakery owners, theyply with the stipted price publicly, but secretly they employ various methods to effectively raise prices.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "For example, they only sell 40 pounds of bread at the regr price each day and then announce they''ve sold out. Whoever wants to buy bread has to go to the back kitchen of the shop and pay a ''query fee'' to make a purchase.

    "Or they engage in tie-in sales¡ªsmear a bean-sized dollop of jam on the bread and im it''s jam bread, increasing the price by a few deniers."

    Joseph raised an eyebrow and said, "In that case, sending even more people to inspect won''t do much good.

    "I think, while the price increase isn''t too significant yet, we should use the reserve grains to stabilize the price."

    Brian shook his head, "Your Highness, there is still plenty of grain in the market for now, it''s not necessary to do this yet.

    "You know, those merchants, once they learn that there is a grain shortage, will hoard food like mad, waiting to sell at high prices. Thus, most of the grain we put into the market now will be bought up by them."

    Joseph smiled with confidence:

    "Archbishop Brienne, how could you forget that we now have this ''weapon'' called identity cards?"

    "Identity cards?"

    "Yes. You first set up ''ticket distribution points'' around Paris. Anyone can collect a food ration ticket every day with their identity card.

    "And the reserve grain depots will sell grain at fixed prices, but purchases must be made with food tickets. Each ticket can buy enough grain for two pounds of bread a day and cannot be used the next day.

    "Those grain merchants themselves only have one identity card, so they simply cannot buy uprge quantities of reserve grain."

    Brian, who was still not ustomed to the concept of identity cards, found his eyes lighting up when the Crown Prince exined, "No wonder you had given each identity card a different number, it can also be used this way!"

    He hurriedly called several of his subordinates, repeated Joseph''s method to them, and had them go and carry it out immediately.

    Joseph thought for a moment and then said:

    "The current rise in bread prices is mostly due to panic. So, we need to divert the public''s attention as much as possible, to make them pay less attention to the food issue."

 Chapter 219: Chapter 187: Louis XVIs "Themed Birthday Celebration

    "Diverting public attention?" Brian nodded, he was very familiar with this, "Do you mean to say, find some noble scandals and publicize them extensively?"

    Joseph was slightly startled; to be honest, this was slightly different from his initial concept, but it indeed was a very effective means.

    "In addition to that, we could also have the newspapers report about the Swiss owing money."

    Indeed, the embezzled funds that the Swiss Denaro Bank failed to return were the money Switzend owed to France, which was logically very sound.

    Joseph knew that France was currently at the beginning of national awakening, and people cared deeply about matters involving national interest. As long as the copy was up to standard, it would certainly draw everyone''s attention.

    In fact, the Swiss Cantonal Parliament and the Federal Congress had already advanced nearly 3 million livres, more bank loans were being forcefully recalled, and diplomats had been sent to France to coordinate this matter. However, due to the domestic situation in France, they had to "inconvenience" the Swiss.

    Brian nodded thoughtfully, admitting that this matter indeed could draw more attention from the citizens than noble scandals.

    Joseph continued, "And those Barbary pirates we captured, bring them all to Paris for a public trial. Find a few French-speaking American sailors to add an emotional touch.

    "Have someone write the pirate capturing process into a script, and perform it right there after each day''s public trial."

    When it came to heating up topics and creating news, Joseph, shaped by the 21st-century influence, was absolutely a master in this era.

    "We could also add some visual stimtion. Hasn''t Bouvarandere''s trial concluded? Carry out the hanging as soon as possible and disy his body from the streetmp as a public warning."

    Bouvarandere was the banker charged with the murder of Necker.

    "But..." Brian wanted to say that the judicial process wasn''tplete yet and the execution shouldn''t be so hasty. However, he then thought about the fact that the banker was not a noble and even had gang connections, a nod with the High Court would do, so he didn''t say anything more.

    With these events, the focus on the unpaid debts would surely significantly decrease, and coupled with the avability of affordable bread, the panic over food should quicklye under effective control.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Brian''s assistant entered with the Queen''s maid. The Countess of Debreninac paid her respects to the two men in the room and said, "Archbishop Brian, Her Majesty the Queen requests your presence."

    Brian hurried off with the maid, and Joseph returned to his study to write the arrangements for "heating up the topics" into a document, one by one.

    Unexpectedly, after just half an hour, Brian returned somewhat anxiously, his brows furrowed in distress, "Crown Prince, you must help me persuade Her Majesty the Queen."

    "Oh? What has happened?"

    Brian sighed, "As you know, next month is His Majesty the King''s birthday. Her Majesty the Queen summoned me just now to discuss the birthday celebration.

    "However, given the severe shortfall the country is facing, with demands for money everywhere, I suggested to Her Majesty that we shouldn''t host arge celebration, but she clearly wasn''t too pleased..."

    "Wait!" Joseph suddenly looked at him, "That''s right, it''s almost His Majesty the King''s birthday."

    "Yes, Your Highness. Her Majesty the Queen loves you the most, if you persuade her, she should listen."

    Joseph thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, "No, Archbishop Brian, we should celebrate this birthday."

    "What?"

    "Not only should we celebrate, but we must also do it splendidly!" said Joseph, pulling up Brian and heading towards the Petit Trianon Pce.

    Before long, Queen Mary joyfully stroked her son''s hair and cast a nce at the frowning Brian standing to one side, happily saying, "I just knew that Joseph would agree to throw a grand birthday celebration for his beloved father."

    Following her cue, Joseph first offered his blessings to Louis XVI, then said, "However, as you know, the Parisians are currently concerned about the food issue. If we directly organize a birthday celebration at this point, it could easily provoke dissatisfaction among the people."

    "Additionally, finances are an issue."

    Brian hadn''t expected such a twist and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

    Meanwhile, the Queen began to frown, "So, what are you suggesting?"

    Joseph smiled and said, "We need to set a theme for His Majesty''s birthday celebration."

    "A theme?"

    "The Parisians will hear this news: The great His Majesty the King will hold a relief-themed birthday celebration," Joseph exined. "The scale of the celebration must berge, impacting as many people as possible. We should start warming up half a month in advance with some free programs, distributing food for free every day in the name of His Majesty the King.

    "During the days of the birthday, hold a relief charity sale every day, calling on the nobility to donate. All Parisians cane to Versailles Pce Square to partake in the festivities, and we can even have things like lucky draws.

    "I guarantee that for nearly a month before and after, the streets of Paris will be filled withughter, and no one will remember the poor harvest."

    With a grim face, Brian said, "Your Highness, this is going to cost a lot of money."

    "It doesn''t need much money," Joseph replied. "The most expensive parts of such a celebration are hiring theater troupes, circuses to perform, havingrge-scale banquets, and decorating the Pce of Versailles, and all of these can be saved."

    Queen Mary''s eyes widened in surprise, "Without these, how can it be considered a birthday celebration?"

    Joseph had already thought of a n on his way here and immediately smiled, "For the celebration''s program, we can organize twopetitions.

    "Ladies can take part in a singing and dancingpetition. We only need the court orchestra to apany them, and thedies of Versailles who are skilled at singing and dancing will naturally take the stage to show their talents. Her Majesty the Queen will lead a fewdies from the Royal Family as judges, scoring on the spot and having a music master providements.

    The top performers will be selected, and Her Majesty the Queen will personally award them. I believe they will be eager to sign up.

    "For the gentlemen, we can hold a swordsmanshippetition. It will be judged by His Majesty the King, who will also award the winners.

    "Of course, we can invite the circus, just to perform during breaks in thepetition, which won''t cost too much."

    Queen Mary imagined the scene of nobledies gathering together, each showing off their singing, and felt somewhat eager to try. She nodded her head quite approvingly on the spot.

    Joseph continued, "His Majesty the King should tour around Paris on his birthday to ept congrattions from the citizens. So, the banquet only needs to be the dinner on that night, which is the only ce where money needs to be spent."

    In past celebrations of the King''s birthday, there were banquets throughout the whole day, which was the major expense. But by only holding a dinner reception, the costs would not be as much.

    "As for the decorations for the celebration, the Pce of Versailles is already the most exquisite and luxurious ce in all of Europe. It''ll be enough just to clean it thoroughly and ce fresh flowers around.

    "The heart of the celebration lies in the people. As long as there are many people and everyone is enjoying themselves, then it is a sessful celebration."

    Thinking quietly about the celebration n proposed by the Crown Prince, Brian estimated that it would cost at most 300,000 livres, and it wouldn''t provoke discontent from the Parisians towards the Royal Family. Hence, he immediately expressed his agreement, "Your Majesty the Queen, I think the form of celebration proposed by His Highness is perfect."

 Chapter 220: Chapter 188: North African version of Lion King (Request for monthly ticket)

    Charles curiously surveyed the grand and beautiful city, much like a child seeing it for the first time.

    He had been to London before, and although it was alsorge, it felt dirtier and smellierpared to his hometown of Phdelphia. Paris, however, was filled with an elegant beauty, its streets were wide and tidy, and not a whiff of excrement was to be sensed.

    Along the streets, some people were still repairing buildings, but overall, broken trees aside, there were no obvious signs of the ravages of hail left to be seen.

    He disembarked at Marseille and along the way had seen shocking destruction, with towns and cottages as though bombarded by pirates with cannons. He had not expected Paris to have recovered so quickly.

    Suddenly, a chorus of shouts erupted from up ahead:

    "Hang these shameless rich people!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "It''s his bank that took our money!"

    "France has been cheated out of tens of millions of livres by them, hang him!"

    "These swindlers, all cold-blooded murderers..."

    Charles stuck his head out of the carriage window and saw, about seventy yards away, a thousand people surrounding a few prison carts inching forward. From time to time, people would throw clumps of earth and rubbish at those on the carts.

    The United States Ambassador to France, Ss Dean, sitting opposite him, offered an exnation without even looking:

    "Those are some bankers who colluded with the former Finance Minister of France for profit. They have been exposed and one of them is being taken to the town hall square to be hanged."

    Charles, annoyed by the noise of the crowd, hurriedly closed the window:

    "Mr. Dean, I''ve heard that in a few days there will be a public trial for the pirates, will it be like this? I mean, I might have to attend as a witness."

    "Perhaps even more ''lively,''" Dean recalled the public trial outside the High Court earlier in the year, "You will have to get used to the French people''s fervor for these sorts of things. Oh, another thing they love is mass protests."

    Charles nodded with a smile: "I''ve heard about that. In the United States, rioters are dispersed by the National Army with guns, but here, they seem to chase after the troops."

    Deanughed as well: "They even drove the king out of Paris once."

    The two chatted idly, and then Dean opened the window to look out, saying:

    "We''re almost there. Be careful with what you sayter, and don''t underestimate the Crown Prince of France just because he''s young. From what I understand, he has significant influence in French politics."

    "Alright, Mr. Dean, I''ll bear that in mind," Charles replied.

    As they were speaking, the carriage came to a stop. Eman greeted them from a short distance away with a polite chest bow, then led them into the Industrial nning Bureau.

    Charles looked around and asked the ambassador in a surprised whisper:

    "Aren''t we going to the Pce of Versailles?"

    Dean whispered back into his ear:

    "The Crown Prince of France has something to tell you. This is his office in Paris."

    Soon, they met Joseph, and Dean, pulling Charles forward, greeted him with a very standard salute:

    "It''s an honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

    Joseph nodded with a smile: "I''m also honored to meet you both, especially the hero who captured the pirates.

    "Please take a seat. Oh, themendation ceremony for Captain Charles will take ceter at the Pce of Versailles. I''ve asked you here because there''s an important matter I need to discuss with you."

    Charles didn''t understand French and was at a bit of a loss. Dean had no choice but to act as an interpreter.

    Hearing this, Charles hastily said to Joseph, "Please feel free to ask anything, Your Highness."

    Seeing this, Joseph switched to English, "I heard that the Algerian smuggler who provided you with pirate intelligence knows Eunice? The son of the former Pasha of Tunisia?"

    Charles nodded, "Yes, Your Highness. ording to Ali, his boss can meet with Eunice."

    A look of joy shed in Joseph''s eyes, "If necessary, could you arrange a meeting between my people and that Eunice?"

    "I''m not quite sure about that. However, knowing Ali''s nature, it might require some money."

    "That, of course, can be arranged," Joseph nodded and then asked, "How much do you know about this Eunice?"

    Charles recalled for a moment and said, "In the prison cell in Algiers, I heard Ali mention some things about him.

    "Eunice was the son of Ali. Oh, not the smuggler, but the Pasha of Tunisia over forty years ago.

    "As for this Pasha named Ali... Your Highness, are you sure you want to hear this?"

    "Yes, please tell me everything you know, the more detailed, the better."

    Charles continued, "Over forty years ago, Bey Hussein of Tunisia deposed the original Crown Prince, his nephew Ali, and reced him with his own son.

    "Unwilling to lose power, Ali staged a coup under the pretense that Hussein''s son, born of a Genoese ve woman, had no right to the session and took the title of Bey for himself."

    Joseph looked somewhat puzzled, "Bey?"

    "Oh, the rulers of Tunisia call themselves Beys. But they also ept the title bestowed by the Ottoman Sultan, which is Pasha. They choose between these identities when they assume different roles."

    "Thank you for your exnation, please continue."

    Charles nodded, "Afterwards, Hussein fled with his remnants to southern Tunisia. Ali then sent his son Eunice to lead the army against them.

    "After five years of fierce fighting, Eunice finally emerged victorious and captured Hussein. Hussein''s two sons fled to Algiers.

    "With significant forces in his hands and the support of Tunisian local nobles, Eunice decided to rebel.

    "Ali was lucky. With the support of the people of Algiers, he defeated Eunice and retained his position as Bey. After his defeat, Eunice also fled to Algiers.

    "The people of Algiers imprisoned him¡ªoh, in the same jail I was in. But Eunice escaped and started a smuggling business in Algiers."

    Joseph felt more confirmed in his previous thoughts. Eunice had led troops and had supporters in Tunisia, which could definitely be leveraged to his advantage.

    Charles continued to reminisce, "As time went on, Ali gradually aged, and Hussein''s two sons took the opportunity to borrow the military force of the people of Algiers, returned to Tunisia, and drove out Ali. The older brother, Muhammad, became the new Bey.

    "More than twenty years ago, Muhammod died, and his brother Ali seeded him¡ªlook, another Ali. He is the current Bey of Tunisia."

    Joseph mused that this story of nephews grabbing their uncle''s throne and the uncle''s sons returning for revenge is practically the North African version of ''The Lion King.''

    The current political situation in Tunisia is extremely chaotic. Although the country is small in size, over eighty percent of its area is fertile farnd, and it also has quite a few good ports, making it much more prosperous than Algiers with its vast deserts.

    This is indeed the best strategic entry point in North Africa!

    Joseph pondered over the North African affairs and suddenly noticed an issue¡ªEunice was just a smuggler, even if he had dealings with pirates, he should not have such a clear understanding of their sailing routes.

    It seems that the Police Affairs Department will have to thoroughly investigate Eunice''s background. After all, there might be some "cooperation" with him in the future...

 Chapter 221: Chapter 189: Declaring War on the Catastrophe (Please Subscribe)

    Afterward, Charles hurried to the Pce of Versailles, where he was received by the assistant to the French Naval Minister and was given a smallmendation ceremony, along with a reward of 500 livres.

    Charles indeed deserved such recognition¡ªwithout the pirate intelligence he had purchased from the smugglers, the Combined Fleet might still be blindly searching the vast Mediterranean.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    However, after the ceremony, a French official informed him that there had been a change of n regarding his scheduled testimony at the public trial of the pirates; he now needed to return immediately to Algiers to help the French "diplomats" make contact with Pasha Eunice.

    ...

    Bourges, in the north-central part of France, is an extremely impoverished area, and Labourn Parish is one of its poorest viges.

    Sharecropper Alberic sat on a wooden barrel, inhaling the dry, hot air, his face showing a look of utter despair in front of the cracked earth.

    He simply did not have the strength to carry water any longer.

    As the weather grew hotter, the small river that once flowed by the vige had dried up. He now had to walk two miles to fetch water from the neighboring vige to irrigate his fields.

    Indeed, there were too fewmunal horses in the vige, and it was more than ten days before it was his turn to use one.

    And the small amount of water he could carry by hand was woefully inadequate for the thirty acres he had nted.

    After a hail disaster, he had applied for government relief in the form of potato seeds, only to find that it never rained afterward.

    He had so far only nted two acres of potatoes, the maximum area he and his son could water by hand, for nting any more would mean the potatoes dying from dehydration.

    Alberic was now considering whether he should eat the potatoes meant for seeds¡ªalthough it was a serious vition of the rules, the priest had said they could only keep for half a month at most, and it would be a shame to let them all rot.

    Just then, a young tenant farmer from the vige passed by, ringing a bell and shouting:

    "All men, gather at the church!"

    Alberic hurriedly waved to the man and asked loudly:

    "Didier, are we going to work for the baron?"

    "No, it''s to help," Didier said, "Help Yanar Parish move stones."

    "Ah? Move stones?"

    Didier nodded impatiently: "Yes, the government brought them specially, saying it''s some kind of fertilizer. Supposed to make the crops grow better. But it looks like just stones to me."

    Alberic quickly called his son and they both headed for the church.

    About forty or fifty people had already gathered near the church, buzzing with spection:

    "Why go to Yanar Vige to work?"

    "I heard Mr. Audreyan say the government has passed a ''water pump rental act,'' and they''ve obtained a water pump!"

    "But what does that have to do with us?"

    While Yanar Parish was a parish in rtively better condition, barely able to afford to rent a water pump, Labourn Parish was destitute, unable to pay the monthly rental fee of 200 livres, to say nothing of the parish bank.

    Immediately, a viger said: "Mr. Audreyan stated that ording to the rental act, Yanar Vige must lend us the water pump for eleven days each month, and in return, we need to work for them."

    "A water pump?!" Alberic eximed excitedly, "I heard that thing can water dozens of acres in one day, we''re saved!"

    Before long, the parish Stadtholder, Mr. Audreyan, arrived at the church, counted the people, and then instructed:

    "Today and tomorrow we move fertilizer for Yanar Parish. The day after tomorrow, we move our own.

    "After that, we''ll also help them with repairing the canals."

    As he spoke, joy appeared on his face: "However, they will deliver the water pump to us tomorrow evening!"

    The tenant farmers immediately erupted into cheers¡ªwith water, there was hope for survival. Ignoring the zing sun overhead, they followed Mr. Audreyan toward the adjacent vige...

    Two dayster, Alberic''s family also received some of the light grey stones marked with ck spots. ording to the priest, it was a very precious fertilizer that only needed to be crushed into fine bits, soaked in water, and then applied to thend to significantly improve crop yield.

    All of the fertilizer was obtained on credit after the parish signed an agreement with apany called Gemini Trading Company. It turned out that one acre required an investment of five to seven sols, to be paid after the fall harvest. However, thepany guaranteed that if the increased crop yield did not exceed the cost of the fertilizer, they would not charge a penny.

    Yes, these stones were the phosphate rock that Joseph had ordered to be transported back from Nauru, essentially mineralized bird droppings.

    This stuff was definitely the best fertilizer one could get in this era!

    You see, Nauru inter years made a fortune selling "bird droppings stones," and became one of the richest countries for a brief period. The citizens each had a luxury car, bought property in Australia at will, and flew overseas for cold treatments.

    Of course, after the mines were depleted, they fell back into poverty overnight, but that''s another story.

    Limited by transport capacity, only two shipments of phosphate rock, totaling over six hundred tons, had been brought back, temporarily supplied to the more troubled regions of France. However, a second fleet of seventeen ships had already reached the Pacific Ocean. When they returned, they would greatly improve France''s agricultural output.

    For now, though, Britain was still the world''s leading naval power, so France could not yet publicize this matter and had to quietly transport the "stones" back home. If news ever leaked, it might be forcibly seized by the British.

    Therefore, Joseph had also prepared an alternative n: to promote the method ofposting.

    The so-called posting" involved using microorganisms to process organic matter, such as leaves, straw, food scraps, and even feces, dposing it into humus, which is a form of fertilizer nts can absorb.

 Chapter 222: Chapter 189: Declaring War on the Catastrophe (Please Subscribe)_2

    Before the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, this could be considered the best method for humans to produce fertilizer, capable of maintaining soil fertility for years without the need for fallowing.

    Although Europe had simpleposting as early as the 17th century, it was all done by experience, mixing organics haphazardly and letting it sit for a while, resulting in rather mediocre fertility. It wasn''t until the mid-19th century, with scientificposting theories, that fertility gradually improved.

    Joseph had learned about the basic principles ofposting from documentaries inter generations, which is nothing more than ayer of organic matter plus ayer of soil, controlling moisture, and isting air. Then turning the pile once a month, three months for maturation.

    However, theory is one thing, how to operate specifically, and the proportions of organic matter and moisture, needed to be pondered by professionals.

    Joseph entrusted this task to the Church.

    Indeed,pared to inefficient bureaucrats, the Church was quite attentive in matters of public welfare. Having dozens of priests from different churches each work onposting with various ratios to observe the effects would determine the most suitableposting method. Then, it could be promoted nationwide.

    The night deepened.

    Alberic and two vigers followed the cart back to the vige and then, lighting torches, unloaded the coal next to the pump.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The coal was transported from a small coal mine more than ten miles away. Such small coal mines were now everywhere. Recently, the government had issued the "Coal Mining Promotion Act," encouraging the exploitation of coal mines and providing subsidies for mines that sold a certain volume of coal.

    Since then, investors operating small coal mines with a few dozen people had sprung up like mushrooms after rain and coal prices had continued to drop. Now, if the vigers carried the coal themselves, the vige could fully afford the small amount of coal consumed by the pump.

    Watching the water flow illuminated by torches continuously pouring into the fields through the canals, although Alberic and the others were exhausted and sore, their faces were filled with smiles.

    Obviously, the monthly eleven days of irrigation couldn''t cover all the cultivatednd in the vige, but it could at least preserve over sixty percent of the crops. Coupled with that supposedly magical stone fertilizer, they should be able to harvest enough grain to sustain the family through the autumn.

    Labourn Parish was lucky. Limited by the production of steam engines in France, there were still many areas in urgent need of irrigation that, although they had submitted applications in ordance with the pump rentalw, could only anxiously wait for the life-saving pumps.

    ...

    In the eastern part of Tunisia, the City of Sfax.

    A man in his thirties, with sunken eyes and a fine high nose, dismounted from a carriage and quickly entered a sugar shop on the street corner which clearly had a French style.

    There were many French merchants in Tunisia, especially those high-end shops selling silk, sugar, and tea; many of them were owned by the French.

    The shop owner nced at him, then nonchntly opened a door on the counter, allowing him to enter the back room.

    Prosper from the Paris Police Department was seated inside, dressed in the typical Tunisian long robe in grey-white and wearing a golden bucket-shaped hat, idly ying with dates on a te out of sheer boredom.

    The man with North African features entered the room, and Prosper quickly tipped his hat to him, greeting in French,

    "Fabien... ah, sorry, I should say Mr. Isaac, how''s the situation?"

    Isaac first took severalrge gulps of water from the table before excitedly saying,

    "I met that officer named Imanzad. He indeed knows Eunice, or rather, he admires him greatly.

    "The most fortunate thing is, this Imanzad is about to retire and only holds a nominal position in the Tunisian Army."

    "How is that fortunate?" Prosper started to say but then stopped short, his eyes suddenly lighting up, "Are you saying he has ample time to make a trip to Algiers?"

    "Exactly!" Isaac nodded, "Except he doesn''t seem to trust me enough yet, so he was reluctant to make any promises. Next, it''s time for our consul to take action."

    Prosper did not expect things to go so smoothly; they had been in Tunisia for merely ten days and had already made contact with one of Eunice''s former subordinates.

    Of course, this was also thanks to Isaac, a member of the Police Department with North African ancestry¡ªpreviously, his heritage often subjected him to discrimination. But here, hismand of Arabic and familiarity with North African customs were considerable assets that helped him excel.

    Prosper also gulped down several mouthfuls of water¡ªwithout drinking enough before going out in this ursed ce, dehydration would soon be unbearable¡ªand pulled Isaac to head for the door,

    "Let''s go find Consul Joan right now."

    Three dayster, after several meetings between the French consul and Imanzad, thetter finally boarded a smuggling ship that had been waiting in the harbor with the agents of the Police Affairs Department.

    They were to head directly to Dahra in Algiers to meet Eunice, who had left Tunisia more than thirty years ago.

    ...

    Versailles Pce Square.

    The ce was crowded, and the square had likely gathered tens of thousands of people. They had alle from Paris to attend His Majesty the King''s birthday celebration.

    A month ago, the newspapers had said that around three days before and after the King''s birthday, grand song and dancepetitions and swordsmanship contests would be held. Of course, the most attractive event was the distribution of free food every afternoon at 5 o''clock.

    Of course, many people hade for the lottery advertised in the newspapers as well, with a jackpot of up to 3,000 livres¡ªjust for the price of one sou, one could buy a ticket.

    On the King''s birthday, His Majesty himself would announce the winning numbers and present the substantial prize money in public.

    The Parisians were very interested in these kinds of get-rich-quick schemes. Most people with some spare money had bought a lottery ticket. Some, to increase their chances of winning, bought several or even dozens of tickets.

    Although the festival had not yet begun, there were already numerous vendors selling snacks or small toys, and street troupes were performing in the open. Everywhere there was a festive and merry atmosphere. People had long thrown the hailstorm that had destroyed 65% of France''s agricultural harvest out of their minds.

    In the hall on the first floor of the Versailles Pce, a slightly overweight official seated behind a wooden table nced at his watch, stood up, and prepared to remove the wooden sign that read "Swordsmanship Competition Enrollment."

    Just then, a young man, rather slender and with his hat brim pulled down low, approached and politely stopped him, speaking in a strange voice,

    "Please wait, I would like to sign up."

    "Oh, very well, you''vee just in time," the official had to sit back down in his chair and, taking up his pen, said, "You cannot sign up for someone else. Please tell me your name."

    "Jean-Francois Henri de Freze."

    The official quickly wrote down the name, stamped it, and then handed the slip of paper to him:

    "Please keep your enrollment receipt safe, Viscount Freze."

    "Thank you," thetter took the paper slip and turned to leave.

    The official suddenly remembered something and called out to him:

    "Wait! Did you say you are Viscount Freze?"

    The young man did not answer, simply quickened his pace with his head down.

    "Stop him!" the official in charge of enrollment shouted.

    Three guards immediately surrounded the "Viscount Freze."

    The enrollment official walked over, looking at the registrant with a suspicious eye, and said:

    "If you don''t mind, could you please take off your hat?"

    "Viscount Freze," with no other choice, took off his tricorn hat and showed him an apologetic smile.

    She was clearly a beautifuldy with charming eyes and a sweet smile.

    "As I suspected! You are Miss Soleil, sister of Viscount Freze, aren''t you? You really shouldn''t be doing this," the enrollment official said, reaching out his hand, "This is apetition for gentlemen, fighting and killing is not suitable for ady as beautiful as you. Now, please give me back your enrollment receipt."

    "But then, to whom shall the championship go, if not for my participation?" Soleil smiled slightly, and suddenly, with a powerful tug at the guard on her left, she hooked her boot around his ankle. Taking advantage of his loss of bnce, she quickly slipped past him from the left side.

    The guard ended up blocking the view of the opposite guard. Thest guard hurriedly gave chase, but after circling the stairs twice, he had already lost sight of Soleil.

    Meanwhile, in the center of the Marble Courtyard, the nobledies''petition was already in full swing on a wooden stage.

    About five or six hundred nobles formed a fan shape around the stage, with Queen Mary at their center.

    A row of soldiers stood behind them, keeping the thousands ofmoners who were watching from the outer circle at a distance. The people of Paris had rarely had such an opportunity to witness noblewomen demonstrating their singing talent.

    Suddenly, the nobles let out cries of excitement: "Madame Gan! It''s Madame Gan!"

 Chapter 223: Chapter 190 The Rose of Versailles

    On the second floor of the Pce of Versailles, Joseph was nning the tasks for the next few days¡ªthis time, numerous royal families and political figures from various countries came to celebrate Louis XVI''s birthday, which was essentially a major European political and diplomatic gathering.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Thus, he must seize the opportunity to finagle and maneuver, seeking favorable international political situations for France.

    He had just weed the Spanish Crown Prince Carlos Antonio earlier that morning, who wouldter be Charles IV. ording to the schedule, the Russian Crown Prince, the Crown Prince of Sardinia, and the Prince of Pnd would also arrive consecutively tomorrow.

    Nearly every European country had sent members of their Royal Family or special envoys. Naturally, those with good rtions with France were there to offer congrattions, while those with poorer rtions were keen to see whether they could exploit any opportunities arising from the aftermath of the great disaster that had befallen France.

    As Joseph was deep in thought, he kept hearing cheers for "Madame Gan"ing from the Marble Courtyard.

    He looked towards Eman with a hint of confusion:

    "May I ask why this Madame Gan is so popr?"

    The close attendant was just as puzzled, but a maid nearby came over and whispered a few words in his ear.

    Eman, suddenly enlightened, exined to Joseph:

    "Your Highness, there''s a song and dancepetition going on outside, and Madame Gan is widely recognized as the most likely to win the championship. Ariel says she used to study with Mr. Haydn."

    "Haydn?"

    "Yes, Franz Joseph Haydn, sir."

    After asking more about him, Joseph learned that this man was indeed a very famous music master, especially known for two remarkably talented students¡ªMozart and Beethoven.

    If Madame Gan was Mozart''s junior, then winning the championship was almost a sure thing.

    With that in mind, Joseph quickly asked Eman to inquire with the manager of the internal court about the status of the external betting for the song and dancepetition¡ªthe King''s Birthday Preparatory Committee had set up "prize quizzes" for both contests, where anyone could bet on the winners, with a correct guess yielding a double return.

    Soon enough, Eman returned and reported:

    "Your Highness, it seems that more than half of the people have bet on Madame Gan to win the championship."

    This was trouble! They shouldn''t have offered fixed odds! No wonder those nobles were so excited. Joseph couldn''t help but rub his forehead¡ªhe had been too careless. It seemed likely that he would lose money on the song and dancepetition. He could only hope to make some gain from the fencingpetition, otherwise, he might not even cover the costs of the birthday celebration.

    Just then, a dainty figure in a puff-skirted dress ofvender, her hairbed into a birdlike style, knocked and entered the room, greeting Joseph with a curtsy and a cheerful smile:

    "Cousin, the swordsmanshippetition has started. Would you take me to see the fencing?"

    Joseph replied with a smile, "Aren''t you going to watch the song and dance? I hear that Madame Gan is very talented."

    Clementine pouted and said in a whiny voice:

    "I''m tired of seeing song and dance every day in the court. Fencing is so much more interesting, I want to watch fencing."

    The little girl usually followed Queen Mary around, but today, since the Queen was a judge for the contest, she hade to pester her cousin instead.

    Joseph, overwhelmed by her insistence, finally gave in to her wishes.

    No sooner had the two stepped out the main entrance of the Pce of Versailles than they saw Spanish Crown Prince Antonio, who bore a resemnce to Louis XVI, approaching.

    Although Antonio was nearly forty, his expression carried the innocence and forthrightness of someone much younger.

    He too noticed Joseph and, stopping in his tracks, performed a standard chest-grip salute, somewhat sheepishly:

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

    The slightly round-faced, yellow-toothed noblewoman beside him also gathered her skirt and curtsied.

    Joseph hurriedly returned their greetings. His gaze swept over the woman''s face, and he immediately recalled some ounts concerning the wife of the Spanish Crown Prince.

    Maria Luisa, promiscuous by nature, had provided her husband with countless green hats of environmental friendliness.

    This included servants, guards, Spanish officials, and even the French ambassador to Spain who had at one time been her lovers.

    The most notorious among them was Manuel de Godoy, who rose from a guard to the Chief Minister of Spain, ultimately secured in his position by her favor.

    Once Antonio assumed the throne, his preference for hunting and machinery meant that Spain''s government was firmly in the grip of Maria Luisa and her paramour Godoy. Their inept rule filled with disastrous decrees pushed Spain to the brink.

    Ultimately, they efficiently depleted Spain''s national and military strength, leading directly to Napoleon''s dethronement of the Spanish Bourbon monarchy.

    Looking past Luisa, Joseph indeed spotted a ruddy-faced guard obediently following with his head bowed¡ªalmost certainly Godoy.

    In reality, during these days,moners were only allowed on Versailles Pce Square to partake in the celebrations, and the area near the Pce of Versailles had no need for guards. Therefore, it was highly likely that this man was indeed Godoy.

    Clementine, always the social butterfly, stepped forward to greet the Spanish Crown Prince and his wife formally before warmly inviting:

    "Your Highness, my cousin and I are going to watch the fencing. Why don''t you both join us? It will surely be interesting!"

    Antonio hesitated, looking towards his wife, who nodded slightly, after which he said to Joseph:

    "Thank you for the invitation, we will join you to watch the swordsmanshippetition."

    Luisa by his side offered an apologetic smile:

    "Your Highness, I would rather watch the song and dance. Please, you go with the Crown Prince."

    Joseph nodded without betraying any emotion, "As you wish."

    Joseph parted ways with Luisa along with the others, which actually aligned with his hopes.

 Chapter 224: Chapter 190 The Rose of Versailles_2

    The reigning King of Spain, Charles III, was indeed a capable monarch, but his physical condition had be extremely dire. Joseph could not recall the exact year of his death, but it must be drawing near.

    After that, it would be Antonio beside him who would ascend to the throne as the King of Spain¡ªCharles IV.

    Owing to the Bourbon bloodline shared by Spain and France, along with numerous colonial and economical conflicts with Ennd in the Americas, France and Spain could be deemed natural allies.

    Especially since Spain still possessed remnants of its former empire''s splendor, not only did it have vast colonies and substantial revenues from gold and silver in the Americas, but it also maintained a fleet of considerable strength¡ªabout a third of the British Navy''s power.

    For France to develop, it would eventually have to break free from the British maritime blockade, and allying with the Spanish fleet was the best strategy. In history, France did just that, and thebined Franco-Spanish fleet''sbat power even managed to match that of the British for a time.

    Sadly, they encountered the British genius Commander Nelson and, coupled with bad luck, were ultimately defeated by the British Army at the Battle of Trafalgar.

    And in this life, Joseph absolutely could not let such a tragedy recur.

    So, the first step would be to rid Spain of the scourge that was Godoy, to prevent Spain from taking detours and instead continue to strengthen its power, thereby providing France with more aid.

    Joseph nced back and said to Antonio:

    "That guard of yours looks quite spirited."

    Thetter seemed a bit socially anxious and replied softly:

    "Oh, no, Your Highness, he''s Louisa''s guard. His name is Godoy."

    It was indeed that man. Joseph nodded and inquired, "Is he just a ''regr'' guard?"

    "He''s pretty regr, I think."

    After that, there was a brief silence.

    Joseph shook his head inwardly, thinking thatmunicating with a socially anxious person was really challenging... He needed to find a way to get closer to him, otherwise it would be difficult to help him even if he wanted to.

    After walking for a while, Joseph andpany arrived at an open space between the Pce of Versailles and the Petit Trianon Pce.

    This was the site of the swordsmanshippetition.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    This ce was muchrger than the venue for the singing and dancingpetition. Even around the stage, temporary wooden stands had been constructed in three tiers, boasting seven to eight hundred seats.

    By this time, the spectator stands were full, and arge crowd ofmoners were watching from the outer ring. Fortunately, the stage was very high, and the action on it could be seen even over the top of the stands.

    The two Crown Princes and a Princess naturally had the best seats.

    The three sat down in a temporary partition on the west side of the thirdyer, and two robust young noblemen stepped onto the stage, each taking up a foil sheathed in wood at the tip. They politely shed their des together and, at the referee''s signal, began their bout.

    Both contestants were clearly well-trained, moving with agile footwork and handling their swords with ease, their techniques refined. For a time, the stage was a flurry of gleaming des and leaping figures, making for an incredibly dazzling disy.

    Joseph watched with great interest, wanting to strike up a conversation with Antonio about sword fighting, but when he turned, he saw him staring wide-eyed at the four-person-high scoreboard, his eyes shining.

    A noble on the field made a misstep and got hit by his opponent. Below that scoreboard, someone pulled with force, the flywheel turned, causing therge wooden pieces on the scoreboard to flip back, revealing the digit 1 underneath¡ª1:0.

    Antonio eximed with joy, "It''s automatic, just as I thought!" Turning to Joseph, he said, "May I ask who designed this? It''s ingenious, using a flywheel for energy storage to automatically change the score! Otherwise, that person would have to climb that tall wooden frame."

    Joseph touched his nose and smiled, "It is His Majesty the King''s masterpiece."

    "He is truly remarkable." Antonio said, "I must pay a visit to His Majesty."

    Joseph suddenly remembered that the Crown Prince had a fondness for machinery, which he shared with his own father.

    Having found a point of connection, the rest was easy. Joseph began talking about various mechanical subjects, from machine tools to the Steam Engine, from carriage suspension systems to automatic traction vehicles¡ªthe earliest form of trains.

    After nearly an hour of conversation, the Spanish Crown Prince''s eyes were wide with admiration, hands and feet animated, bubbling with excitement,menting that he hadn''t met Joseph sooner.

    Indeed, the Crown Prince of France was the kindred spirit he had been seeking all his life!

    Once the two had warmed up to each other, Joseph ventured to ask:

    "Antonio, don''t you think there''s something off about that Godoy?"

    "He has a problem? Oh, it seems like there''s something odd with his left eye." The Spanish Crown Prince was no longer as socially anxious, waving his hand and saying, "Why bring him up? Let''s continue talking about that crankshaft motion you mentioned just now. How does that work?"

    Joseph couldn''t help but chuckle and shake his head; it seemed this old fellow truly hadn''t noticed the color atop his own head.

    He had to find a way to remind him, or once Godoy began to assert his power, it would not be so easy to overthrow him.

    Joseph squinted slightly, it seemed he needed to first create some opportunities for the adulterous couple.

    As he was pondering, the two contestants on the tform had finished their match and left. The court official in charge signaled the servants to clean up the "battlefield," and then announced loudly:

    "Next, the warriors numbered 631 and 112 willpete. Wee them to the stage!"

    For fairness, all matches were decided by random draw. And before the drawing, no one knew whom the numbers represented.

    Two figures were about to ascend the winding stairs when an official ran over and whispered something to the referee, who immediately stood up and announced:

    "Number 631, you cannot participate in the match! Please leave this ce."

    "That''s not fair!" Soleil''s voice of dissatisfaction came from beside the tform, her hand raised with the registration voucher, as she said with wide eyes, "I''ve registered, I canpete!"

    "But you are ady," the referee, seeing the audience start tough, became even stricter, "This is against the rules!"

    "I believe that whoever has the superior swordsmanship should stand on the tform," Soleil waved the Swift Sword in her hand, looking at her opponent, "Wouldn''t you agree?"

    She then looked towards the audience and shouted, "They shouldn''t drive away a champion!"

    The young nobleman was somewhat embarrassed, forced to divert his face to the side, silent.

    The referee was a prestigious Duke, and by now he had grown quite angry, turning toward a servant and saying, "Take her away!"

    "Yes, milord!"

    Seeing this, Joseph frowned, remembering he had managed to acquire the British''s automatic loom, thanks in part to the merit of this chuunibyou youngdy beside the tform.

    So he stood up and signaled to the referee, "Duke de Saint-Simon, perhaps we can overlook her gender.

    "A sharp de does not care if the one holding it is male or female, as long as the person can make it strike true, they are a fine swordsman."

    "Thank you, Your Royal Highness!" Soleil, adopting a man''s posture, touched her chest with the hilt of her sword and raised her hat to give Joseph a salute.

    "But..."

    Joseph continued, "Let herpete. I have seen her skills, she is very agile."

    Duke de Saint-Simon, not wanting to snub the Crown Prince''s face, hesitated for a moment and finally sat back down in his chair, pretending to have seen nothing.

    Soleil leapt onto the tform in a few strides, bowing to Joseph, "Thank you again. However, you did make the right decision, Your Highness; you''ve preserved the champion of thepetition."

    She whispered softly, "You can bet on me to win, I assure you, you''ll get a prize."

    Joseph, seeing her confident gaze, immediately thought of an old anime¡ª"Rose of Versailles." Could this chuunibyou beauty really boast swordsmanship that rivaled Oscar''s, the best in France?

    He signaled to the court official taking bets nearby. When thetter approached respectfully, he gestured a five with his hand.

    Soleil, seeing this, turned and stepped onto the tform with satisfaction.

    At this point, the official handling the bets hesitated, "Your Highness, do you wish to bet 500 livres on Miss Soleil to win?"

    "What are you thinking?" Joseph immediately shook his head, "It''s 5 livres."

    "I am terribly sorry, Your Highness, the minimum is 10 livres."

    "Oh," Joseph scratched his cheek, "then let it be 10 livres."

    Soleil, climbing the curving staircase to the tform, looked towards where Joseph was sitting and muttered to herself:

    "Your Highness, betting just 500 livres is a bit meager. But rest assured, I will secure that prize of 1000 livres for you."

 Chapter 225: Chapter 191 European Continent Upheaval

    In the center of the arena, Soleil touched swords with her opponent as a salute, then she stepped back three paces, turned sideways, her left hand behind her, and assumed the standard starting position.

    The audience below immediately began to whisper to each other:

    "Look! Thisdy seems to really know how to use a sword."

    "Don''t you know? She''s the sister of Viscount Frey, trained under the Marquis of Vifuerte, and her swordsmanship is very impressive."

    "The Marquis of Vifuerte? That famous Spanish swordsmanship master?"

    "Exactly, that''s him."

    "Ah ha, it looks like we are in for a good show today!"

    The bell from the referee rang out. Soleil''s gaze instantly sharpened. Her Swift Sword feinted toward her opponent''s left chest, her footwork was extremely agile, and almost at the same time, she had pivoted to the right at an angle, pressing down with the tip of her sword, aiming straight for the young man''s abdomen.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The tall noble young man was no novice either. Although she had taken the initiative, his defensive stance didn''t break at all, fiercely pushing his sword to the side.

    Soleil didn''t wait for the swords to sh; she retracted her sword and moved back half-step to the side, then, looking up, she saw an opening in her opponent''s upper body and stabbed at his face again.

    The young man felt he couldn''t dodge it and had no choice but to swing his sword horizontally with force in an attempt to push Soleil back.

    She, like a butterfly dancing through the flowers, gracefully drew back, dodging beneath the sword light, and once more thrust straight for the opponent''s thigh.

    What followed were the young man''s two clumsy blocks and counterattacks, both easily avoided by Soleil, who then responded with tricky straight thrusts.

    The audience erupted in apuse and cheers.

    However, after only five or six exchanges, Soleil felt her left heel hit against something.

    She immediately realized she had reached the edge of the tform, and her heart tightened. She was ustomed to relying on speed to hop and dodge, looking for opportunities to counterattack, but had neglected the size of the tform.

    Her opponent took advantage of her momentary distraction and swung his sword down without hesitation ¡ª hundreds of nobles were watching, even the Crown Prince, and he was not about to show any leniency towards ady. He intended to show off his swordsmanship before the King the day after tomorrow.

    Soleil, with her back against the wooden rail of the arena, could not dodge, and had no choice but to raise her sword to block.

    A "ng" rang out, and she immediately felt a numbness in her wrist. Strength was never her forte.

    Her opponent seized the opportunity to chop down from another direction, and she had no choice but to block again.

    The gap in strength between them was too great; this time, her sword was even knocked sideways. The young man then lifted his wrist, and the sword''s tip, wrapped in a wooden cover, was pressed against her abdomen.

    Lost...

    She hade for the crown, and yet, she had lost her first match!

    Soleil felt a void in her mind until the referee came to urge her, and she walked off the tform in a daze.

    She remembered how smugly she had told the Crown Prince to bet on her victory, even assuring him of a cash prize, and now felt so ashamed she wished she could bury herself in a hole.

    Before her shed the image of the Crown Prince extending five fingers when he made the bet, causing a tremor in her heart. With the Royal Family''s ways, he must have bet at least 500 livres!

    Or even 5,000 livres...

    Yes! It must be 5,000 livres!

    It was over, all over! Soleil almost burst into tears, the Crown Prince had helped her get a chance to fight, but she had caused him to lose so much money. What was she to do? Would the Crown Prince hate her? Yes! He definitely would hate her!

    Laughter from the audience reached her ears. Indeed, they were not mocking; the majority found this incident quite amusing.

    To Soleil, however, theughter rang like that of a little cat caught stealing food; she bowed her head and hugged herself tightly, chanting silently, "They can''t see me, they can''t see me, they can''t see me!" as she ran past the stands, disappearing into the crowd.

    No! This won''t do!

    She shook her head continually as she walked; that was 5,000 livres! She couldn''t act as if nothing had happened!

    Right! She resolved, although she couldn''t pay that much now, she would definitely repay the Crown Prince in full one day!

    Up in the stands, Clementine was still carelessly waving candy, looking somewhat disappointed:

    "Cousin, I had nned to give thatdy candy after she won, but she left so quickly."

    "Hmm, but it''s alright, you only bet 10 livres on her."

    Joseph said with a smile, "Perhaps this isn''t her preferred environment."

    "Then where is she good at sword fighting?" Clementine asked, tilting her head.

    Joseph smiled and didn''t say a word, thinking that she would do just fine at the Royal Pce, where hundreds of soldiers couldn''t stop her.

    When the afternoon''s swordsmanshippetition ended, Joseph, the Spanish Crown Prince, and the little girl left the stands talking andughing. Eman quickly approached Joseph and whispered:

    "Your Highness, Archbishop Talleyrand is back, waiting for you in the reception room."

    Joseph nodded slightly. He knew that Talleyrand had returned from his tour around America and the European Continent and surely had quite a bit to report.

    Thus, he excused himself from Antonio and handed Clementine over to her maid, then headed toward his private chambers.

    On the way, he also remembered Antonio''s environmental-friendly hat, which needed early arrangements.

    After pondering for a moment, he turned his head and gave Eman some instructions. Thetter promptly went on his way.

    Joseph returned to his reception room. Archbishop Talleyrand hurried to greet him, bowing solemnly:

    "May God bless you, Your Highness. I have missed you ever since I left Paris. See, I came to you immediately after getting off the carriage."

 Chapter 226 Chapter 191 European Continent Upheaval_2

    His words seemed to be a mere courtesy, but in fact, they were a deration of loyalty to Joseph¡ªI didn''t visit the Chief Minister or report to the Foreign Minister directly in charge after returning to the Pce of Versailles. Instead, I came to see Your Highness, the Crown Prince, first.

    "Oh, I''ve missed you too, Archbishop Talleyrand. Please have a seat," Joseph replied with a smile, gesturing to the sofa. "Your departure from Paris covered more than 7,000 nautical miles, didn''t it?"

    Talleyrand nodded, "Indeed, more than 7,800 nautical miles, Your Highness, crossing the Antic Ocean twice."

    "That must have been quite taxing on you," Joseph said, signaling a maid to bring Talleyrand coffee and pastries. "Actually, you could havee back with the convoy of Crown Prince Paul."

    Talleyrand nodded his thanks to the maid and then looked at Joseph with a smile,

    "Your Highness, I took a ship back, setting out several days after the Russian Crown Prince. You see, I still managed to arrive first. Moreover, I believe it''s better to report some matters to you in advance."

    Joseph leaned forward a bit, "Please go on."

    "The situation in the United States is exactly as you predicted; their ''Federalist Party'' strongly supports the purchase of warships and the joint fight against pirates," Talleyrand began. "If it weren''t for theirck of funds, Mr. Hamilton would even like to buy a small fleet."

    Joseph remarked, "We just want to sell some old ships, not to strengthen the American navy."

    Talleyrand immediately agreed, "Yes, Your Highness, I also sense their unusual interest in the Caribbean Sea."

    "Your insight is very keen," Joseph knew, as soon as the Americans had a bit of money, they immediately assembled a sizable fleet and engaged in fierce battles with France in the Caribbean Sea.

    In the end, France lost a significant amount of interests in the Caribbean Sea. Combined with thend reforms, France''s earnings from its American colonies were almost wiped out.

    "As for the Americans, we need to not only make use of them but also try our best to limit them, especially guarding against their westward expansion. They have a devilish greed for North Americannd," Joseph earnestly said.

    Talleyrand replied somewhat nonchntly, "Your Highness, the Americans are all stingy andck courage. I believe they would hardly dare to challenge the interests of Spain."

    Spain currently held the territories to the west of the United States.

    Joseph did not bother exining that historically, it took the United States just over a decade to nibble away the vast majority of Louisiana.

    Talleyrand continued, "As for trade, Mr. Hamilton assured me privately that given the same prices, we would get their cotton before the British."

    "Very good," Joseph nodded in satisfaction. North America was currently the world''srgest cotton exporter, and with the supply of American cotton, France would have a stronger position in the textile industrypetition against Ennd.

    Explore more at empire

    The matter regarding the United States was rtively simple, and Talleyrand quickly finished his report, moving on to the diplomatic experience in Russia.

    "Your Highness, upon my arrival in Saint Petersburg, I was quickly granted an audience with their Tsar. Over the next ten days or so, she summoned me two more times, which shows how much she values Russian-French rtions."

    Joseph wasn''t surprised at all, as Russia and France had manymon interests and a broad prospect for cooperation. As one of the most prominent rulers in Russian history, Catherine II naturally understood this.

    Talleyrand spoke, "The Tsar of Russia expressed her gratitude for the guns and uniforms you sent her. Particrly those uniforms, which have almost be the exclusive gear for the officers."

    At this time, Russia''s manufacturing quality in Europe was subpar. Although they could also produce flintlock guns, they were quite inferior to the top-notch French goods.

    Even the used guns Talleyrand brought back from the United States were highly coveted by Russian soldiers. Catherine had directly issued those 15,000 Charleville muskets to the troops on the front lines of the Russian-Ottoman war.

    As for the uniforms, they were specially made in Lyon by Joseph, as he sought to prate the Russian clothing market, totaling 1,800 sets.

    In that era, military uniforms did not have a standardized design, and Russia''s military attire was especially chaotic; as long as the colors were roughly the same, it was eptable.

    Therefore, the style of these military uniforms, designed by French designers, appeared much more "trendy"pared to the existing Russian military attire. They were immediately in high demand among Russian military officers upon arrival.

    Though the uniforms were not cheap, costing over 60 livres each, the deal was extremely worthwhile for Joseph¡ªFrance only expended a few guns and uniforms but gained political support for the Russian-Ottoman war. Knowing that these Russian soldiers fought and won battles with French guns and wearing French uniforms, some of the glory would also be attributed to France.

    Indeed, Austria had sent tens of thousands of troops to fight against the Ottomans, and Russia''s gratitude towards them was hardly any more than what they felt for France.

    Moreover, once those military uniforms given to Russia became popr among Russian officers, there would definitely be arge number of nobles wanting to purchase them.

    In fact, two batches of the same model of military uniforms had already been shipped to Russia, each selling for over 100 livres.

    Talleyrand said with a smile,

    "The Tsar of Russia has expressed support and gratitude for our action in North Africa tying down the Ottoman Navy and even hopes that we can extend our attacks to the region of Alexandria Bay."

    Upon hearing this, Joseph narrowed his eyes slightly. Alexandria Bay was near Egypt, implying that Russia recognized that from Algiers all the way to Egypt was within France''s sphere of influence!

    This meant that among all the great powers in Europe, only Ennd had not yet acknowledged France''s stance on North Africa. Of course, Prussia probably did not recognize it either, but considering Prussia''s pitiful navy, their attitude towards North Africa did not matter at all.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Talleyrand continued, "At the same time, the Tsar of Russia also hopes we could support some of their demands on Pnd.

    "Although Russia is currently tied down on the Ottoman front, it seems to be hinting that once they are done with the southern front, they would be ready to expand towards Pnd once again."

    Joseph couldn''t help but sigh. No wonder Catherine II was so generous in supporting France''s acquisition of North Africa; there were more conditions behind it.

    The coveting of Pnd by Russia was a well-known fact, and historically, Catherine II did indeed collude with Prussia and Austria to partition poor Pndpletely on three asions.

    However, due to the partition of Pnd, Russia had also taken on the heavy burden of being used of disrupting the European order and naturally hoped for more great powers to back them.

    Especially now, as Austria''s attitude towards the partition of Pnd was still very passive, making France''s stance even more necessary.

    Talleyrand said, "Your Highness, perhaps we can leverage Pnd to obtain more benefits from Russia."

    Yet Joseph shook his head, "Although Pnd may not have much of our interest, we should try our best to ensure it is not consumed by Russia, at least not too easily."

    Talleyrand paused, looking perplexed, "Why is that?"

    "Because Prussia and Austria must not be too close."

    "I still don''t quite understand, Your Highness."

    Talleyrand was the key minister of foreign affairs chosen by Joseph, so it was good to rify some aspects of political strategy with him in advance.

    So, Joseph patiently exined,

    "On the European continent, France''s most direct adversary is Prussia. This is not only because Prussia has always coveted the Rhine River basin, but also because they are Ennd''s spokesperson on the European Continent. Draining Prussia is essentially the same as exhausting Ennd."

    Talleyrand nodded thoughtfully. Ennd was France''s eternal rival and the biggest obstacle to France''s ambition to be the hegemon of Europe. After centuries of intermittent warfare, strategically containing Ennd was France''s "absolute correctness." Of course, the reverse was also true; Ennd was also trying by all means to contain France.

    Still, he was unclear on how this rted to Pnd.

    Joseph continued,

    "And to confront the Anglo-Prussian alliance, we should try our best to align with Austria. Fortunately, Prussia and Austria also have many contradictions, such as Silesia."

    Silesia was a rich piece ofnd in the northwestern part of Austria. Over fifty years ago, upon the death of Emperor Charlie VI of Holy Rome, his daughter Maria Theresa ¡ª who was Louis XVI''s mother-inw and Joseph''s maternal grandmother ¡ª seeded the throne. At that time, Prussia used the pretext that women had no right to session to start the Silesian Wars.

    Austria, defeated by Prussia and pressured by Ennd, eventually ceded the Silesian region to Prussia.

    Since then, Silesia had be a thorn in the Austrians'' side.

 Chapter 227 Chapter 192 European Continent Upheaval_2

    Talleyrand nodded:

    "Yes, Your Highness, regaining Silesia is amon desire of Austria, shared by everyone from nobles tomoners."

    Joseph continued:

    "Then there''s Bavaria. If it hadn''t been for the Prussians'' interference, Austria may well have acquired thisnd already."

    "In fact, both Prussia and Austria aim to be the true masters of Greater Germany and have therefore always kept a close watch on each other."

    Explore new worlds at empire

    "If Austria could gain our support and there were no other factors to interfere, they would be all too happy to knock Prussia down hard, even if it meantmitting all their national resources."

    "Because once sessful, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire would truly possess the empire."

    Indeed, during the Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire was the true hegemon of Europe¡ªfrom the Nethends to the east of France, from Italy to Hungary, including Switzend, Germany, Austria, and the western part of Pnd, all were territories of the empire.

    However, under the influence of the papacy, the empire began to implement the Electoral College system.

    In the 14th century, Emperor Charlie IV issued the "Golden Bull," which formalized and solidified this pattern, turning the Emperor of Sanctum into a "representative" elected by the prince-electors, leading to the progressive weakening of imperial power, as the independence of the states within the empire grew stronger.

    By the 18th century, the empire had split into two behemoths, Prussia and Austria, as well as a multitude of smaller states like Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Saxon, Hesse, Hanover, and so on. And from over a century ago, the Habsburg family monopolized the imperial throne of Holy Rome, with the current Archduke of Austria serving as the emperor.

    At the same time, relying on the linguistic and ethnic simrities between the states of the Greater German region and itself, Prussia also aspired to unify Germany. In fact, almost half a centuryter, Bismarck more or less realized this long-standing wish.

    But at present, Austria, holding the title of Emperor, clearly has a better chance of reviving the glory of Holy Rome.

    And the two have thus been at loggerheads over the empire''s "inheritance," with ceaseless wars, but they are roughly equal in terms of strength.

    Joseph returned to the previous topic:

    "As for Pnd, it''s an unexpected factor. If the Tsar of Russia swallows up Pnd and Pnd clearly has no power to resist, then Prussia and Austria will have no choice but to turn their attention eastward.[Note 1]"

    "Because neither can afford to watch the Tsar of Russia gobble up such arge benefit in Pnd alone[Note 2]. They only have two choices: either join forces to support Pnd against Russia, or join Russia''s partitionist actions and tear off a piece of Pnd for themselves."

    "In either case, Prussia and Austria would find a substantialmon interest, and might even form an alliance because of it, which would greatly reduce their willingness to wage war against each other. In the worst-case scenario, the alliance they form might seek other targets, like France."

    "Keep in mind, the British would certainly delight in seeing this situation arise and would actively facilitate it."

    Upon hearing this, Talleyrand''s expression grew solemn. He had to admit, the Crown Prince saw things deeply and far into the future.

    Joseph continued:

    "So, we must erect a ''barrier'' between Prussia, Austria, and Russia, and that is Pnd."

    "As long as Pnd stands firm, Prussia and Austria will inevitably have to turn their gaze back to the German region. Andpetition for the German region would lead them to irreconcble contradictions!"

    In truth, Joseph had further ns he hadn''t mentioned, which included helping Austria realize its "Sanctum dream" and even spreading the message of the great and prosperous, invincible Holy Roman Empire across the world.

    At the same time, France could benefit continuously from Austria''s wars to unify Holy Rome, and ideally, acquire territories on the west bank of the Rhine River, turning the Rhine into France''s natural barrier.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    At that time, the most eye-catching behemoth in Europe would be the Holy Roman Empire under Austrian rule. And given the British penchant for meddling, they would not ignore the dominion of the European Continent.

    Afterward, whether Britain stirred up an "Anti-Roman Alliance" to besiege Holy Rome, or rallied the now battered Prussia, while inciting the annexed German states to revolt, France could watch the tigers fight from the mountain and seize opportunities to benefit.

    For a powerful country, the best strategic pattern is to develop silently while others fight bitterly. By the time other nations are heavily scarred, one is already an uncrowned king without having to lift a finger.

    Historically, Napoleon did the opposite of this principle. Despite his great military prowess, leading his troops across almost the entire European Continent, he ultimately exhausted the nation''s resources and was dragged to his demise by the British and their allies.

    Joseph knew well the direction ofter history. To repeat such mistakes would be insane.

    In gaming, everyone knows that quietly farming under the tower is the key to sess. Look at the United States inter times¡ªit strongly observed World War I and World War II from the sidelines until the powers were all scrambled, then leisurely joined the fray, easily reaping the benefits, and ultimately emerged as the world''s hegemon.

    Talleyrand pondered:

    "Your Highness, should we then reject the Tsar of Russia''s intentions towards Pnd?"

    Joseph immediately shook his head:

    "We must maintain good rtions with Russia as much as possible so we can maximally weaken the British-Russian trade system, and we also need Russia''s exported raw materials."

    Talleyrand became a little confused:

    "But you just said..."

    Joseph shed a slight smile:

 Chapter 228 Chapter 192 European Continent Upheaval_2_2

    "France cannot stop their encroachment on Pnd, unless it forms an alliance with the country," Joseph mused. "On the surface, we can certainly go along with Russia''s position, but in secret, we need to find ways to enhance Pnd''s resistance. However, this requires that we do not show our hand and need a ''white glove'' to act on our behalf."

    "White glove?"

    "Oh, that refers to a nation that could handle Polish affairs for us, like the United States, or even the Ottoman Empire could be considered."

    Talleyrand nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this. Both America and Russia were raw material exporting countries and were very far apart, without much mutual concern. The Ottoman Empire, on the other hand, was the sworn enemy of Russia and had always cooperated with Pnd.

    Joseph sighed lightly and said,

    "Of course, what''s most important is Pnd itself. Given the current state of affairs within their country, I fear they might not be able to resist Russia for even a month."

    He remembered that the second partition of Pnd by Russia, Austria, and Prussia should ur in five years. Russia had just concluded a ceasefire with the Ottoman Empire and instantly set upon Pnd.

    To have Pnd ''propped up'' in a mere five years was indeed not an easy task.

    After discussing the European maind''s strategic nning, Talleyrand continued to report on his trip to Russia:

    "The Tsar of Russia is very enthusiastic about Russo-French trade and hopes that we can make better use of the ''Russo-French Trade Agreement'' to increase the trade volume between both sides.

    "Oh, and by the way, she also expressed great support for your Gemini Trading Company, promising to give Count Bobrinski the monopoly rights to Russian Far East fur exports, as a gift to thepany."

    Joseph chuckled inwardly. Catherine was indeed a sly old fox, presenting it as a gift to the Gemini Trading Company, when it was actually for her own illegitimate son, and thus obliging France to owe her a favor.

    However, the volume of fur exports from the Far East was also astounding, and the profits thepany would derive from it each year would undoubtedly be substantial.

    Talleyrand continued, "Your Highness, there''s another matter. During ourst meeting, the Tsar of Russia repeatedly expressed her admiration for you and hinted at the possibility of a marriage alliance between our two countries."

    Joseph rubbed his temples, feeling tired at the thought; as the Crown Prince, almost all of Europe was concerned with his marital affairs...

    A Franco-Russian marriage would involve many issues, and he hadn''t carefully considered it yet; he''d rather not respond at the moment. After all, he was still young, and by current European tradition, one would typically only consider marriage at the age of sixteen, giving him two more years to contemte the matter.

    After chatting with Talleyrand for a while, he let him go rest.

    Talleyrand left the parlor and was inwardly astounded by what the Crown Prince had said; the young man, then in Paris, had already nned out Europe''s future for the next decade. How had he managed it? Perhaps, in a few decades, France would have a great king of historic renown, leading the nation to unprecedented glory!

    At 9:50 pm, Joseph saw the Spanish Crown Prince and his future Crown Princess again at the grand banquet hosted by the King.

    Joseph turned his head and threw an inquiring nce at Eman, who quickly whispered:

    "Your Highness, everything has been arranged. Mr. Fouche has also sent people to help."

    Joseph nodded, assured by the steward''s reliable work. He then smiled and walked over to Antonio.

    After exchanging greetings, he sat down to the left of the Spanish Crown Prince, and the master of the royal household adeptly ordered the seats to be rearranged.

    Joseph continued the conversation from a mechanical perspective, quickly bringing up the topic of a new boring machine:

    "You know, the British have done a lot of research in this area. Their machines can bore holes with an error margin of less than the thickness of two sheets of paper. His Majesty himself made adjustments, and now that boring machine can be said to be the most precise in all of Europe."

    Antonio''s eyes lit up:

    "Oh, dear Joseph, you must let me see this unrivaled machine!"

    "Of course," said Joseph, whose goal was to "distract" him, creating "opportunities" for certain individuals, "after the banquet, I will take you to the Royal Workshop where there are many interesting things."

    "I can''t thank you enough!"

    The sound of trumpets rang out from the east side of the hall, and the Ceremonial Officer followed by tapping his staff on the ground. Nobles responsible for serving dishes ced tworge soups and two small ones on the table.

    As per court etiquette, it was now inappropriate to converse freely; everyone began to focus on their meals quietly.

    Joseph was pondering over the n for the uing operation when, out of the corner of his eye, he spied Antonio, who was enthusiastically spinning soup with partridge right beside him. A light sigh escaped Joseph; he truly had been worrying over this rtive of his.

    An hourter, the banquet concluded, and the Spanish Crown Prince couldn''t wait to drag Joseph off on a tour of the Royal Workshop.

    However, the Crown Princess expressed no interest in those things and wished to attend a gambling party instead.

    Without a second thought, Antonio happily bid her farewell. At present, that was the custom among European nobility¡ªeach did as they pleased, without meddling in the other''s business.

    Crown Princess Louisa, along with Godoy, headed towards the gaming hall, spotting on the way lovers lurking in every corner and behind the columns, which made her itch with curiosity.

    Surely, French people are daring! She thought to herself with a flushed face as she stepped into the gaming hall.

    Amidst the soft music, Louisa found a card table and sat down, inhaling the refined scent of incense, and started ying cards.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Somehow, after only ying for half an hour, she felt a warmth spread through her body, and involuntary images of the passionate scenes she witnessed earlier in the corridor flooded her mind, leaving her parched and restless.

    "The firece here is too intense!" she muttered under her breath, tossing down her cards and intending to step out for some fresh air when she happened to catch sight of her lover.

    His face seemed especially handsome and captivating today.

    Louisa stepped outside the hall and, with seductive eyes, softly asked Godoy, "Well, is everything arranged?"

    He nodded with a smile, "Rest assured, I''ve had Juan and Negro following and making sure everything is perfect."

    Pleased by the news, Louisa asked further, "Is there a suitable ce?"

    "Plenty. The French like to immediately indulge when the mood strikes... ahem, so there are many resting rooms set up, with no servants close by."

    Just as Louisa was about to ask him to lead the way, she suddenly remembered the bedroom the Pce of Versailles had arranged for Antonio, with its soft drapes and spaciousforts, and she couldn''t help but smirk with satisfaction.

    "No need, follow me."

    Inside the Royal Workshop, as Louis XVI was still entertaining, this ce had be Antonio''s personal yground.

    He was like a child in a treasure trove, touching this and looking at that, utterly absorbed in his own world.

    Soon, a rather ordinary-looking servant brought in some wine and beverages, and muttered something swiftly to Eman at the door.

    Taking advantage of the moment the Spanish Crown Prince was engrossed with a rotating clock, Eman whispered a report to Joseph.

    "Oh? Enjoying themselves so much?" Joseph revealed a knowing smile.

    He hadn''t wasted effort in arranging so many "entertainments" for the Spanish Crown Princess; she was indeed unable to resist.

    Yes, all those "emotional ys" Louisa had seen today were orchestrated by Eman, including the special substance added to her incense¡ªhow could she, with her libertine nature, possibly refrain?

    However, Joseph had not anticipated the woman would be bold enough to get intimate with Godoy in her and Antonio''s room.

    Of course, she was also very cautious, sending two men to keep an eye on Antonio. Should he show any sign of returning, they were to notify her immediately.

    But this was Joseph''s territory, and to the agents of the Police Affairs Department, their schemes were like child''s y. Soon after the two had set out, they were already being followed by special agents.

    [Note 1] At the end of the 18th century, the main countries on the north side of the European Continent were positioned as follows: on the westernmost side were the Nethends and Belgium (Southern Nethends). East of these two countries were Hanover and Prussia. Southwest of Prussia was a cluster of Holy Rome city-states. South of Prussia was Austria.

    To the east of Germany and Austria were Pnd and further east, Russia.

    [Note 2] At the time, the area of Pnd wasparable to that of Austria and far exceeded Prussia, making it an irresistible "piece of fat meat."

 Chapter 229 Chapter 193 European Continent Upheaval_3

    The Spanish Crown Prince was enthusiastically fiddling with Louis XVI''s gear machine, and turned to call out to Joseph:

    "You see, the angle of this de edge is designed so ingeniously..."

    But he saw thetter prostrating on the workbench beside him, not responding.

    Antony walked over and shook Joseph:

    "Your Highness, have you fallen asleep?"

    Joseph half-squinted his eyes, lifted his head, and started rubbing his temples vigorously, saying, "Oh, I shouldn''t have drunk so much wine at the banquet just now... The wine from Bordeaux this year is unexpectedly delicious, but now I have a bit of a headache..."

    In fact, he hadn''t drunk too much, it was merely part of the "script" he had to follow.

    Antony nodded, "Yes, today''s wine is indeed very mellow. I also drank quite a bit. Shall I take you back to rest?"

    "Oh, yes, thank you so much..."

    Seeing this, Eman discreetly made a gesture to the servant standing by the door, and then quickly came over to help his master, the Crown Prince, stand up.

    The servant then slipped out of the room and signaled the agents from the Police Affairs Department, who had been on standby for a while, to "take action."

    Soon, both men who had been sent by Godoy to watch the Spanish Crown Prince ran into some "trouble."

    One was fancied by two "stormy" noblewomen and got into a fight over jealousy. The winner, giggling, dragged him into a nearby resting room; the other identally bumped into a maid carrying a tea tray, smashing a set of priceless Eastern porcin. The insistent maid dragged him off to meet the steward of the inner court.

    Meanwhile, "drunken" Joseph, with his right hand on the Spanish Crown Prince''s shoulder, staggered out of the Royal Workshop.

    He nced out of the corner of his eye as Eman nodded to him, and immediately pointed toward Antony''s residence, dragging out his words:

    "Oh! My dear friend, I want to continue discussing the improvement n for the gear machine with you¡­ Let''s go to your ce¡­ and talk all night..."

    Antony assumed he was drunk and didn''t want to refuse, so he had to let him walk towards his own room.

    Outside the Spanish Crown Prince''s room, a sturdy noblewoman seemed to have mistaken someone for another and unceremoniously whisked away the watching Louisa''s maid. Thetter didn''t even have time to cry out before she disappeared around the corridor corner.

    A momentter, Joseph and Antony arrived outside the room, and thetter gestured to his attendant:

    "Quick, open the door."

    Just as the attendant was about to take out the keys, Eman courteously took them over, saying with a smile:

    "Let me do it."

    Eman turned the lock gently, pushed the door open softly, and then stood aside.

    Joseph led Antony into the room, and saw that the living room was dimly lit, the guard room appeared empty [Note 1], but there was a faint candlelighting from the direction of the main bedroom.

    Joseph timely withdrew his arm from Antony''s shoulder, and thetter, somewhat puzzled, subconsciously walked a few steps inside, only to hear sounds he should not have heard¡ª

    A woman''s voice melodious and high-pitched, continuously calling out "Godoy," or slurring "you''re amazing."

    The man''s voice was more subdued, mostly breathy exmations of "hey," or "ha."

    Antony froze on the spot.

    He was all too familiar with these two voices¡ªthey were clearly his Crown Princess and her guard Godoy!

    What were they doing?!

    Antony really wanted to deceive himself by saying they were doing nothing, but the answer was self-evident!

    He felt a surge of rage boiling from his feet to his head, his hands clenched into fists, the veins on his forehead bulging, his teeth gritted, and he stepped forward vigorously.

    However, he unexpectedly halted.

    Then, he lowered his head, trembling as he retreated back to the doorway, paused for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and turned to walk out.

    Joseph waspletely dumbfounded.

    No,e on, man, you''re supposed to burst in, right? I''ve got the guard ready, just waiting for your signal to drag the adulterer out to be "dunked in a pig''s cage" or something.

    How could you slip away at the crucial moment?!

    I can''t rush in to catch the adulterer on your behalf, can I? How can I take action if you, the principal, are not there?

    He too was taken aback for a few seconds before following Antony out of the room, quickly catching up to him and grabbing his arm:

    "Why did you leave? Was there something ''special'' inside the room?"

    Antony just lowered his head in silence, walking determinedly forward. Joseph decided to speak more straightforwardly:

    "Was that the Crown Princess in the room? Aren''t you going to check?"

    It wasn''t until they got back to the Royal Workshop that Antony seemed to have rediscovered his soul, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Joseph, his lips trembling:

    "She¡­ she betrayed me..."

    Joseph nodded:

    "Then you should have barged in and punished her harshly."

    Antony''s eyes grew even redder, his helplessness like that of a 40-year-old child, and after a long while he said softly, "I... I... I don''t dare..."

    Joseph instantly felt puzzled, and it took a while tomunicate with him before finally understanding that his Spanish rtive was incredibly "tame," to quite an extreme extent.

    He was immediately frustrated, having never seen such a cowardly man.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "You can endure this as well?"

    "I can''t¡­" Antony said, looking down, "perhaps, you can help me?"

    "I¡­" Joseph found himself at a loss for words.

    Elsewhere, seeing that the two Crown Princes had not returned for quite a while, Eman reluctantly locked the door again, gently. Inside the room, the couple remained oblivious to the fact that anyone hade by.

    ...

    The next morning, Joseph, following the predetermined schedule, weed Russia''s Crown Prince Paul Petrovich, the future Tsar¡ªPaul I¡ªin the Versailles Pce Square.

 Chapter 230 - 193 European Continent Upheaval_3_2

    ```

    Crown Prince Paul seemed incredibly pleased that the Crown Prince of France hade so far to meet him. After getting out of the carriage, he briskly walked up to Joseph and performed a bow, then spoke in fluent French:

    "It is an honor to meet you, respected Crown Prince! Thank you foring to greet me. Back in Saint Petersburg, I often hear people talking about you, describing you as a legendary ¡¯God-favored son¡¯, devout and full of wisdom..."

    His words of praise flowed endlessly, making Joseph somewhat embarassed. He quickly bowed in response and suddenly noticed a little girl about six or seven years old standing next to Paul. She wore a blue and white chiffon gown, had very fair skin, andrge, expressive eyes.

    Joseph quickly changed the subject, "And who might this be?"

    Stepping forward, the little girl picked up her skirt, tilted her head slightly, and curtsied gracefully, speaking in a crisp voice:

    "May God bless you, respected Crown Prince. My name is Alexandra Pavlovna." Her French was also impably standard.

    Paul, with a smile, said to Joseph:

    "Your Highness, this is my eldest daughter. I n to take this opportunity of celebrating His Majesty the King¡¯s birthday to show her the center of the bustling European Continent¡ªParis."

    "Wee to you," Joseph smiled at the little girl and rmended, "There¡¯s an Eden Amusement Park in Paris that¡¯s a lot of fun; you must not miss it."

    A hard-to-hide longing shed in Alexandra¡¯s eyes, but she immediately curtsied again as a proper youngdy would:

    "Thank you for the suggestion, I am also looking forward to visiting there."

    Subsequently, Joseph walked with Paul toward the Pce of Versailles. Thetter, though much older than Joseph, disyed somewhat of a humble attitude:

    "Your Highness, thank you for taking care of Alexei. It was you who helped him find his purpose. Please believe that from now on, you will always have two most sincere friends in Russia¡ªAlexei and myself."

    Alexandra followed behind the two men like a little adult, chest puffed out and head raised high, and every step she took adhered to the most standard court etiquette, obviously the result of very strict training.

    Only the asional curious nce around with herrge eyes betrayed the childlike innocence within her soul.

    After settling her luggage and freshening up a bit, she followed her father to meet the King and Queen of France, andter watched a swordsmanshippetition together with the Crown Prince.

    The two Crown Princes seemed to be chatting about something, while Alexandra sat properly in her chair, watching noblemen duel amidst the sh of swords and des.

    Truth be told, she had no interest in such things, but before leaving Saint Petersburg, the Empress Dowager had admonished her to always follow court etiquette, so she did not utter a singleint.

    Moreover, she had toplete another task entrusted to her by the Empress Dowager¡ªto closely observe the Crown Prince of France.

    However, as she covertly nced at the Crown Prince, a girl about ten years old, wearing a puffy dress, bounced over.

    Maria Clementina curtsied to Joseph first and then with a beaming smile, curtsied to Paul:

    "You must be the Crown Prince of Russia, right? It¡¯s an honor to meet you. You seem like a very kind and amiable person. Oh, my name is Maria Clementina."

    Crown Prince Paul hurriedly returned her bow, and after exchanging a few polite words, the little princess quickly joined the even younger princess.

    "Your name is Alexandra, what an impressive name! Hehe, let me treat you to some candy."

    The smaller princess epted the vani mint candy with restraint, thanking her politely:

    "Thank you very much, but I haven¡¯t brought anything to give you in return."

    "Don¡¯t be so formal. I have plenty more," Clementine said with augh, "By the way, you¡¯re Russian, right? Your French is really good. How long ¡¯fall¡¯ do you study French every day?"

    Alexandra immediately corrected her: "Do you mean ¡¯how often¡¯?"

    "Ah, yes, ¡¯how often¡¯, haha."

    "Two hours a day."

    As the two of them were conversing, the swordsmanshippetition took a break, and a circus troupe came to the middle of the field to start the entertainment performance.

    The little girls¡¯ attention was immediately captured.

    Soon, a magician in a red robe took the stage and with a wave of his hand produced more than a dozen pigeons and a small ck bear.

    Clementine cheered loudly, excited:

    "Wow! That¡¯s amazing! How did he do that?"

    Alexandra replied indifferently:

    ```

    "The dove had been hidden in his sleeve beforehand, while the bear was under the floor, concealed by his robe. Well, generally speaking, his coat also hid rabbits, dogs, and the like."

    No sooner had she finished speaking than a pair of hunting hounds appeared in the magician¡¯s hands.

    Clementine immediately pouted in discontent:

    "How could you reveal the magician¡¯s techniques? What¡¯s the fun in watching now?"

    Alexandra replied calmly, "It was you who asked me ¡¯how did he do that?¡¯"

    "That was just an exmation!"

    "Then you shouldn¡¯t me me."

    "I didn¡¯t..."

    "You did..."

    "Didn¡¯t!"

    "Did!"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Hmph!"

    "Hmph!"

    The two little ones, who had just been getting along famously, were now at odds over the matter of the magician¡¯s trick, each turning their head stubbornly to the side.

    Paul watched his daughter and the Princess of Tuscany squabble with a smile, then turned to Joseph and said:

    "Your Highness, I hope you can understand that there is arge Russian poption in Nesvizh and Slutsk, as well as Eastern Orthodox churches."

    "And they are often subjected to unfair treatment, especially now within the Polish Sejm, where anti-Russian sentiment is particrly severe."

    What he referred to as the "Sejm" was simr to the Polish House of Representatives. At present, the Sejm, dominated by members advocating for resistance against Russia and self-strengthening, was conducting a series of reforms to eliminate national mdies.

    Paul continued, "Based on this, we can only take some diplomatic measures against Pnd."

    Joseph thought to himself: Russian groups stirring trouble in Pnd, swaggering about, and now here they are being portrayed as ostracized.

    But that¡¯s how international politics works. No one has many honest words to say, and in the end, it alles down to fists and brains. Well, it could alsoe down to the lower half of the body, but that would only be considered a "wicked path."

    He immediately put on a sincere smile, leaned in close to Paul¡¯s ear, and said:

    "Please believe that I fully understand Russia¡¯s actions in Pnd, just as you understand our actions in North Africa. Moreover, I think the best way to protect the Russians in Pnd from harm is to ce them directly under the ¡¯protection¡¯ of His Majesty the Tsar."

    After all, the annexation of Pnd was a settled national policy of Catherine II, who had invested a great deal in preparations. Even if France were to oppose it, it was unlikely to make her back down. So, in the presence of the Russian Crown Prince, it was better to go with the flow and give her a favor, then ask for some in return.

    Paul looked at Joseph with some surprise: "Is this a personal stance, or...?"

    "The King of France shares this view as well."

    Paul was delighted, "I have always believed that France and Russia are the maintainers of the European order! Our friendship has always been indestructible!"

    Joseph sighed inwardly. Napoleon had probably been just as amiable with your son, and look how that turned out.

    Yet, he nodded very earnestly:

    "You are absolutely right!"

    Then he tried to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted:

    "Your Highness, but rather than Pnd, it is the Ottoman Empire that we should really be wary of at the moment! I hope that Russia can act as ¡¯God¡¯s spear¡¯ to thoroughly pierce through the Ottomans. And our nation will also provide full support in the Mediterranean."

    If Russia and the Ottoman Empire could be induced to exhaust each other for a few more years, Pnd might umte enough strength to withstand a Russian invasion.

    Paul was also slightly amused in his heart. Didn¡¯t France have a treaty with the Ottoman Empire? Why was the Crown Prince talking as if they were archenemies?

    [Note 1] In therge suites of the Pce of Versailles, there is generally a small room simr to a porch after the entrance, where the guards are stationed, called the guardroom. It is only after passing through here that one can enter the living quarters.

    [Note 2] In the 16th century, after his defeat in the war against the Habsburg Emperor Charles V, King Francis I of France concluded an alliance with the Ottomans, who were the archenemy of the Habsburgs, which was known as the "Sacrilegious Alliance." But these events were already two centuries old. The current rtionship between France and the Ottoman Empire was no longer one of an alliance.

 Chapter 231 - 194 European Continent Upheaval_4

    Joseph, however, seemed to have more to say, waving his hand emphatically, "Regrettably, the northern shore of the ck Sea still harbors Ottoman fortresses. Only by swiftly leveling them can we ensure the stability of ports vital for ck Sea trade."

    "Afterward, Russia should press forward into the south bank of the Danube River, seizing control of the river¡¯s estuary from the hands of the Ottoman Empire!"

    "And on the east coast of the ck Sea, Georgia¡ªa small country under Russian protection¡ªis still upied by the Ottomans at the ck Sea outlet and faces the suppression of the Persians, urgently awaiting Russia¡¯s rescue," he added seriously.

    Looking earnestly at Paul, he continued, "If necessary, France stands ready to provide support at any time!"

    Crown Prince Paul was stunned; the French Crown Prince seemed even more aggressive than his own mother. Except for the southern coast of the ck Sea¡ªOttoman territory¡ªhe had designated almost everything for Russia. Had there been outsiders present, they might have mistaken him for the Russian heir.

    In fact, Joseph was merely reiterating the historical Russo-Turkish Wars. These ces represented coveted interests for Russia, an aspiration no Russian could resist.

    Sure enough, Paul nodded in excitement, "This is also His Majesty the King¡¯s..."

    Joseph quickly added, "It¡¯s His Majesty the King¡¯s intention; please be sure to convey this to Her Majesty the Empress."

    As the French Crown Prince, his words carried ample diplomatic weight.

    Russians are straightforward, valuing directness both in gratitude and revenge.

    Paul, too, responded immediately with a reciprocating gesture, "I assure you, we will also support France¡¯s actions in North Africa whenever necessary!"

    After parting with the Russian heir, Joseph returned to his private quarters only to find the servants at a loss, surrounding the Spanish Crown Prince¡ªwho was clearly drunk, his hair a mess, and his demeanor utterly dejected.

    Upon seeing the French Crown Prince return, Antonio promptly stood up with his ss, eyes reddening again.

    Joseph could only shake his head, drinking a few sses with him and quietly patting his back infort.

    Soon, Antonio copsed into drunkenness. Joseph instructed the servants to carry him to bed and as he turned around, he saw Fouch¨¦ approaching quickly, saluting, "Your Highness, should we continue to monitor the second floor of the south wing?"

    He was referring to the surveince of the Spanish Crown Princess.

    "No need," Joseph shook his head. Antonio had proven himself ineffective, and there was little Joseph could do about it.

    He nced at Antonio and offhandedly said to Fouch¨¦, "Is there a way to give him the courage to deal with that unfaithful woman?"

    Fouch¨¦ paused, then whispered, "Your Highness, dealing with that woman might be troublesome, but dealing with her lover should not be difficult."

    "Oh?" Joseph inquired, "And how do you intend to do that?"

    With an excited and cold smile, Fouch¨¦ replied, "Destroying him should be easy, and it shouldn¡¯t cause too much trouble."

    Joseph frowned; he disliked resorting to such "dirty" tactics, to the point that he instinctively overlooked this option.

    However, he then remembered Antonio¡¯s pained expression and narrowed his eyes. Godoy was just a minor guard with no significant background; perhaps a straightforward approach might be most effective.

    He looked at Fouch¨¦, "Can you ensure it is foolproof?"

    "Rest assured, it will appear to be an ident; no one will suspect," Fouch¨¦ reassured him.

    "Tomorrow is His Majesty the King¡¯s birthday; don¡¯t cause too muchmotion," Joseph cautioned.

    "Yes, Your Highness, I understand," Fouch¨¦ responded.

    At lunchtime, a tall and handsome man in his thirties encountered Joseph in the corridor and immediately stepped forward to greet him.

    Eman quickly informed him in a low voice, "Your Highness, this is Prince Poniatowski of Pnd."

    Joseph nodded slightly but deliberately turned his face away, ignoring the Polish prince and leaving him in awkward observance as he proudly walked away.

    With eyes everywhere in the Pce of Versailles, and having chosen to align closely with Russia, Joseph needed to keep a distance from Pnd.

    Prince Poniatowski wasn¡¯t too upset; after all, Pnd was in decline, riddled with deep-seated problems, especially since it had just lost a vast territory to Russia, Prussia, and Austria a decade earlier. It was quite normal for a great power like France to look down on them.

    But just as he turned the corner of the staircase, a strange young man suddenly greeted him and handed him a note.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Prince Poniatowski gripped the note in surprise, only unfolding it when he was alone. It was from the French Crown Prince, inviting him to meet at a certain ce outside the Pce of Versailles at two o¡¯clock that afternoon.

    The midsummer afternoon was intensely hot, particrly as it had been a while since France saw any rain.

    Wiping sweat from his brow, Prince Poniatowski was about to check the time again when he saw two "gemstone" carriages¡ªthetest French fashion¡ªstop beside him.

    Momentster, inside the carriage, Joseph eyed the rather valiant-looking Polish prince and smiled, "I apologize for meeting you like this. However, please believe that our ensuing conversation is of utmost importance to you and to Pnd."

    Joseph was well aware that the current King of Pnd, Stanis?aw August Poniatowski, was unreliable. Back then, his rise to the throne of Pnd was due to his affair with Catherine, supported by the Empress herself[Note 1].

    Perhaps due to Catherine¡¯s overwhelming dominance in his previous life experiences, even after bing King, he remained in great fear of her.

 Chapter 232 - 194 European Continent Upheaval_4_2

    This also led to the surrender of the entire Polish army during the second partition of Pnd under Stanis?aw August Poniatowski, despite the main force of the Polish military still being intact, as he firmly believed they could absolutely not defeat Russia.

    Across the whole of Pnd, nobles mostly concerned themselves with their own political interests, forming cliques, allying with Prussia, or colluding with Russia, with hardly anyone caring about the life or death of Pnd.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Only his nephew, the King of Pnd, Prince Poniatowski, and the renowned general Tadeusz Kosciuszko, persisted in organizing and preparing the military, even managing to push back the Russian Army in the war of the second partition yearster, proving themselves worthy of cultivation.

    Especially since Kosciuszko had not yet made his mark, and the entire task of cultivating the military of Pnd was the responsibility of Poniatowski, who, as a Prince, also wielded significant influence over the political situation in Pnd.

    This time, as he came to France, Joseph naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to introduce him to some methods that could "invigorate" Pnd.

    As for how much he would implement after hearing them, that would depend on Pnd¡¯s luck.

    Prince Poniatowski looked at the young French Crown Prince for a few seconds, then nodded solemnly, "I believe in you, Your Highness. Please, go ahead."

    Joseph exhaled lightly, "First, you must understand that the situation Pnd faces is extremely dangerous, and it may face the danger of national extinction in perhaps five years or so."

    ording to the historical trajectory, the second partition of Pnd would ur five yearster.

    Prince Poniatowski was stunned, he shook his head slightly, "Your Highness, aren¡¯t you being a bit rmist?

    "Even though Pnd faces many threats, we are still arge country, and we have an alliance with Prussia. Once there is a threat, Prussia will send troops to assist us."

    Joseph was somewhat speechless; the Poles were really naive. Prussia was the most eager country when it came to your partition, even more so than Russia!

    It¡¯s just that Prussia thought it might not be able to deal with Pnd alone, so they continuously encouraged Russia behind the scenes to take action, while on the surface pretending to ally with Pnd.

    Historically, as soon as the Russian Army mobilized, Prussia immediately broke the treaty and attacked Pnd from both sides.

    Joseph immediately said with a grave tone, "If you want to preserve Pnd, you must remember, never trust Prussia!"

    The Prince of Pnd asked in surprise, "Why do you say that?"

    "I..." Joseph really wanted to tell him he had read history, but could only say, "France¡¯s intelligence system has obtained absolutely reliable information that obtaining the northwestern part of Pnd is Prussia¡¯s primary strategic objective."

    "How could this be possible?!"

    "You can verify it through your own intelligence means." Joseph didn¡¯t expect him to believe it immediately, but as long as the Poles were cautioned, he believed they would eventually notice something.

    Prince Poniatowski nodded and asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

    "First, I do not wish for Prussia¡¯s n to seed."

    Prince Poniatowski naturally had no reason to doubt this¡ªPrussia was very close to Britain, and France was their mortal enemy. France certainly did not want Prussia to be more powerful.

    Joseph continued earnestly, "Of course, more importantly, it¡¯s because I have great sympathy for Pnd, and I do not wish more suffering to fall on the Polish people."

    Prince Poniatowski automatically disregarded this point; "sympathy" and "good will" were meaningless decorations in international politics.

    "Thank you very much for your warning, Crown Prince."¡¯

    "It¡¯s nothing." Joseph went on, "Moreover, the constitution that Pnd is trying to establish probably needs to be elerated."

    "Ah? The constitution?" Prince Poniatowski was surprised that the French would speak of Polish domestic affairs.

    "Forgive my bluntness, but the constitution you are attempting to create is too extensive, leading to too many subjects needing discussion, and the progress is slow."

    Joseph said, "The biggest problem in Pnd right now is the ¡¯liberum veto¡¯, and you must not entangle the process of abolishing it with the new constitution. In my estimation, your Sejm will not be able toplete the entire constitution in three or four years."

    The so-called "liberum veto" referred to the ability of any member of the Polish Sejm to veto a resolution by themselves.

    This resulted in foreign countries, such as Russia, Prussia, and others, being able to prevent Pnd from passing any legition they found displeasing by simply bribing a few members of the parliament.

    At the same time, members, considering their own interests, would veto many bills that were beneficial for the nation¡¯s development. The end result was that Pnd could hardly implement any beneficial policies over hundreds of years, and the state of the nation kept deteriorating.

    And as the Polish Sejm was preparing to abolish the liberum veto in the new constitution, Pnd would remain stagnant until then.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Enact aw separately, to abolish the ¡¯liberum veto¡¯." Joseph added, "Pnd is truly in imminent danger. We must act quickly!"

    He did not know if Prince Poniatowski was taking his words to heart and continued, "The Polishnd forces also need to be expanded as soon as possible. To achieve basic national defense security, an army of 100,000 is necessary. Yet currently, you have only 10,000."

    Prince Poniatowski was somewhat surprised. ording to repeated studies by the Polish military, they also believed it necessary to expand the army to 100,000, coinciding with the suggestions of the Crown Prince of France.

    Actually, Joseph had simply informed him ahead of time about Pnd¡¯s constitutional demand to expand the army to 100,000 four yearster. However, at that time, there was only one year left before the second partition of Pnd, and ultimately, Pnd only managed to expand its army to 37,000, still very far from the "lifeline".

    Joseph continued, "Moreover, have your Sejm not be hasty in abolishing serfdom."

    "I know that abolishing serfdom can greatly enhance the strength of Pnd, but all reforms have a ¡¯painful period,¡¯ after whiches great development. And Pnd cannot afford the pain at the moment."

    "Of course, you can improve the plight of serfs as a first step, but the prerequisite must be to unite as much strength as possible to resist foreign enemies."

    Historically, Pnd, due to radical reforms in serfdom, alienated many of the Old Nobility Forces. These nobles ckened in their duties during Pnd¡¯s invasions, greatly weakening the resistance against foreign enemies.

    Prince Poniatowski found it amusing; the current reform tendencies in Pnd were freedom, equality, and constitutional government, and weren¡¯t these ideas all transmitted from France? There were people like Rousseau and Montesquieu.

    And yet, the French Crown Prince suggested that Pnd temporarily retain serfdom...

    In the carriage on the road, Joseph conveyed to Prince Poniatowski that France would provide certain assistance to Pnd through the United States, hoping they couldplete their war preparations as soon as possible.

    After saying nearly everything that needed to be said, Prince Poniatowski returned to his own carriage and took another road to return to the Pce of Versailles.

    ...

    On the day of Louis XVI¡¯s birthday.

    All of Paris entered celebration mode. Several government-sponsored locations distributing free food became gathering ces for the citizens.

    Every three hours, there would be free performances by government-sponsored theatre troupes.

    During the intermissions, people took out their instruments and yed and sang on their own, endeavoring to praise His Majesty¡¯s sagacity, valor, and kind benevolence; it was entirely a scene of peace and prosperity.

    And yet no one remembered that France was facing its most severe food shortage in centuries.

    Meanwhile, all sorts of celebration activities at the Pce of Versailles had also reached their climax.

    The singing and swordsmanshippetitions both had their top eight contestants, and professionals were there toment on eachpetitor¡¯s strengths, asionally eliciting loud cheers from the audience.

    However, in an unassuming small room on the second floor of the Pce of Versailles, Fouche was staring at his subordinate and asked in a low voice, "Are you certain there are no exceptions?"

    "Yes, sir. Godoy has beening to the Pce of Versailles for four days, and every night at 9 o¡¯clock, he has attended Madame Gan¡¯s music salon punctually."

    Fouche nodded to himself; he had long discovered that Godoy had initially gained the favor of the Spanish Crown Princess through his skill in ying the guitar and singing. Music was his "bread and butter".

    [Note 1] At this time, Pnd practiced a system where the nobility elected the King. Moreover, the Polish political situation was in chaos. Catherine, by means of bribes to the Polish nobility, forcefully secured Stanis?aw as the King of Pnd.

 Chapter 233 - 195 Foucheâ€™s Strategy

    The Intelligence Team of the Police Affairs Department was specifically responsible for collecting, processing intelligence, and formting action ns based on this information before handing them over to the Action Team for execution.

    This highly specialized and detailed division ofbor had never appeared in the intelligence departments of other countries in the 18th century.

    Three hourster, the Intelligence Team produced two ns. Fouche, after listening to their descriptions, quickly selected the second n and ordered its immediate execution.

    The members of the Police Affairs Department¡¯s Action Team immediately sprang into action.

    A few rushed to Paris to make preparations. Thanks to the swift rail transport, they returned to the Pce of Versailles before nightfall.

    At 7 p.m., three Action Team members, disguised as musicians, took several "tools" from their hands and headed straight to Madame Gan¡¯s music hall located on the second floor of the west wing. They all held credentials that couldn¡¯t be more authentic, so there were no obstacles along the way.

    In the Marble Courtyard, dazzling fireworks soared into the sky, and music sounded in unison.

    In the crowd, a beaming Madame Gan bowed slightly. Queen Mary smiled as she ced the feather headdress, symbolizing the champion, on Madame Gan¡¯s hair bun.

    Just half an hour before, she had won the singing and dancingpetition without surprise with a selection from "The Magic Flute," a recentposition by her brother Mozart.

    The surrounding nobility andmoners immediately erupted into a roar of cheers, continuously shouting her name. More than half of them had bet on Madame Gan¡¯s victory, and with their pockets now full, how could they not be happy?

    Meanwhile, the three "musicians" had pried open the door to Madame Gan¡¯s music hall, slipped inside, shut the door, and quickly stepped out onto the spacious balcony.

    They first carefully observed the situation below; by then it was dark, and most people were gathered in the Marble Courtyard, paying no attention to this area. The three immediately worked together to remove three thick wooden rails from the balcony and then reced them with identical wooden ts from the bags they had carried as instruments...

    Tonight, as the champion of the singing and dancingpetition, Madame Gan was to perform at the King¡¯s birthday ball, so her music salon was closed for the day.

    The spacious and luxurious Hall of Mirrors was brightly lit; Louis XVI¡¯s birthday party had officially begun!

    Royals and statesmen from various countries gathered together, looking respectfully at the center of the great hall where the King and Queen of France were dancing the opening dance.

    At the end of the dance, Louis XVI, with flushed face, nodded to the guests before quickly retreating to the second-floor balcony of the hall, looking utterly exhausted.

    The chief steward of the inner court then gave a lengthy birthday speech. Next, Madame Gan sang a ssical song, "King Louis," dedicated to Louis XVI:

    "Our King Louis, mustering the troops,

    "Noble horsemen, all take the stage.

    "Our King Louis,mands ring clear,

    "Who will follow me, to battle afar?

    "Devout souls, rise to the charge..."

    Below, Joseph quietly nced at the financial statement that Eman had just brought from the inner court.

    As he expected, the singing and dancingpetition had lost several thousand livres due to Madame Gan¡¯s "bug." Fortunately, there was an upset in the swordsmanshippetition where Baron Wemorel, the second captain of the Queen¡¯s guard, had defeated two favorites to win the title, earning over a hundred thousand in bets.

    Along with the ie from the "Welfare Lottery" that brought in several hundred thousand, they had barely covered the cost of the birthday celebration, which amounted to 260,000 livres.

    As the ball went on, more people offered music and dances, and even Godoy joined a few court musicians to perform a piece.

    Luckily, thedies of Versailles had gradually learned that the French Crown Prince did not like to dance, and rumors of the Queen¡¯s chosen "Crown Princess" fiercely guarding Joseph¡¯s side meant that no one bothered him.

    Joseph then spotted his diplomatic target for the evening in the crowd, a man in his forties who looked quite sharp and capable¡ªthe Speaker of the Dutch Provincial States-General, and a core leader of the Patriot Party, Johan de Witt van Campelen.

    Of course, he had another identity today, that of a special envoy for Stadtholder William V of the Nethends. It was not an appointment made by William V himself, but the Provincial States-General had feared that the Stadtholder mightpromise with the French, so they designated him as the special envoy to celebrate the French King¡¯s birthday.

    To the French Crown Prince, the Dutch Speaker was very courteous. After all, France had always been the financial backer behind the Dutch Patriot Party, and at the end ofst year, without the help of "French volunteers," the Prussian Army might have already entered Rotterdam.

    However, due to the Dutch¡¯s disastrous defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War five years earlier and the resulting alliance-style treaty that had to be signed with Ennd, the Patriot Party, though repelled by Ennd, did not dare to defy it and could not get too close to France.

    "Ah! You look truly distinguished and radiant today, Your Highness, the esteemed Crown Prince!" Campelen said with reverence, while offering ttery.

    Joseph took two sses of wine from a servant¡¯s tray, handed one to him, and smiled, gesturing towards a corner where no one was:

    "I have always wanted to meet you, Your Excellency the Speaker. Do you mind having a chat with me for a moment?"

    "Of course, Your Highness, it would be my honor," he replied.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Once in a secluded spot, Joseph first raised his ss in a toast:

    "Speaker, first of all, I must congratte the sess our two countries have achieved in fighting the Barbary pirates."

    Campelean eagerly nodded in agreement:

    "Here¡¯s to a more navigable Mediterranean Sea."

    In fact, the Nethends had only reluctantly contributed one small Escort Ship and some funding due to pressure from France.

 Chapter 234 - 195 Foucheâ€™s Strategy_2

    Joseph exchanged a few more pleasantries before asking,

    "The two most importantpanies in your country, namely the Dutch East India Company and the West India Company, don¡¯t seem to be doing very welltely, are they?"

    Campelem furrowed his brow and had to nod,

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Your Highness, the situation is indeed as you say. There have been frequent wars in recent years, which have greatly diminished the wealth of the provinces of the Nethends, and subsequently lessened the demand for overseas goods. This has often led to deficits for both tradepanies."

    "Then may I ask if your Congress has any ns to improve thepanies¡¯ situation?"

    Campelem replied with a pained expression,

    "Your Highness, that is rather difficult... after all, the volume of trade is what it is."

    Joseph said bluntly,

    "The fundamental reason is that the British have monopolized many trade routes and continue to hit your colonies."

    "This... indeed ys a part."

    Joseph exaggeratedly sighed,

    "The glory of yesteryears, when the Dutch dominated the world¡¯s oceans as the carriage men of the sea!"

    "..." Campelem could only bow his head in silence.

    Observing his expression, Joseph smiled and said,

    "Your Excellency, the Speaker, perhaps we can join forces."

    "Join forces?" Campelem immediately thought of something and shook his head, "Your Highness, unfortunately, the Dutch likely don¡¯t have the strength to confront the British."

    He did not dare to ally the Nethends with either Ennd or France¡ª God as his witness, he could not provoke either of these great powers!

    "No, you may have misunderstood me. I¡¯m talking about joining forces in trade, purely in trade."

    "Does what you¡¯re suggesting have to do with the two tradingpanies?"

    Joseph nodded with a smile,

    "Exactly. In fact, the French East India Company is also facing difficulty now. I suggest that we merge the three tradingpanies of both nations to expand the business scope, which might just restore some of our former glory."

    Joseph was well aware of the immense potential the Dutch had in developing a navy; during the first three Anglo-Dutch wars, the Dutch fleet fought impressively and caused significant trouble for the British.

    However, due to the weakened state of the Nethends and a copse in their ambition, they had lost their desire for maritime dominance.

    Indeed, the Dutch had a natural talent formerce. If they could seize a developmental opportunity, they might truly revive the glory days of being the carriage men of the sea.

    Most importantly, even if the Dutch truly became the maritime overlords, the British would be the ones to suffer the most in terms of interest. As for France, in the worst case, they could use their army to threaten the Nethends, which was close at hand, and prevent them from causing too much harm to France¡¯s maritime interests.

    Cardinal Richelieu, France¡¯s foremost statesman of the time, once said that if France wanted to aplish dominion, it was essential to support a strong Nethends to counter Ennd.

    Regrettably, Louis XIV, seeking quick sess, did not heed his advice and invaded the Nethends for a trivial gain, leading to the gradual decline of one of Ennd¡¯s strongestpetitors.

    Now, Joseph intended to do his best to prop up the Nethends again, even pushing them forward a step.

    For instance, using the almost defunct French East India Company as bait to tie French and Dutch interests together, thus aiding the Nethends to expand their trade reach and restore their national strength.

    As a nation that relied on the sea for its livelihood, the Nethends would undoubtedly need to establish a strong fleet if they gained any significant power.

    And due topetitive interests in overseas trade, the Dutch fleet was naturally an enemy of the British Navy.

    A glint seemed to pass through Campelem¡¯s eyes but was quickly reced by a frown as he said,

    "Your Highness, forgive my frankness, but given the trade situation of both France and the Nethends, even if we join forces, the profits would be very limited. After all, the most profitable overseas colonies are upied by the British, and the rest are in the hands of the Spanish."

    Joseph smiled faintly,

    "You can rest assured on this ount. France will bring some trade concessions from its richly resourced colonies to invest in the new tradingpany,"

    As of now, ces like New Zend and Papua New Guinea have not yet been developed by any European nation. The former is a supermassive source of wool¡ªat a time when the textile industry reigns supreme, wool is practically a strategic resource; while thetter possesses an abundance of minerals, which can also yield significant profits.

    Not to mention, these two ces alone are enough to sustain a French-Dutch "India Company."

    Even now, as Ennd has only justnded on the eastern coast of Australia, France and the Nethends could very well develop simultaneously in the north of Australia.

    Add to that the Dutch trade in Guyana and such ces, and with proper management, it could bring both nations an enormous amount of profit.

    Of course, these interests will also be coveted by the British. However, by then, it will have be about cutting off the Dutch¡¯s sources of wealth. The Nethends will definitely have to fight to the bitter end with Ennd.

    Campelen eximed in surprise:

    "Which colonies are you referring to when you speak of these?"

    After the Seven Years¡¯ War, France¡¯s overseas colonies could be counted on one¡¯s fingers, and they still had some to contribute as investment capital?

    "As for that, you will be informed after the joint French-Dutch East India Company is established," Joseph said, "But I assure you, the output from these ces is absolutely abundant, possibly even surpassing the current ie of the Nethends in the Far East.

    "Moreover, I must remind you that if the Patriot Party cannot provide the Dutch people with the lifestyle they desire, people might begin to long for their Stadtholder once again."

    Seeing that Campelen was still hesitant, he threw out another huge lure:

    "If our two countries have a significant trade cooperation, then our side can promise to sign a non-aggression pact with the Nethends."

    Campelen¡¯s eyes lit uppletely.

    It is known that the British at sea and the French onnd have always been the Nethends¡¯ two greatest threats.

    The invasion of the Nethends by France during the reign of Louis XIV has always been an inescapable nightmare for the Dutch, and this is an important reason why the Nethends has been reluctant to fully tilt towards France.

    But if France could promise to guarantee the safety of the Nethends, that would be of tremendous strategic benefit to the Nethends.

    He finally nodded vigorously:

    "I will convey your generous offer to the provincial congress and the twopanies and do my utmost to facilitate the matter."

    After all, both the East and West India Companies were independently operated joint-stockpanies, and the Dutch Parliament had no power to control them; they could only give advice.

    Joseph nodded with a smile, then looked towards the crowd at the ball:

    "Perhaps, we can also include Austria in our cooperation. You know, how lucrative their Ostend Company was in the past, only to be dissolved under pressure from the British. They probably also eagerly wish to rebuild their own East India Company."

    The Ostend Company he referred to was the Austrian overseas tradepany based in the Southern Nethends. Although it existed for only 10 years, it was the only time Austria realized its dream of overseas trade.

    Most importantly, they all suffered at the hands of the British.

    Campelen was stunned by this bold idea for a couple of seconds before he said:

    "Your Highness, ording to the agreement between Ennd and Austria at the time, the Ostend Company cannot be reestablished."

    Joseph shrugged and said with a smile:

    "Who¡¯s talking about an Ostend Company? The Archduke of Austria could put in some money to invest in the joint French-Dutch East India Company and grant it some trade concessions; that wouldn¡¯t vite the agreement, would it?"

    Campelen immediatelyughed as well. The thought process of the Crown Prince of France was simply too flexible¡ªa joint tradepany with shared Franco-Dutch-Austrian stakes would have great potential in the future!

    Joseph, however, felt a hint of regret, as the Archduke of Austria, Joseph II, who was also his own uncle, couldn¡¯t attend this birthday celebration due to health reasons. And the special envoy he sent was merely a formality and held no real authority.

    Otherwise, it would not be just about the joint East India Company; Joseph had matters regarding Silesia, and even the unification of Germany, that he really wanted to discuss with his uncle.

    The celebrationsted all night. After the charity auction for disaster relief, as dawn began to break, the reveling crowd gradually dispersed...

    ording to the initial n, all the birthday presents given to Louis XVI from both domestic and foreign sources were auctioned off, and the proceeds were entirely used for disaster relief.

    At the auction, many nobles also donated additional jewelry and expensive clothing for bidding.

    In the end, they raised a total of more than two million livres, and in full view of all Parisians, it was announced how much grain this money would buy and where it would be delivered.

 Chapter 235 - 196 Jâ€™s Knell

    Although Louis XVI¡¯s birthday had passed, the Pce of Versailles Square remained in a temporary state of rxed dress code, hence there were still many Parisiansing here to sing, dance, y, or watch free theater performances.

    Small vendors also gathered here, hoping to make the most of thest opportunity to sell a few more items.

    People chatted about their experiences over the past few days, and the livelyughter and chatter maintained the warmth of the celebration.

    Aristocrats and politicians from various countries were finally free from the cumbersome ceremonial activities of the previous days and now had the leisure to truly enjoy themselves in Paris. ces like the Eden Amusement Park once again saw a surge of visitors.

    At 8:40 p.m., Madame Gan arrived at her music salon with a face full of rxed joy, ready to start today¡¯s music salon.

    Leveraging the influence of the King¡¯s birthday, she had be a sought-after music virtuoso within the Pce of Versailles. Her salon was now a musical "holy site" coveted by aristocrats and celebrities; without some measure of skill, one simply couldn¡¯t enter the doors of this music room.

    Though Godoy was of low status, he had the advantage of being an early participant in the salon and possessed a solid foundation in music. Additionally, with the hundreds of livres Louisa spent to make arrangements for him, he managed to secure his spot in the salon.

    A few servants responsible for arranging the musical instruments exchanged discreet nods after seeing the Spanish Crown Princess enter the hall with her guard, then turned to double-check the balcony¡¯s position and slightly adjusted the height of the guitarist¡¯s chair.

    Godoy, following behind Louisa, respectfully bowed to Madame Gan, exchanged a few pleasantries, and was then led by a footman to his seat, the position for performers. Louisa, on the other hand, was escorted to the VIP seats opposite and above.

    Since there were too many aristocrats attending the music salon, Madame Gan often borrowed servants from elsewhere to help, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to a few unfamiliar faces.

    At 9 p.m., the salon officially began.

    Madame Gan, as the hostess, broke from convention by delivering a lengthy lecture on music theory right after weing the guests, winning waves of admiration from the audience.

    Following that, a few music masters from the Pce of Versailles shared some thoughts on music theory before moving into the routine performance segment.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The soothing sound of music began, it was Francois Couperin¡¯s "Les Bergeries," but after Madame Gan¡¯s rearrangement, the style appeared lighter and more lively.

    The performers blended themselves into their instruments while the audience, enraptured, closed their eyes and savored the moment.

    Just as the music was reaching its climax, a cello ced on a chair, unattended, seemed to lose its bnce and suddenly toppled to the side.

    And Godoy happened to be right beneath the peg of the cello.

    The cello, a colossus among instruments, standing over a person tall and weighing nearly 180 pounds. Startled by the fall, Godoy hastily moved backward to avoid being struck. Unbeknownst to him, his chair¡¯s leg seemed to have caught on something, and instead of moving back, it tilted over under his push.

    Godoy immediately fell backward.

    His position was already at the edge of the balcony, and as his body heavily hit the railing, a "crack" sound was heard; the wooden balustrade, thick as the arm of a grown man, shattered into several pieces as if made of paper under his impact.

    Louisa was watching her lover y with a captivated look when she caught sight of the cello copsing, only to then see Godoy breaking the balcony railing and falling down.

    From below, a muffled "crash" could be faintly heard.

    The sudden ident left everyone frozen on the spot until Louisa let out a shrill scream, "Godoy¡ª"

    The musicians nearest rushed to their feet, cautiously peering over the broken balcony edge, only to see in the dim light of the night the guitarist lying motionless on the ground, next to a footman retreating in shock.

    Louisa, too, hurried to the balcony, unable to see the situation clearly, then, with a face pale as death, turned in the support of her maid and rushed downstairs. The aristocrats participating in the salon immediately followed to check on what had happened.

    Just then, a pair of guards, who happened to be passing by downstairs, saw someone had fallen and quickly knelt next to Godoy, urgently calling out, "Sir! Sir, how are you?"

    Seeing that Godoy had apparently passed out, one of them looked up at the people on the second-floor balcony, barely distinguishable in the dark night. He instantly took out a small knife and quickly shed it across Godoy¡¯s face.

    The other, having noticed the golden crucifix pendant Godoy was wearing, pulled it out, carelessly smeared some blood on it, and ced it neatly on his chest.

    By the time Louisa ran downstairs, frenzied, with the help of a torch carried by a servant, she saw Godoy lying on the ground, surrounded by numerous shards of ss, as if a winess had been smashed.

    The two guards were trying to revive him with anxious faces while another servant stood trembling nearby.

    Louisa carefully approached and saw more clearly this time that there were two wounds on Godoy¡¯s face, likely caused by shattered ss, one of which extended from the corner of his eye to his mouth, revealing pale yellow fat, a sight that was horrifying to behold.

    His crucifix pendanty on his chest, and against the white of his shirt, one could clearly see that the figure of Jesus on the pendant was drenched in blood, as if foretelling something.

    A nobleman who had rushed over from the salon, upon seeing this, hastily made the sign of the cross while murmuring:

 Chapter 236 - 196 Jâ€™s Knell_2

    "God bless! God bless!"

    The voice reached Louisa¡¯s ears, but struck her like lightning; a thought suddenly burst from her heart: This is punishment, God¡¯s punishment for my unfaithfulness!

    She hastily made the sign of the cross and trembled as she said:

    "Lord, please forgive my sins, I was wrong, forgive me..."

    "He is still alive!" A nobleman stepped forward to check Godoy¡¯s pulse, then turned back and called out loudly.

    More than ten minutester, the Court Physician arrived, instructed the servants to carefully lift Godoy onto a stretcher, and moved him back inside to administer aid.

    Approaching midnight, the Pce of Versailles majordomo arrived at the Spanish Crown Prince¡¯s residence, knocked and entered, only to find the Crown Prince was not there, so he could only bow to Louisa and say:

    "Your Highness, the physician says your guard should no longer be in danger of losing his life, but he has broken his right arm, and there are some additionalcerations."

    But Louisa did not look at him, only muttering something under her breath with a tense expression.

    The majordomo continued:

    "It¡¯s very regrettable that this ident urred. I have already had a thorough investigation conducted. The balustrade of the music hall¡¯s balcony had been hollowed out by termites. Due to the hidden position of the holes, they went unnoticed... You know, the Pce of Versailles is very old, and those little insects are always destroying the wood.

    "Mr. Godoy collided with the termite-damaged wooden railing and unfortunately fell. At that time, there happened to be a male servant below who was carrying wine to the fountain, and Mr. Godoynded on his tray, so..."

    "That is, would you like to see him?"

    Seeing no reaction from Louisa, he could only sigh, bow, and leave the room: "Please do not worry too much, Your Highness."

    ...

    The Spanish Crown Prince did not find out about Godoy¡¯s fall from the balcony until the next morning, as he had drunk too much the night before.

    He had been lying listlessly on the couch with a vacant stare, but upon hearing thest word from the Court Official, he suddenly sprang to life as if retrieving his soul, grabbed the official by the shoulders, and said excitedly:

    "Are you speaking of the Duchess Consort¡¯s guard Godoy? He broke his arm? His face is scratched?!"

    "Yes, yes, Your Highness, please don¡¯t be too saddened."

    "Saddened?" Antonio felt as if the difort of his hangover vanished in an instant, and he felt as light as if he could soar, "Thank you for the reminder, I will definitely not be sad! Ha ha!"

    The Court Official looked at him worriedly, hesitating whether to call a physician, when Joseph showed up in time, signaling him to leave first.

    Antonio grabbed hold of Joseph, beaming like a delighted child weighing a hundred and fifty pounds:

    "My dear Joseph, did you know, the Pce of Versailles must be a ce blessed by God! My wish actually came true!

    "I love this ce so much, I love France so much!"

    Joseph made the sign of the cross at his chest:

    "May God bless you, my friend."

    Antonio picked up a half ss of wine lying nearby, poured it into his mouth, and pulled Joseph towards the door:

    "Let¡¯s go see that damned bastard! Oh, right, where is he now?"

    Joseph turned to Eman and said: "Please take His Highness to Mr. Godoy¡¯s ce."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    As Antonio walked along the corridor, he shouted ecstatically:

    "I love the Pce of Versailles! I love this ce! I¡¯m going to stay here for a while!"

    Once he had calmed down a little, Joseph approached and whispered:

    "My dear Crown Prince, you should return to Madrid as soon as possible."

    "Ah? Why?" Antonio asked with a wide smile.

    "While Godoy is still injured, set out immediately and leave him in France," Joseph said, "and after you return to Madrid, report the recent events to His Majesty the King."

    Joseph knew that even though he had helped Spain to remove one member of the "disastrous duo," the other, Louisa, would be difficult to subdue with Antonio alone.

    For now, he could only rely on Charles III to be still in charge and find a way to suppress Louisa. He believed that this most capable King of Spain in nearly a century would find a way to deal with this woman.

    Antonio, whose mood had greatly improved and who had be astute, nodded immediately upon hearing this:

    "You¡¯re absolutely right; I¡¯ll return at once!"

    He nced at Godoy, who was groaning in bed, and finally left with great satisfaction.

    After seeing Godoy¡¯s frightening wound on his facest night, Louisa had no desire to look at him one more time. She had also personally verified that the whole incident was indeed idental¡ªthe broken railing, as well as the area around where Godoy fell, all had been hollowed out by termites, ready to break at the slightest touch, andst night certainly no one had touched him before he fell.

    All she wanted now was to leave the Pce of Versailles as quickly as possible, so she agreed without a second thought when Antonio suggested returning to their country.

    By noon that day, the Spanish Crown Prince¡¯s carriage was already prepared to leave.

    Before departing, Antonio embraced Joseph tightly, saying sincerely:

    "I really wish I could continue to discuss mechanics with you in the Royal Workshop, Joseph; you will always be my best friend!"

    Indeed, in his heart, if it weren¡¯t for his kin Joseph, he might not have discovered his wife¡¯ssciviousness and vulgarity. He was filled with gratitude towards Joseph at this moment.

    "Yes, we are the best of friends!" Joseph nodded and gave him a firm pat.

    Antonio then whispered in his ear:

    "Dear Joseph, I¡¯ve left someone in Paris. Please send that fellow Godoy there when it¡¯s convenient for you."

    Though he feared his wife and was engrossed in mechanics, he was still a crown prince with significant power. Once he calmed down, how could he let go of a "mistress" who had fallen out of favor?

    Joseph pretended to be somewhat shocked, "Are you sure? This might be..."

    "Please do me this favor!"

    Only then did Joseph reluctantly respond, "Well, I¡¯ll try my best..."

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    After the Spanish Crown Prince departed, Joseph immediately wrote a letter to Charles III, detailing how Antonio was cuckolded in his own bedroom and also assured he would keep the secret.

    He handed the letter to a messenger, instructing him to deliver it to the King of Spain one day after Antonio¡¯s arrival in Madrid.

    This way, a family scandal turned into a national disgrace, and Charles III was sure to be incensed.

    ...

    The celebration for Louis XVI¡¯s birthdaysted until September before the fervorpletely subsided.

    Joseph, in a brand-new white tailored military uniform, rode a carriage to the Paris Police Academy to attend the entrance ceremony for the second-term students.

    Today was not only the entrance ceremony for the second-term students but also themencement of internships for the first-term students.

    Yes, although the first-term students of the Police Academy had been enrolled for a total of only ten months, Joseph decided, based on their training, to engage them in a military operation in North Africa.

    These students trained extremely hard and their military qualities were not weak; mixing them with the 3,000 men from Bertier¡¯s Crown Prince¡¯s Guard, they should be able to match the North African troops.

    Only through the smoke and blood of the battlefield can one be a truly strong army!

    ording to Joseph¡¯s n, the first-term students of the Police Academy, 1,000 from the "Combat Police" ss, plus 400 from the "Elite ss" and the 3,000 from Bertier¡¯s two regiments, were mixed together, making a force of nearly 4,400 men in about three regiments, to be transported to North Africa by the French Navy forbat.

    This force was absolutely obedient to him, and they could be mobilized without any hindrance.

    If the situation in North Africa was intense, he would then consider deploying the Mn Regiment of Duke Vr¡ªthe troops trained by Andre¡ªa total of three regiments.

    Although thebat effectiveness of this force could not match the Crown Prince¡¯s Guardposed of the Franche Garde, its loyalty was guaranteed and mobilization should not pose too much of a problem.

    If the Mn Regiment¡¯s performance inbat proved satisfactory, Joseph would consider equipping them with better weapons and even evolving them into his own direct troops.

    As for the possibility of a 9,000-man-strong force, coordinated with Joseph¡¯s strategic nning, not managing to prevail in North Africa, it should be minuscule.

 Chapter 237 - 197: The Dawu Brothersâ€™ Encounter During the Exercise

    In Joseph¡¯s North Africa strategy, he never nned on using the French Army to force his way through from start to finish.

    Not only would that approach heavily deplete the troops and cost a significant amount, it would also easily provoke fierce resistance from local forces in North Africa.

    Countless examples fromter generations show that defeating the enemy¡¯s main force is often not the difficult part; the real headache starts when cleaning up scattered local militias. For instance, a future world superpower managed to defeat Atta in just over ten days, but then spent 2 trillion US dors over more than a decade fighting guerri groups, and still lost in the end.

    Therefore, the best method was still to mobilize the local forces in North Africa to work for oneself, and have a small contingent of elite French forces act as a counterbnce to influence the final victory or defeat.

    The diplomats of France and the Police Affairs Department had already been working towards this goal in Algiers for quite some time.

    ...

    Joseph¡¯s carriage was half a mile away from the Paris Police Academy¡¯s training field when he heard the distant sound of bugles.

    A troop of police academy students, dressed in smart military uniforms, came running in two columns. Every two meters, thest man in line would stop. Soon, from the entrance of the training field to beside Joseph¡¯s carriage, two straight walls of people were formed.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    With a loudmand from an officer, both columns of police academy students turned around, lowering their rifles with the butts nearly touching the ground, creating a resounding "ck."

    The carriage passed between the two rows of students. Joseph nodded in satisfaction at the police academy students on both sides. Just from the weing formation, one could see the training quality of these students. Over hundreds of meters, the formation was straight, and the movements were uniform; this by today¡¯s European standards was definitely considered an elite force.

    Several neat squadrons had already been arranged on the training field.

    Nearly a thousand senior students from the first enrollment were lined up at the front. Behind them were the second batch of new students, more numerous but less organized. Joseph had already seen Frient¡¯s report; the second enrollment of the police academy had recruited as many as 3,000 students.

    This was possible because the police academy provided food and lodging, and it was fully open to civilians, with schrships avable for those with excellent grades. Many children from civilian families living far from Paris, upon learning of the favorable conditions at the police academy, would even travel half a month¡¯s journey to register.

    Of course, what was most important was that Joseph now had some money to spend, able to afford so many students¡ªthe cost of their brand-new full military uniforms alone exceeded 120 livres. And to think, the French treasury hadn¡¯t allocated a single denier to the Paris Police Academy.

    Behind the second batch of students, there were over a thousand soldiers dressed in somewhat older uniforms and of an older average age. They were Bertier¡¯s Corps, who hade to attend the ceremony.

    Joseph stepped out of the carriage, surrounded by important figures like Frient and Bertier, and made his way to the center of the reviewing stand, raising his hand in acknowledgment to the students and soldiers on the field.

    Immediately, the thousands on the training field stood to attention with chests out, raising their hats in salute, and a thunderous shout erupted: "Long live the King! Long live the Crown Prince!"

    Joseph smiled and returned the salute with his hat before delivering a customary speech as the school principal. Such speeches would be made here at least once each year from now on.

    Afterward, each squadron of students and soldiers marched past the reviewing stand in turn, inspected by the Crown Prince.

    Behind Joseph, the newly appointed Minister of Industry, Mirabeau, who had been invited to observe, was profoundly shocked as he watched the proud and well-trained squadrons before him.

    For the past few days, he had been perplexed as to why the Crown Prince wanted him to attend the police academy¡¯s new student induction ceremony. Only now did he finally understand that the Crown Prince was showcasing his own power¡ªthese were no mere police academy students; this was the Crown Prince¡¯s own army!

    Initially, he had only thought the young Crown Prince was highly knowledgeable about industrial development and could bring prosperity and hope to France¡¯s industrial sector.

    Now, he realized that the Crown Prince was indeed a genius monarch¡ªadvancing industrial development while guarding against potential famine, having integrated arge number of banks recently, and now, he had formed a powerful army here.

    What was most important was that the Crown Prince had managed to do all this without anyone realizing it!

    Mirabeau inwardly sighed: perhaps in a few years, France would wee a king as great as the Sun King. No, even more dazzling!

    The resonant shouts of the squadrons interrupted Mirabeau¡¯s thoughts. He looked towards the training field, only to notice that the soldiers were carrying rifles that were very peculiar, none of which were any model produced by Charleville¡ªhe was passionate about hunting and had done considerable research onmon firearms.

    So, he leaned in and quietly asked the Director of Police Services beside him, "Viscount Besancon, do you know what kind of guns they¡¯re using? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen them before."

    The other immediately replied, "Those are the Auguste Model 1788 Caplock Guns. The Royal Armory, which was personally overseen by His Majesty, recently started manufacturing them."

    The Royal Armory next to the Pce of Versailles and the armory in Saint-Etienne were both on the right track, showing initial sess with standardized production. If operating at full capacity, the two factories could manufacture over 2,000 caplock guns per month.

    This was even with Joseph instructing the Saint-Etienne location to divert much of its effort into researching cannon casting, otherwise, production numbers could be even higher.

    Meanwhile, under the leadership of Lavoisier, the Royal Gunpowder Bureau had already mastered the preparation of fulminate mercury, easily producing 30,000 copper caps per month.

    With the production capacity of these two institutions, the Paris Police Academy and Bertier¡¯s Corps had already been fully equipped with new caplock guns, and routine shooting training was conducted with these as the standard.

 Chapter 238 - 197: The Dawu Siblingsâ€™ Encounter During the Exercise_2

    After all the ceremonies had concluded, Joseph announced that the first batch of students from the police academy would immediately begin their live exercises.

    The first batch of students had clearly not been informed in advance and all appeared very surprised upon hearing the news.

    However, the instructors¡¯mands quickly made them realize that the live drills had already started.

    This was a special arrangement by Joseph, with the purpose of testing the real mobilization capacity and response speed of the troops.

    The urging voices of the instructors resounded everywhere: "Hurry! Move faster!"

    "This is war, start running!"

    "Thest squad to assemble will run fiveps as punishment!"

    The students didn¡¯t panic, but instead dispersed in an orderly fashion under themand of their own squad leaders, quickly running back to their barracks.

    Meanwhile, the cavalry and artillery rushed toward the stables...

    Mirabeau had not expected that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would invite him to have lunch in the military camp.

    He sat amongst hundreds of police officers, looking at the simple tableware in front of him and feeling quite awkward, but when he turned his head, he found that the Crown Prince, the Director of Police Services, and others had already started eating heartily.

    Having no choice, he joined in, and then noticed that, although the food looked coarse, it tasted decent, and there was meat, vegetables, and bread¡ªeverything that was needed, almost no different from the officers¡¯ meals he had when serving in the cavalry.

    When lunch ended, all the students stood up simultaneously, watching as the Crown Prince left the dining hall. Seeing the burning adoration and trust in their eyes, Mirabeau suddenly understood the important significance of this meal.

    After rejoining the Crown Prince¡¯s party and returning to the training field, Mirabeau was surprised to find that the majority of the infantry had alreadypleted their departure preparations, and not far away, the artillerymen were rushing horses, dragging several cannons in this direction.

    He checked his watch, only half an hour had passed since the officers had given the order to assemble!

    The only word that came to his mind was "elite!"

    Another half hourter, over a thousand fully armed police academy students were formed up in neat columns, leaving the training ground in a grand procession.

    Of course, this was the speed that could be achieved without considering logistics preparation¡ªit would take at least several days to gather all the logistical support.

    The army of the first batch of students marched southward, maintaining a rapid pace, and finally arrived at Tutsi Town on the afternoon of the sixth day.

    After resting there for a day, they finally met their training opponents for this internship¡ªthe third infantry of the Mn Regiment, led by Andre, who had just hurried over from Mn.

    After the two armies joined forces, Andre first met with themanders of the police academy students to discuss the uing training matters, then had dinner together.

    Once all official business was finished, Andre, who couldn¡¯t wait any longer, came to the police academy students¡¯ camp, led by a police academy instructor, finally meeting the young lieutenant who was not yet twenty years old.

    The young man and Andre first saluted each other by tipping their hats, then warmly embraced one another.

    Andre pulled the lieutenant back at a distance, looked at him up and down with a smile, and said, "Dear Nics, you¡¯ve finally be a true officer!"

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The young man named Nics replied with vibrant spirits, "Perhaps it won¡¯t be long before I can be a great Corps Commander like you, my dear brother."

    "Haha, that day wille. But for now, you¡¯ve just graduated, focus on gaining experience, don¡¯t think about anything else," said Andre, patting his brother¡¯s shoulder, "Actually, I think that in the future, the most aplished among us Dawus will definitely be you."

    "You¡¯ve been smarter than me since we were young, and serving under the Crown Prince, you will certainly climb the ranks much faster than I did."

    The brothers hadn¡¯t seen each other for more than two years and immediately started to chat andugh as they walked toward the edge of the camp.

    "Wow, your military uniforms are truly magnificent; just look at those sharply tailored edges!"

    Nics nodded, "It¡¯s said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had them designed by a famous Parisian designer. Oh, you haven¡¯t seen the winter gear yet. It¡¯s really impressive, all made of wool and reportedly costs 70 livres apiece."

    Andre nced down at his own old uniform, nearly letting envy spill from the corners of his mouth before hastily changing the subject, "By the way, when did you leave, and how did you arrive a day earlier than us?"

    "We left Parisst Wednesday. Brother, it was a fast-paced march all the way, and I was utterly exhausted. You know, we¡¯ve never marched this quickly at the academy."

    Andre¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, "Are you saying you only marched for 6 days? From Paris to Tutsi Town is nearly 40 leagues!"

    Forty leagues is 160 kilometers, which means the police academy students marched over 26 kilometers per day. This was definitely a remarkable pace in the 18th century.

    Keep in mind, the Mn Regiment also set outst Wednesday, covering less than 30 leagues, yet it took them one day longer than the police academy students.

    This was the result of the rigorous physical training at the Paris Police Academy. In fact, if not for maintaining formation, those academy students could have easily marched an extra ten or so kilometers each day with their endurance.

    Nics nodded, "The cadets at the academy have excellent stamina. I heard they often do exercises that include running one league with backpacks. I tried it a few days ago and could barely keep up with some of the slower ones."

    Nics attended the Paris Military Academy and, although he worked extremely hard and was quite fit during his time there, he had not undergone systematic cross-country running training and almost couldn¡¯t keep up with the police academy students.

    Hearing this, Andre frowned, "If what you¡¯re saying is true, then my corps might have a very tough time in this exercise."

    But he immediately smiled again, "Fortunately, I¡¯ve brought one of Mn¡¯s finest regiments. Even if we can¡¯t out-march you, in things like formations and shooting, we¡¯ll certainly win back some ground."

    "That remains to be seen," Nics replied with an odd look, "Do you know how the police academy trains in shooting?"

    "How do they train?"

    "Previously with flintlock guns, it was 10 shots every 3 days. After switching to caplock guns, the Director of Academic Affairs said to get familiar with the new guns faster, we increased it to 5 shots a day."

    "Five shots a day?!" Andre gasped, his own regiment only fired that many every half a month.

    He suddenly noticed a term his brother had just mentioned, "What¡¯s a ¡¯caplock gun¡¯ that you mentioned?"

    Nics pointed to a police academy student on patrol not far away with a firearm on his back, "Look, that one. I have one too, but I left it over there. It¡¯s said to be a new gun designed by His Majesty the King, others say by the Crown Prince. When firing, you don¡¯t have to pour in priming powder, just insert a copper cap. Oh, like this..."

    He said as he took a percussion cap out of his belt pouch and handed it to his brother, "This gun can be loaded three to four seconds faster than a Charleville, and it also has a slightly longer range."

    Andre¡¯s face darkened, as he began to consider how he would exin to his wife, the Duchess of Vr, if his seasoned soldiers were to be defeated by police academy students with less than a year of training.

    The next morning, with the sound of a cannon, the joint exercise between the Mn Regiment and the first batch of Paris Police Academy students officially began.

    ording to the rules, whichever side reached the Paris Mars Field first could "upy" the high ground there, taking up a more advantageous defensive position. Theter arrivals had no choice but tounch an assault.

    Just two hourster, Andre received a report from his scouts saying that the "enemy" had already entered march mode.

    He was surprised and looked through his binocrs, indeed noting that the police academy students had already set off in neat formation.

    "How is this possible?" he turned to his staff officer, "Did they prepare in advance?"

    Thetter also lifted his binocrs in haste, "That¡¯s impossible, Commandant. I had people supervising their side, they definitely would not... wait, are they not taking any supply wagons?"

    "Hmm?" Andre scrutinized further and saw that his staff officer was correct.

    He immediately showed a smile, "These inexperienced youngsters will soon have to stop and wait for their supply trains."

 Chapter 239 - 198: Napoleonâ€™s Foraging Officer

    Actually, Andre had seriously underestimated the "rashness" of these young people.

    Out of the more than 1,200 police academy cadets¡¯ 30rge wagons, 22 were for servicing the artillery, including dragging cannons and transporting ammunition.

    As for logistics and baggage, they had cut down on almost everything that could be spared!

    Each soldier¡¯s backpack contained 11 pounds of dry bread, 3.5 pounds of semi-dried meat, and 4 pounds of oats for the horses, along with two bags of wine. That was all the provisions they carried.

    It was only close to noon that the Mn Regiment finally finished preparations to transition from encampment to marching, and therge force began to move slowly.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    This was after Andre, having heard his younger brother¡¯s "intelligence" the day before, had preemptively ordered the officers to leave all the bulky luggage like wardrobes and dining tables behind.

    In fact, for an old-style army, their speed was already considered very fast.

    But everything is rtive.

    At this point, the police academy cadets had already covered nearly 10 kilometers.

    By 6 p.m., Murat¡¯s Army began to set up camp and prepare dinner.

    An hourter, the cadets stopped by a small stream 16 kilometers away, set up sentries, and, after building campfires, heated up the dry food they had carried with them.

    At 8:15 p.m., the cadets gathered around the campfires, spread nkets on the grass, and under the stars, they fell into a deep sleep.

    The next morning at dawn, they ate a simple breakfast and almost immediately set off again.

    Meanwhile, Murat¡¯s Army was still frantically packing up tents and loading wagons. asionally, there were officers quietlyining for having slept poorly without their mattresses.

    Andre could no longer see the trace of his opponents, but from the marks on the ground, it was clear the police academy cadets had long passed by this location.

    After 3 p.m., two scouts with dark circles under their eyes ped back to the Mn Regiment¨C¨CAndre¡¯s curiosity about how the cadets were solving their provisions problem had caused him to urgently send out scouts the night before to investigate.

    "So, you¡¯re saying they carried more than 15 pounds of food?" Andre looked surprised at the scouts, "With weapons, ammunition, and bedding, doesn¡¯t that make for nearly 35 pounds of weight?"

    "It seems so, sir."

    "They¡¯re like monsters..." Andre smacked his lips, carrying so much luggage and still able to move so fast?!

    He then immediately thought of another question, "Wait, even if the soldiers carried dry food, what about their horses?"

    Normally, people think that an army¡¯s provisions mainly consist of food for humans, but in reality, the bulk of logistic and baggage supplies are fodder for the horses.

    Warhorses consume a great deal of energy during warfare and cannot graze like farm horses, which would require them to eat continuously for several hours to get enough nutrition from grass, a luxury of time the army cannot afford.

    Moreover, it¡¯s very difficult to guarantee grass avability along the march.

    Therefore, the army¡¯s warhorses mainly rely on logistics transport of hay and concentrated fodder like oats for sustenance. This consumption far exceeds the quantity of food humans need.

    Human soldiers can barely get by carrying about a dozen pounds of dry food; surely you cannot expect horses to carry hundreds of pounds of fodder, right?

    The two scouts looked at each other and answered, "Sir, they did bring some concentrated fodder, but mainly they feed the horses at nearby farms."

    "They even obtained half of the firewood from local farmers. Oh, and they also replenished some wine."

    Andre¡¯s eyes widened as he eximed loudly, "That¡¯s cheating!"

    He immediately summoned the orderly officer and sent him to catch up to the police academy cadets, to present his strongest protest on his behalf.

    Another dayter, the orderly officer returned, bringing with him an instructor from the police academy.

    After meeting Andre, the instructor politely exined, "Respected Lieutenant Colonel, we operated strictly in ordance with the standard supply regtions, it wasn¡¯t cheating at all."

    Andre almostughed with anger, "Are you saying that piging from the local farmers is a standard supply regtion?"

    "No, you might be mistaken," the instructor said hastily, "Our foraging officers paid for it, even above the market price."

    What he didn¡¯t mention was that if it weren¡¯t for a widespread shortage of grain, the supply regtions would require soldiers to requisition food locally.

    Andre waved his hand dismissively, "That¡¯s cheating! If a war broke out, would your troops also move without supply wagons, relying entirely on purchasing from local farmers?"

    The instructor nodded earnestly, "That¡¯s exactly right. However, we also hunt game sometimes as a supplement..."

    "Ridiculous! How can such provisions be reliable? What if there are no local farmers nearby?"

    "Such a situation is unlikely, sir. Across the whole of Europe, where can you not find a vige to requisition provisions? Besides, soldiers always carry emergency rations."

    "This..." Andre was stunned.

    Indeed, even in barren ces like Switzend or the southern part of Hungary, finding a vige to sustain an army of several tens of thousands was not difficult.

    This way, one could discard arge number of bulky and attack-prone logistic vehicles, rendering the army nimble and swift. No wonder the police academy¡¯s deployment and marching speed were so fast!

    In fact, this was the local requisitioning logistics mode Joseph had copied from Napoleon.

    Napoleon was able to conquer Europe with great sess, and half of his sess could be attributed to this unique logistics system.

    As is well known, war, especially between major powers, hinges on logistics as one of the key factors determining victory or defeat. There¡¯s even an extreme saying that war is a contest of logistics.

    Napoleon innovatively abandoned therge quantity of supply wagons favored by the European Nobility Army, prohibited officers from carrying bulky luxury items [Note 1], and even discarded tents, which were time-consuming and inconvenient to carry.

    Food and drink depended entirely on the viges along the way, and in the event of heavy rain or snow, soldiers could also use the houses in the viges for shelter.

 Chapter 240 - 198: Napoleonâ€™s Foraging Officer_2

    Compensation for used supplies could be made to the farmers at market prices. This method, even including the payment, would often cost much less than transporting supplies thousands of miles, while thepensation for the farmers would be much greater.

    As for waging war abroad, the army¡¯s expenses might be even less.

    Of course, this model sounds simple, but implementing it still requires a whole set of scientific operational modes.

    For example, procurement officers need to have considerable professional knowledge, knowing where to find supplies and how tomunicate with the farmers.

    Ahead of the army¡¯s advance, people should be sent to notify the viges they would pass through to prepare supplies. This requires a very scientific calction of the consumption of supplies.

    How the collected supplies are to be quickly distributed to the units must also be considered.

    And how to reallocate food via local administration in the viges that had their food requisitioned, to prevent situations where the farmers themselves don¡¯t have enough to eat.

    Joseph only knew the basic principles from documentaries he had watched in his previous life; the specific rules for supply still needed officers to continuously perfect them through practice.

    However, this logistical mechanism also had significant limitations. For example, Napoleon suffered greatly in Russia, which was barren and hostile, because he relied on local replenishment. Nevertheless, Joseph, as someone from ater era, naturally would also take proactive measures to avoid simr situations.

    Andre had no choice but to let the police academy instructors go and gathered his officers, starting to contemte if he should also adopt this local procurement logistics model for his own army.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    This was one of the reasons Joseph had the Mn Regimente and conduct exercises with the police academy students. As a military force he could trust, he also hoped Andre could learn some advanced concepts from the police academy students to improve his troops¡¯bat effectiveness.

    Five days after leaving Tutsi Town, the police academy regiment arrived in Paris, swiftly "upying" the high ground predetermined for the exercise, and then conducted detailed topographical mapping of the nearby terrain.

    On the other hand, it took Andre a full four more days to pantingly catch up. The sight that greeted him was a defense position that had been firmly established by the "enemy" forces.

    Still, Andre was an experienced veteran of battles and, facing an extremely disadvantaged situation, remained calm, gathering his officers to discuss tactics against the enemy.

    At dawn the next day, the Murat¡¯s Corps assembled in front of the police academy¡¯s positions, forming three lines of infantry.

    Bertier, watching from afar, put away his telescope and sighed somewhat regretfully to Dibowa beside him, "The students missed the best opportunity to attack."

    Thetter nodded, "Yes, Murat¡¯s Army had just made a forced march yesterday afternoon; they were at their most exhausted. If an assault had beenunched then, they very well might have secured victory in one fell swoop."

    Bertier said, "They still can¡¯t bear to give up the favorable terrain they hold. Although these young people are full of energy, they stillck realbat experience."

    Soon, Andre ordered the frontline infantry tounch a strong assault. At the same time, three six-pound cannons from Murat¡¯s Corps roared from a slightly higher hill on the west side, covering the infantry¡¯s charge.

    However, the police academy was well-prepared, and their artillery immediately returned fire. Because the police academy¡¯s cannons were positioned higher and included an eight-pound cannon, their range was greater, quickly suppressing the opposing artillery.

    The distance between the two sides¡¯ infantry closed to within 100 paces, and the police academy¡¯s formation fired first in volleys¡ªthey held the high ground and their caplock guns had longer range, so taking the first shot was not a problem.

    Both sides¡¯ soldiers used rounds made of pine, which disintegrated upon the impact of the gunpowder and did not cause any harm, but the piercing explosive sounds and the smoke-filled sky still sent all the soldiers¡¯ adrenaline soaring as if they were on a real battlefield.

    After advancing further, Murat¡¯s Corps also began to return fire. The gunshots became more intense, and person after person was judged "killed in action" and left the battlefield.

    What surprised Andre greatly was that the young police academy students¡¯ shooting skills were no worse than his veterans¡¯ and, with the aid of the caplock gun, their firing rate was consistently two beats faster than his side.

    As Murat¡¯s Corps continued to lose men, the frontlinemanding officers finally could not hold out and issued the order to retreat.

    In the police academy¡¯s positions, a blue g bearing the Crown Prince¡¯s emblem immediately rose. Then the drummers and g bearers of eachpany stepped forward three paces, and the urgent sound of the attack drums started up.

    The military academy students¡¯ infantry immediately advanced.

    The copsing Mn Army¡¯s speed of disintegration quickened. Before long, their second defensive line was exposed to the adversary.

    The academy students promptly changed formation ¡ª the first line of infantry transformed into columns, and the second line took on the task of frontal firing.

    As several squads of infantry charged within twenty paces of the Mn Army, thetter could no longer hold and began to flee in disorder.

    The drumbeat on the academy side quickened as well, and the second line of infantry, raising a battle cry, fixed bays and charged at the enemy.

    The Mn Army¡¯sst line of infantry had started retreating early and had already withdrawn to the tnds below the high ground. Mere minutester, as many as sevenpanies of the academy students reached them.

    Curiously, the Mn Army did not seem panicked but, led by their officers, routed the soldiers to both sides, while thest line of infantry delivered fierce fire.

    Meanwhile, three cannons appeared on the nk of the Mn Army, beginning to bombard the approaching academy students.

    Clearly, these cannons had only feigned the inability to withstand the enemy¡¯s firepower and had stealthily moved to this position.

    Andre smiled and gave a knowing nce to the orderly officer.

    Thetter immediately ran to the g bearer and loudly conveyed the orders.

    Minutester, a squadron of Mn Army cavalry emerged from behind the mounds on the eastern side of the battlefield, cutting directly into the academy students¡¯ infantry line that had pursued too deeply.

    The Mn Army¡¯s first two copsed lines of infantry quickly reorganized and closed in from both sides.

    It was then that the academy instructors realized it was a trap to lure the enemy in deep. Seeing arge group of infantry about to be encircled, they immediatelymitted the reserves and cavalry to the battlefield, preparing to use hand-to-handbat to rescue the infantry.

    Once the melee broke out, the exercise judges found it very difficult to carry out effective casualty assessments.

    In the end, Colonel Bertier, concerned about the risk of idents during closebat, halted the skirmish between the two sides after half an hour.

    By then, Murat¡¯s Corps had "lost" over 200 men. Although the academy students had been outmaneuvered, their prior shooting engagement had been to their advantage, and with their bravery in closebat not yielding an inch to the enemy, their "casualties" were actually slightly fewer.

    After a day¡¯s rest, Bertier¡¯s Corps also arrived to join in the exercises. The practical drills, now with three parties, proceeded vigorously and would continue until the end of the month.

    ...

    In the office of the Industrial nning Bureau.

    Joseph looked at the practical exercise report sent by Bertier and others, and nodded with a smile, "The cadets¡¯ military aplishments are indeedmendable, but they still need morebat experience."

    He then turned to Frient and said, "For the students who have performed outstandingly in the exercises, you can allow them to graduate early and join Bertier¡¯s Army, taking on the role of junior officers."

    "Yes, Your Highness. Colonel Bertier and I also believe that some of them are in no way inferior to the officers of the nobility," the other replied.

    As they were speaking, Eman knocked and entered, bowing to Joseph, "Your Highness, we just received news from Marseille. The King of Spain has sent you three ships¡¯ worth of grain. They docked at the port ten days ago."

    [Note 1] In reality, in Napoleon¡¯s army, the personal belongings of officers were always the bane of the supply camp, and the problem was never fully resolved. Even Napoleon himself would bring a bathtub to the battlefield. However,pared to other traditional armies, Napoleon¡¯s officers were quite restrained.

    [Note 2] Napoleon anticipated the difficulties of supply in Russia and had prepared much more logistics support than before. Nheless, he partially hoped for supplies from Russia itself. Unfortunately, the food and fodder gathered by the French Army in Russia were very limited, worsening the French Army¡¯s situation.

 Chapter 241 - 199 Development of Industry and Finance

    Thereafter, Eman presented the report sent by the officials from Marseille.

    Joseph unfolded the report and after reading just a few lines, his eyebrows involuntarily raised.

    The report said that the King of Spain had sent a total of 1.8 million livres¡¯ worth of grain, and its quality was quite good.

    You should know that although the drought had a smaller impact on Spain, it still had an effect. That Charles III squeezed out such arge quantity of grain to give as a gift showed tremendous sincerity!

    Two dayster, a special envoy of Charles III arrived in Paris, first visiting Louis XVI and the Queen, and then hurriedly sought out Joseph.

    After the exchange of routine formalities, the envoy requested Joseph to send the others away before taking out a personal letter from Charles III, which he handed over with great respect.

    "Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, His Majesty the King sincerely thanks you on his behalf," said the envoy, his expression somewhat awkward. "You have helped the Royal Family maintain the purity of its bloodline, and... ah, you have kept the secret for His Highness Antonio."

    "His Majesty the King learned of the hail disaster that France had recently suffered, so he sent some grain to express his condolences."

    Joseph nodded to himself, thinking that Charles III was indeed one of Spain¡¯s enlightened monarchs, handling interpersonal courtesies quite perfectly. It was a pity that the old gentleman was already a fading light, unable to hold on much longer; otherwise, Spain could have offered France even more support.

    The envoy continued, "As for the Crown Princess, His Majesty the King has already sent people to keep an eye on her, please be at ease."

    As Joseph had predicted, upon learning that Louisa had engaged in an affair with his son and the Crown Prince of France right before their eyes, Charles III immediately exploded with fury. He ordered the Crown Princess to not step outside the pce and arranged for ady-in-waiting to follow her 24/7.

    If it were not for the fact that Spain was a devout Catholic nation and divorce was not taken lightly, the old gentleman would have definitely had his son divorce her.

    Although the Spanish nobility did not know what exactly had transpired with Louisa, it was obvious that the King held her in disregard, and as a result, they all began to distance themselves from her, especially important high-ranking officials.

    Originally, since Charles III¡¯s health was failing, many state affairs had already been handed over to Antonio to handle. However, thetter, immersed in machinery and hunting, had delegated these tasks to Louisa.

    Now, Spanish officials would rather bring their documents to Antonio¡¯s workshop and force him to deal with them than allow Louisa to be involved once more.

    Of course, given Antonio¡¯s "ear-pulling" character, once Charles III passed away and met with the Creator, the restrictions imposed on Louisa would gradually diminish, but this incident had severely reduced her political standing and the chances of her solely wielding Spain¡¯s power in the future had likely diminished significantly.

    ...

    A "gemstone"-shaped carriage with a brand-new design sped past Mirabeau, kicking up dust that covered his face.

    Mirabeau frowned as he took the handkerchief handed to him by a servant, wiping off the dust from his face and body, and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.

    There were already many tram services in Paris, with five intersecting lines that could reach every corner of the city, but many nobles, feeling it beneath their dignity to share a carriage withmoners, still chose to travel by horse-drawn carriage instead.

    In reality, these tram cars, even when carrying more than twenty people, were faster than the average carriage.

    Capitalist Nobility like him¡ªthe term proposed by the Crown Prince was now widely epted¡ªdismissed such attitudes with contempt.

    He grumbled to himself: Nobility is derived from their wealth, capabilities, and efforts, not from whom they share a carriage with. All citizens should be equal; an ipetent or morally deficient noble is no match for those intelligent and industriousmoners. On what basis do they believe themselves to be inherently superior?

    Although many of Rousseau¡¯s views were nonsensical, he was quite correct on the subject of equality. Those people should really read his book...

    Mirabeau shook his head again at the thought and dismissed it; Rousseau¡¯s ideas were too dangerous, and most nobles, unlike himself, did not possess discernment¡ªno telling what adverse effect it might have on them after reading it.

    The ringing of a bell sounded, and Mirabeau collected his thoughts, straightened his cor, and stepped onto the tram that looked like an oversized cigar.

    Themoners on the tram, recognizing his attire, conscientiously stood up to offer him a seat and maintained a certain distance.

    Mirabeau, without being courteous, sat in the most satisfactory seat and took the "Paris Commercial News" from his servant.

    Just as the carriage had not gone far, Mirabeau smelled a foul stench through the window.

    He frowned and looked out, only to see several ckened, highly dposed corpses hanging from the streetmp on the roadside¡ªthe suffocating smell was emanating from there.

    Without needing to ask, he knew these were the bodies of Barbary pirates who had been hanged recently, as well as Bouvarandere, who had murdered Necker.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Mirabeau signaled his servant to close the window, shook his head, and muttered softly, "Although he deserved to die, hanging a former banker alongside pirates is still somewhat inappropriate..."

    He then buried his head in his newspaper; the headline of the front-page news made his eyelids twitch¡ª"Marquis of Ludo, Second Chairman of the Banking Guild, Assassinated, Gravely Wounded, Assant Captured on the Spot."

    He read the news detail eagerly, turning out that someone named Elonc had sneaked into Marquis of Ludo¡¯s vi in the middle of the night and shot the Marquis in the thigh with a pistol.

 Chapter 242 - 199: The Development of Industry and Finance_2

    Elonc Mirabeau, as a capitalist, naturally had frequent dealings with banks, and knew this man was Necker¡¯s steward, whose death was likely linked to the Marquis of Ludo.

    Mirabeau heaved a sigh and thought wistfully, "This steward is truly a loyal servant who values deep rtionships..."

    Before long, the carriage stopped outside the University of Paris.

    Mirabeau and his servants and guards alighted, to be greeted by arge group of the school¡¯s senior officials, who bowed and greeted him attentively.

    Now a Minister of Industry, he was a senior official who could speak before the King; naturally, the school authorities did not dare to neglect him.

    Like stars circling the moon, the group escorted Mirabeau to the main building engraved with the word "Sorbonne," where colourful ribbons were everywhere, bands yed in unison, and the wooden sign at the entrance bore gold-embossed letters ¡ª The French Standards Committee Measurement Standards Release Conference.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The journalists lingering outside recognized Mirabeau. Dozens of them suddenly gathered around, bombarding him with loud questions.

    With the guards¡¯ escort, Mirabeau made his way through the crowd of journalists and headed to the first floor¡¯s hall with the school officials, where many old friends awaited.

    The venue was an assembly of stars, with nearly all of France¡¯s famous academics present if they could attend. There were even arge number of foreign schrs present.

    With Mirabeau at the forefront, all government officials rted to the industrial sector had also arrived, along with people from Paris City Hall, packing therge hall so tightly there was barely room to move.

    It took Mirabeau over ten minutes to exchange greetings with everyone before he finally managed to take his seat at the front and heave a sigh of relief.

    He nced at his watch; there was still a little time before the conference would start. He started a conversation with the thin-faced, bushy-browed, long-nosed middle-aged man beside him, "Dear Sylvain, how¡¯s the situation in Nancy?"

    The middle-aged man showed a weary smile, "Look, assigning me such a high position has really put me in a tough spot. I¡¯ve been busy for over two months, and only one-third of the track to the mining area in Nancy is finished. I¡¯m utterly exhausted.

    "The good news is that arge coal mine has been discovered on the western side of the mine, and the coal seam is quite shallow. Now, the daily coal production is tens of thousands of pounds, and it is still expanding."

    "You¡¯ve done very well, indeed," praised Mirabeau, "That area is rather remote and funds are tight;ying the tracks is certainly no easy task."

    This schr named Jean Sylvain Bailly was the current assistant to the Minister of Industry of France. At the time Mirabeau rmended him, he worried there would be resistance, but the Crown Prince seemed to appreciate him and agreed immediately.

    Joseph certainly remembered Bailly, a Feuints party heavyweight with decent administrative skills, and as a scientist, was quite suitable for the industrial position.

    Bailly continued, "I¡¯ll try to speed up. Perhaps you could allocate more British technicians to me. I must admit, theyy the tracks remarkably fast.

    "Once this railroad is finished, the output of the United Steam Engine Company will soar. That British engineer is alwaysining to me about theck of pig iron, while the mine area is full of iron ore."

    Mirabeau nodded; France was suffering from a severe drought, and pumping machines, that is, steam engines, were crucial for ensuring agricultural output. The Crown Prince had repeatedly instructed that production must be increased as quickly as possible.

    He contemted, "Some crude iron has been shipped by Russian merchant ships recently. I¡¯ll see about getting some for the steam engine factories."

    The quality of Russian iron ore was somewhat superior to France¡¯s, but the transportation costs were also higher. To resolve the iron shortage, it would be necessary to expedite the exploration of iron mines in France and enhance smelting techniques.

    Mirabeau added, "Once the track construction in Nancy is finished, you¡¯ll need to head to Saint-Etienne."

    Bailly looked surprised, "You mean the new industrial development area there?"

    "Yes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has already asked me to prepare the nning proposal."

    "But that would require a substantial investment, wouldn¡¯t it?"

    Mirabeau smiled slightly, "Do you know about the Bank of France Reserve issuing banknotes?"

    "Of course, I do. Half of the sry I receivedst month was in banknotes," Bailly¡¯s tone was clearly disgruntled. There is currently only one branch of the Bank of France Reserve in the entire Lorraine Province, a bit far from Nancy, and he had wasted quite a bit of coach fare to exchange the banknotes for silver coins.

    And that is for those in the provinces. If you were an official in Paris, your sry would be entirely in banknotes.

    Mirabeau lowered his voice, "As far as I know, the Cab will soon pass the ¡¯Banking Industry Management Bill.¡¯

    "What is that?"

    "Essentially, it means all banks will be under governmental supervision. For example, banks will have to undergo fiscal inspection by the government, ept banknotes from the Bank of France Reserve, and moreover, hand over 10% of their deposits as a reserve fund."

    Upon hearing that banknotes could be exchanged at any bank, Bailly¡¯s expression instantly brightened, but then he asked, "What do you mean by ¡¯reserve fund¡¯?"

    "It¡¯s meant to prevent the bank from identally going bankrupt and being unable to pay back depositors. Therefore, 10% of the funds must be given to the government for safekeeping. If anything goes wrong with the bank, the government can return this money to depositors. It¡¯s said that this 10% is just the start;ter on, the proportion may be increased."

    Reserve requirements are amon financial regtory tool inter eras, but they first appeared in the mid-19th century. This is also one of the major powers of central banks in various countries.

    After these past few months, the Bank of France Reserve hadpleted the absorption and reorganization of the banks it had merged with. Thus, implementing the "Banking Industry Management Bill" andpleting the transformation of the Bank of France Reserve into a central bank was immediately put on the agenda.

    What Mirabeau didn¡¯t know was that the "Banking Industry Management Bill" would also stipte that the banknotes issued by the Bank of France Reserve would be the sole legal tender of France, with their value directly linked to gold and silver. The current practice of paying officials with paper currency was to get everyone ustomed to it ahead of time.

    With a central bank in ce, along with the enactment of the bankingw, any bank that wanted to collude with officials to profit or threaten the French government with loans would have to think twice.

    As for any banks that might object?

    There just weren¡¯t any.

    Almost half of the big shots in the Banking Guild were under Joseph¡¯s control. The influential banks in Paris had mostly signed agreements to ept paper currency, coupled with the government¡¯s focus on financial issues, and the current influence of the Bank of France Reserve, nonpliant banks were destined to be only knocked about.

    Mirabeau¡¯s voice dropped even lower: "The Crown Prince hinted to me that the reserve funds collected by the Bank of France Reserve would be channeled into the Industrial Development Fund."

    Bailly immediately understood and smiled withprehension. The Industrial Development Fund was intended to support French industry; as long as the fund had money, it would naturally be invested in the development zones.

    As they were speaking, Venio from the row behind came over, bowed to them, and then asked Mirabeau, "Count Mirabeau, excuse my boldness, but I heard that the Cab is going to issue a ¡¯Guild Restructuring Bill,¡¯ is that true?"

    Now serving as a Commissioner for Industrial Technical Management, subordinate to the Minister of Industry, Mirabeau didn¡¯t hide it from him: "Indeed there is such a bill, and it is to be implemented soon."

    "ording to the Crown Prince¡¯s wishes, all existing guilds will be abolished. The government will organize personnel uniformly, assess the technical abilities of craftsmen, and issue certificates."

    Enthused, Venio said that his job was to promote the transformation of old workshops into factories, but the current guild system caused him great impediments. In some ces, guilds even threatened workshops en masse, forbidding any improvements in management.

    Mirabeau continued, "But as you know, guilds have a substantial influence, so abolishing them will have to be carried out gradually. The first step might be to turn the current guild leaders into government employees and then abolish the apprenticeship system. Topletely remove the guilds¡¯ influence on factory production will take at least a year or two, or even longer."

    At that moment, academics such as Lavoisier, Lagrange, Monge, Condorcet, and others arrived at the front of the hall.

    The Chancellor of the University of Paris presided over the meeting in person, made some routine pleasantries and exchanges, and then announced loudly, "The French standards of measure will be officially published today!"

 Chapter 243 - 200 Chasing Deer in North Africa

    On the eastern edge of the hall, the English journalist Alvin saw Lavoisier approach the front desk and nudged the lethargic young man beside him, whispering:

    "rk, the big shot is here. Take meticulous notes for me, and don¡¯t miss a single word!"

    Yes, this was the same Alvin who came to Paris to cover Fashion Week. After returning to his country, he sold all his property, took a risk and bought the rights to the Paris Commercial News, tranting "Battle Through the Heavens" and "Madam, Please Stop Your Steps" into English for sale. In just a few months, he made a fortune and then bought a small newspaper, bing its owner.

    This time, he came to discuss the purchase of other novel distribution rights with the Paris Commercial News, but happened to catch the grand event of France announcing its measurement standards, so he brought his reporters over to interview.

    "Oh, yes, boss!"

    rk jolted to attention, stood up straight, and assumed a serious note-taking posture. Then he saw the Frenchman named Lavoisier raise his hands high, passionately eximing, "First, let us thank His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! It was he who fervently promoted the standardization of France¡¯s measurement system..."

    rk casually scribbled down these words in his notebook but felt disdainful inside; these people really knew how to brown-nose the Royal Family.

    He looked around the grandly decorated hall, mumbling in English under his breath:

    "The French really are extravagant, making such a big fuss over just announcing a few units of measure."

    Alvin red at him and said in a low voice:

    "Put away your pitiful ignorance. This is about more than just a few units of measurement; it¡¯s a great enterprise of scientific civilization!"

    Onstage, Lavoisier had an assistant push forward a ss case holding a copper rod and excitedly announced:

    "Ladies and gentlemen, please observe, this is the physical prototype of the length unit ¡¯meter.¡¯ Its definition is ¡¯one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the meridian that passes through Paris¡¯..."

    rk wrote down diligently, still grumbling to himself:

    "Oh yes, with this, the French lords will find it much more convenient to collect taxes. No more converting between different units."

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After Lavoisier finished speaking, amid the thunderous apuse from below, Alvin patiently exined to his subordinate:

    "Do you know why they made the definition of a unit soplicated?"

    "This..." rk scratched his head, "to show off how powerful they are?"

    Alvin cut him off:

    "Such definition allows for exactly the same results to be obtained anywhere in the world. Which means, whether it¡¯s the British, the French, or the North Americans, even separated by tens of thousands of miles, they can use the same units for measuring and calctions.

    "Do you understand what this means? It means the entire world¡¯s scientific theories can be described in the same ¡¯technicalnguage,¡¯ and from here on, humanity¡¯s science and technology will move towards perfection and unity!"

    As an idealist, Alvin focused on matters such as "world science," but in fact, the significance of standard measurement for the development of national industry andmerce was even more crucial.

    For example, baskets made in the north of France couldn¡¯t be sold in the south because the southerners wanted to fill them with three ¡¯muids¡¯ of grain, but the northern baskets could only hold a precise ¡¯ounce¡¯ amount.

    At this time in France, there were over 800monly used measures, and if counting the lesser-used ones, there were tens of thousands more. This led to additional restrictions on the cirction of goods between regions.

    Even worse was in industrial production. Not to mention between two cities; even workshops separated by a single street could not interchange their screws. How could they talk about building an industrial chain?

    A unified system of measurement was the foundation for unblocking the arteries ofmerce and industry.

    rk¡¯s eyes widened as his boss¡¯s words enlightened him on why the French made such a big deal out of this standardized measurement.

    Suddenly, Lavoisier had someone bring over a pure tinum weight covered by a ss case and loudly proimed it as the physical prototype of the mass unit ¡¯kilogram¡¯...

    A weekter, almost all European newspapers were reporting on the measurement standards established by the French Standards Commission. The academicmunities of all countries were greatly shaken. Whether to support the French units of measure or to create their own set, the governments were in heated dispute.

    What the European countries didn¡¯t notice at that time was, beginning with the Paris Fashion Week at the start of the year, to Louis XVI¡¯s birthday celebration, to this announcement of measure standards, France had consistently dominated the core of international news topics.

    ...

    Barbary Coast.

    Two British armed merchant ships, escorted by two escort ships, were sailing half-mast towards Mitidja in Algiers.

    From the forecastle of the escort ship ¡¯Robinson,¡¯ the Duke of Leeds peered through his telescope at the sunlit, gray-yellow coastline in the distance.

    There stood a fortress. At the moment, it teemed with busy figures moving incessantly about.

    He knew that British engineers were directing the workmen to reinforce the artillery battery.

    As they drew closer, the Duke of Leeds could clearly see that the artillery battery was almostplete. A British 24-pound cannon was being hauled up to the fortress by hundreds of Algiers ves tied to thick cables.

    "Heh, I¡¯d love to see the French¡¯s astonished faces when they suddenly get bombarded by these heavy guns."

    He chuckled, retracting his telescope, and said to Stuart, the new British consul in Algiers, standing beside him:

    "The French took the guise of fighting Pirates to set foot in North Africa, a shrewd move indeed. Russia has even sent us multiple inquiries, stating that France¡¯s actions also help safeguard Russian maritime trade."

 Chapter 244 - 200 Chasing Deer in North Africa_2

    Stuart nodded with a smile:

    "Indeed, Your Grace, the French simply forget our close trade rtions with the Ottoman Empire. These Frenchmen might do well in fashions and jewelry, but when ites to strategy, they are still somewhatcking,"

    The ship slowed to a halt, and the Duke of Leeds, guided by the captain, made his way to the deck, his mind inevitably drifting back to the meeting three months ago at 10 Downing Street.

    It was also a clear day like today...

    "Mr. Fox finally kept his silence," said the 29-year-old Prime Minister William Pitt, delightedly motioning towards the sofa, "Please have a seat, Duke of Leeds, General Jervis."

    Congress had just approved the special funding he put forward for the situation in North Africa, putting him in a great mood.

    He gestured for a servant to bring tea and pastries and then pointed to his not-so-spacious office andined to the two men:

    "Getting Congress to allocate funds is no easy feat, is it? Look at this ce, to this day there¡¯s not even a decent meeting room. We can only discuss matters in this cramped space."

    General Jervis took his seat and immediately asked:

    "Mr. Pitt, the report you submitted to Congress this morning, ah, about the rise in grain prices, does it really have to do with the French? I haven¡¯t heard a thing."

    Pitt smiled:

    "To be precise, it is very likely. Those people are quite cunning and have not left much in the way of clues.

    "It was an ident that I saw a report from the Dublin Intelligence Department, stating that at the beginning of the year, some Irish had helped two grain merchants purchase arge amount of grain, worth several hundred thousand British Pounds."

    The Dublin Intelligence Department he mentioned was specifically responsible for dealing with the Irish Revolutionary Forces, one of the British Government¡¯s most capable intelligence departments.

    At this time, the British Empire was nothing like the world intelligence godfather ofter times, with MI6, Scond Yard, and the likes, yet to emerge. The British, having adopted liberal ideas earlier, were very resistant to government intelligence agencies, leading to a rather average intelligence capability among powerful nations.

    Pitt continued: "You know, those Irish have always been unclear with the French, so I had some suspicions andmissioned Lloyd¡¯s of London to continue the investigation[Note 1].

    "They did indeed find something, such as British grain merchants saying that the people who bought those grains often conversed in French in private and had paid them in livres. In addition, there was a serious shortfall in France, which had a great need for grain.

    "In short, the investigation suggested that the fluctuations in our grain market were very likely caused by the French."

    This year Ennd also faced a severe drought, drastically reducing grain yields. However, Ennd had been a grain exporting country for the past few decades. With a significant supply of grain stockpiled domestically and an efficient river transport system, famine was not imminent.

    By the time Pitt thought to reallocate grain to the disaster areas, he was shocked to find that since the beginning of the year, there had beenrge-scale grain purchases, even buying up the reserves of many cities!

    As the news spread, grain prices on the British market soared, and although the government strictly regted grain prices, they couldn¡¯t control the prices in private transactions¡ªas had happened before with the Paris bakers.

    With some areas of Britain about to experience unrest due to ack of food, Pitt regrettably had to stabilize grain prices through government subsidies. Although eventually, he managed to avert outright riots, this action resulted in a loss of five to six hundred thousand British Pounds.

    At the current exchange rate, that was a staggering 14 million livres!

    The opposition party, including Fox and others, seized upon this to furiously attack Pitt, causing him to lose face.

    On hearing this, the Duke of Leedsughed:

    "From what you¡¯ve said, it¡¯s as if the French knew they were going to face a shortfall this year. Regardless, it doesn¡¯t matter now; we can use this to garner Congress¡¯s support for your special funding bill."

    Pitt gave him an approving look:

    "Indeed. As soon as Congress learned that the French caused the grain price fluctuation, there were immediately no more objections to the funding,"

    The Duke of Leeds nodded: "Those fellows in Congress have no idea about the seriousness of France¡¯s grand campaign to ¡¯exterminate the pirates¡¯!

    "Once they take control of North Africa, that will greatlypensate for the loss of their colonies in the Americas.

    "You know, for those colonies, we lost so many soldiers and so much money during the Seven Years¡¯ War. Yet, for the sake of a little funding, Fox and his ilk are willing to let France have its way with North Africa."

    Peter said, "Fortunately, we now have the allocation, with 500,000 British Pounds, which is not a small sum."

    "Regrettably, we have to consider the attitude of the Russians," General Jervis frowned and shook his head, "so we cannot send troops directly to North Africa."

    "Send troops?" the Duke of Leeds gave him a very covert nce, "No, that¡¯s not within our sphere of influence, too close to Spain and France. Supporting the local forces is already the best choice."

    Peter nodded, looking at Jervis:

    "Your Excellency, in your professional opinion, what is the real target for the French people?"

    Although the British had learned about France¡¯s North Africa strategy from their intelligence system in France and the Duke of Orleans, they could only infer the specific details on their own.

    General Jervis, chairman of the Naval Committee, thought for a while and said, "I believe it should be Algiers."

    "Can you exin your reasons?"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Jervis nodded: "Firstly, Moro is far from France and is within the sphere of influence of Spain, so it is unlikely that the French will go there."

    "And the Bey of Tunisia has had a stable power after more than twenty years of rule. Given that Tunisia is very wealthy, France would find it difficult to achieve a quick victory if they rashly conflicted with it."

    "Tripoli is simr. Its Pasha holds real power, and although it isn¡¯t as wealthy as Tunisia, its military strength, especially the navy, is quite formidable."

    "So, whether Tunisia or Tripoli, as long as they can hold off the French for a few months, the Ottoman Empire would most likely step in to provide support."

    "Moreover, the French people also know that we will not ignore their expansion. When that timees, they can only retreat in disappointment back to the northern coast of the Mediterranean."

    Peter pondered and nodded:

    "It seems Algiers is indeed the best target."

    Jervis, rubbing his forehead, said, "The Imperial Guard and navy of Algiers are at odds, and local powers are not to be underestimated either. The infighting among the three parties is very chaotic."

    "If the French win one or two battles there, the locals are likely to tilt towards them."

    "Moreover, I¡¯ve heard that the fleets of France and the United States have just sunk two ships of the Algiers Navy."

    Peter then looked at the two senior ministers in front of him:

    "So, what strategy do both of you think we should adopt in response?"

    The Duke of Leeds took a sip of his tea cup and said:

    "It will be very difficult for us to intervene in North Africa rashly, after all, it is not our traditional sphere of influence."

    "So, first, we need to establish connections with the forces there."

    Peter nodded and said:

    "You are the Foreign Minister. You¡¯ll have to exert some effort in this aspect."

    "The Ottoman will be key," said Leeds, "we have a good trade rtionship with the Ottoman, and we can use that to influence them. And although the Ottoman no longer have much control over North Africa, they most definitely do not wish for the French to be the master there."

    "Thus, we can support Algiers through the Ottoman. We might even give a position like an advisor to our people through the Ottoman."

    Jervis added, "If we want to prevent the local forces in Algiers from tilting towards the French, it¡¯s best to keep the French fleet off the Mediterranean."

    "You mean?"

    "Send people to help Algiers fortify their coastal defense fortresses."

    [Note 1] Lloyd¡¯s of London was thergest insurance servicepany in Ennd at the time. To investigate the policyholders¡¯ situation and whether there was suspicion of insurance fraud, they employed arge number of intelligence personnel, causing thepany¡¯s domestic intelligence capabilities to exceed those of the British Government at one point.

 Chapter 245 - 201 Target, Tunisia!

    Admiral Jervis continued:

    "Furthermore, Algiers will need an army to deal with the situation if the French people forcefullynd and seed."

    "As far as I know, their Imperial Guard only indulges in drinking and seeking thepany of courtesans, theirbat strength won¡¯t be too strong."

    "We can recruit Albanian mercenaries," said the Duke of Leeds, smelling the aroma of the tea, and spoke with an easy demeanor, "Those people are very fierce, and they also speak Arab. Most importantly, they are cheap."

    Peter nodded slightly and looked at Jervis again, "How many mercenaries do you estimate we need to defend Algiers?"

    "At least 10,000, but it would be better to have 15,000."

    "Duke, please be careful," Consul Stuart¡¯s voice interrupted the Duke of Leeds¡¯ reverie. Thetter quickly focused and walked over the gangnk, stepping onto the port of Mitidja.

    After another two hours by carriage, Duke of Leeds and his party were finally able to have a secret meeting with the current Dey of Algiers, Mansur ¨C there were many French spies here, so they had to act covertly.

    Mansur seemed very enthusiastic towards the British. After all, they were there to bring benefits; who wouldn¡¯t wee that?

    Last time, the Duke of Leeds had brought him almost free-of-charge cannons and dozens of engineers. This time he brought contracts for mercenaries.

    Initially, Mansur was very averse to letting thousands of Albanian mercenaries enter Algiers, especially since he was expected to bear one-third of the cost.

    However, he quickly saw the decree from the Ottoman Sultan Hamid I brought by "Sultan¡¯s Advisor" Mr. Stuart, urging him to strengthen his military and use the mercenaries to resist potential foreign invasions.

    Actually, the decree from Hamid I was more of a guarantee than an order ¨C the main content was to assure that these mercenaries would heed the orders of the Algiers government, and they would withdraw immediately once the threat had dissipated.

    The next day in the Algiers Council, the attendees engaged in heated discussion.

    The Pirates, that is, the naval forces, as well as the local Berbers were rather in favor of epting the mercenaries. After all, the intelligence brought by the British indicated that France was likely to attack the base of the Algiers Navy.

    On the other hand, the Imperial Guard was worried about the mercenaries posing a threat to their own power and strongly opposed their entry into Algiers.

    In the end, with Mansur¡¯s promise to allocate sixty percent of the British aid to the Imperial Guard and the firm insistence of the Navy, the Imperial Guard reluctantly agreed to allow the mercenaries toe and be stationed there.

    Upon receiving the news, the Duke of Leeds was overjoyed and left Tor to handle the matters in Algiers while he himself, satisfied, embarked on the British warship heading back to Ennd.

    He had been traveling around the Mediterranean for more than two months, spending just over 400,000 British Pounds, yet had sessfully thwarted the French in their attempt to expand into North Africa. This was undoubtedly a huge strategic sess! Keep in mind, Ennd had previously waged a war and spent nearly ten million British Pounds to achieve simr strategic goals.

    The world was now entering the Industrial Age, and only a great number of colonies could bring markets and raw materials to support the nation¡¯s development. Over the past years, more than half of the Empire¡¯s ie came from colonies in the Far East and America.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    And France,cking in colonies? Ha, it will never have the strength topete with the Empire!

    ...

    France, Paris.

    In an office on the second floor of the Tuileries Pce, Joseph was carefully examining the reports on the strategic grain reserves from various ces ¨C due to the rapid expansion in industry, and after the Minister of Industry took office, the number of officials in the industrial system had increased significantly, and the original Industrial nning Bureau was clearly no longer sufficient.

    Thus, Joseph simply allocated a small area in the Tuileries Pce for the new nning Bureau office. After all, there were many guest rooms here, which were never fully upied anyway.

    The data in the report made Joseph frown slightly ¨C the grain reserves for July and August had only a slight decrease, but from September, the reserves dropped by tens of millions of pounds.

    This ounted for 17% of the total reserves!

    He knew that this was because there had been some grain reserves among the people, but with the hailstorms causingplete crop failures, many people¡¯s reserves were exhausted, and they had to rely on the government¡¯s reserves to get by.

    Luckily, he had started buying grain from abroad since the beginning of the year; otherwise, France might have already been in chaos by now. Historically, it was from this time that the French Government was unable to deal with riots happening everywhere, and had to announce the convening of the Estates-General the following year, thus ushering in the prelude of the Great Revolution.

    Joseph sighed softly at this thought. Although the situation was barely stable for now, vignce must not be rxed.

    First, because of the severe drought, this year¡¯s second-half crop yield would definitely be much lower than usual. ording to the Church¡¯s estimates, it might only be 70% of the previous years¡¯, or even lower.

    Keep in mind, France was still an agricultural country ¨C a reduction in grain harvest by thirty percent was basically the equivalent of losing thirty percent of the nation¡¯s vitality!

    Moreover, after therge-scale grain purchases from abroadst year and droughts in other countries as well, the international grain prices had already risen by 60%pared tost year and were still rising.

    Countries like Ennd, Prussia, and the German states had already issued decrees strictly restricting grain exports; now, even if you had the money, you couldn¡¯t buy it.

    What¡¯s more, France didn¡¯t have much money at this time...

    Joseph had just looked over the financial system report, and his previous maneuvers had indeed greatly eased France¡¯s debt crisis; at least it wouldn¡¯t copse on a whim like before, but the fact was the current state was still a deficit.

 Chapter 246 - 201 Target, Tunisia!_2

    Annual expenditures exceeded ie by 20.7 million livres.

    Compared tost year¡¯s deficit of 130 million, this indeed represented a significant reduction, yet it was still an extremely terrifying figure!

    Especially since next year there was the prospect of exhausting food reserves, necessitating the expenditure of a great deal of money to purchase food. Should anything go awry, the recently improved financial situation could quickly deteriorate.

    Historically, France nearly doubled its national debt from 1787 to 1789 over the course of three years in order to deal with famine and riots!

    And Joseph knew that the drought would continue until the second half of next year before any relief could be expected, so he could not afford to take it lightly before then.

    To deal with the food crisis, one first needed money in hand.

    Whether it was to purchase food or, in ast-resort scenario, to seize it, substantial capital was required for support.

    Currently, France¡¯s primary sources of revenue were twofold:

    One was its recently revived industry. Although papermaking, brewing, and carriage manufacturing were developing quite well, contributing more than eight million livres to France¡¯s revenue, they still represented but a drop in the bucket in terms of sustaining the national finances.

    As for other fields, they only earned marginal sums. Particrly in pir industries such as steam engines, textiles, and steel, more money had to be invested, and there was still some distance to reach profitability.

    The other source of increased ie was North Africa.

    Tunisia was itself a very wealthy trade hub with several important trading ports. Furthermore, almost the entire region of Tunisiaprised fertilend suitable for cultivation, which, if developed on arge scale, could resolve France¡¯s food crisis to a great extent.

    In extreme cases, it was even possible to send famished people there to cultivate thend and provide for themselves by growing their own food.

    One could say that in Joseph¡¯s strategic n, Tunisia was the key to ensuring France¡¯s stability.

    Just at that moment, Eman gently knocked on the door, saying:

    "Your Highness, Baron Joann is here, along with that person."

    Joseph was instantly invigorated and instructed:

    "Please, let them in."

    Ever since he had received a report about North Africa from the Intelligence Department a few days ago, he had been waiting for this person. Today they had finally arrived.

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Soon, the tall, tanned, and slender Baron Joann entered the office with two people in tow.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Seeing the Crown Prince looking their way, he hurriedly touched his chest and bowed:

    "I am honored to meet you, Your Royal Highness! I am Berna Arnault de Joann, the consul stationed in Tunisia."

    The woman beside him, who wore a broad-brimmed hat with a veil and was dressed in a modern, form-fitting gown, appeared quite surprised by Joseph¡¯s youth. She inquired softly and somewhat impolitely to Joann, who, after giving her an affirmative response, then removed her hat and curtsied to Joseph, speaking rapidly in Arabic.

    Joann quickly motioned to the woman and tranted for the Crown Prince:

    "Ah, Your Highness, this is Ms. Aisha Rabiya, the eldest daughter of Pasha Eunice. Many of Mr. Eunice¡¯s businesses are managed by her, and on this asion, she is also acting as the full representative of Pasha Eunice.

    "She just now expressed admiration for Your Highness¡¯s demeanor and reputation, and she extends her most sincere greetings and wishes for your long and prosperous life."

    Joseph smiled and returned the courtesy to Rabiya, who had an exotic countenance: "Wee to Paris, having traveled from afar." He then gestured to the sofasid with fine wool carpets, "Please take a seat, and let¡¯s talk."

    Rabiya gestured towards the door, rattling off something in hernguage, which Isaac promptly tranted for Joseph:

    "Your Highness, she says she has brought some gifts on behalf of her father, hoping you will like them."

    He lowered his voice slightly:

    "Ah, some of them are just outside, mainly jewelry. Others have been left at the Port of Marseille¡ªves, about fifty or sixty persons... all purchased by her, mainly Frenchmen and a few Italians."

    Joseph¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly; he knew these were the so-called "white ves"¡ªEuropeans who had been captured by Barbary pirates and sold into very in North Africa. It seemed Eunice intended to curry favor by returning French citizens to their homnd.

    He turned to Rabiya and said with a slight smile:

    "Convey my thanks to Mr. Eunice. This will mark the beginning of our good cooperation."

    Rabiya promptly bowed in response:

    "My father and I are both greatly honored, Your Highness."

    Baron Joann was busy providing synchronous trantion.

    Joseph nodded at Joann and then addressed Rabiya:

    "I believe Baron Joann has already conveyed my thoughts to Mr. Eunice. So, what is his response?"

    There was a sudden sh of ferocity in Rabiya¡¯s eyes as she eximed:

    "Respected Your Highness, my father greatly appreciates your proposal!

    "Those despicable men, Muhammad and Ali, have stolen Tunisia for over twenty years; it is time to return it to its rightful owner.

    "If you can help my father return to Ksar Hel Pce, he will surely express his gratitude to you to the fullest extent possible!"

    She was referring to Ksar Hel Pce, the royal residence of the Hafsid dynasty in Tunisia and subsequently the dwelling of sessive Beys.

    Joseph nodded at her words with satisfaction.

    He had anticipated that a hawkish figure like Eunice, who once held military power in Tunisia and had even turned against his own father, would not be content to live out his days in solitude in Algiers.

    Therefore, he had instructed the Police Affairs Department to coordinate with the Tunisian conste to make contact with Eunice. Shortly afterward, the department sent back a report stating that Eunice was very interested in reiming the Bey¡¯s throne and that he had numerous supporters in Tunisia.

 Chapter 247 - 201 Target, Tunisia!_3

    However, Eunice clearly did not trust Joan and those agents, insisting on a promise from the French Royal Family, which is why today¡¯s meeting came about.

    Josephughed, "Pasha Eunice is of the purest Bey lineage; it¡¯s only right that he resumes control of Tunisia."

    "Then, you might as well start by telling me, how can I assist him?"

    Labia seemed rather impatient:

    "Thank you, Your Highness. First, my father is under house arrest by the Algiers Guard. You will need to help him leave Algiers."

    Joan immediately replied, "Your Highness, about this matter, Mr. Pel from Prussia has already prepared a n. His men will manage to stall the Algiers Guard."

    "From Pasha Eunice¡¯s residence to the coast, it¡¯s about an hour and a half by carriage, even faster on horseback. However, naval support is needed. Otherwise, we will be intercepted by the Algiers Navy... cough, Pirates."

    Joseph nodded, "That¡¯s not a problem. The Combined Fleet can go there for support."

    Labia¡¯s face lit up with joy, and she continued:

    "My father has already sent people back to Tunisia to connect with his followers. With my father¡¯s prestige, arge army should soon be rallied."

    "However, the main force of the Tunisian Guard will likely still obey Hamoud Ali. As you know, the Guard is very well-equipped, and this will pose a difficult fight for us."

    Hamoud Ali is the current Bey of Tunisia.

    Joseph understood her implication; Eunice¡¯s old faction seemed to have been marginalized, likely just some odd-job troops, and it would be difficult to triumph against the main force of the Tunisian Guard.

    He generously waved his hand, "I can supply you with 5,000 Charleville Flintlock Guns, as well as 10 cannons."

    The so-called well-equipped Tunisian Guard is only in rtion to the standards of North Africa; the army is even equipped with many 17th-century Matchlock Guns. One should know that even the Ottoman Imperial Guard, which they envy and admire, does not have equipment that matches even the least of the European forces, such as the Russian Army.

    Therefore, providing some weaponsmonly used by the French Army could have a dimensional impact on the North African military forces.

    Labia did not expect the young Crown Prince to be so generous. She excitedly rose and gave a bow:

    "You are truly magnanimous, Your Highness! With these weapons, my father will surely sweep away those traitors!"

    It also cemented her confidence in the sincere intentions of the French people¡ªthey had been given real guns and cannons, what more could be doubted?

    "Then, may I ask, how might we repay you?"

    In his heart, Joseph thought, of course, it would involve fully embracing Frenchnd purchases in Tunisia, establishing factories, setting tax rates in consultation with France, and aligning politically and culturally with France, among other things.

    The farnd of Tunisia is abundant, and its grain output is very important for alleviating the food crisis in France.

    And setting up factories in Tunisia to produce goods which could be readily sold to nearby Algiers, Tripoli, Greece, and even reach the Ottoman Empire without much distance.

    This meant transport costs would be significantly lower than those of goods from Ennd, and even though Ennd may hold industrial advantages, the final price would still be higher than that of French goods.

    This would equate to giving France ess to a vast market ranging from North Africa to the Balkan Penins, and even to Central Asia!

    However, he did not intend to discuss these matters with the woman before him, because it was not necessary.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    He simply smiled and answered:

    "I hope the Tunisian Navy deres a ban on plundering merchant ships. Trade must fully lean towards France. Additionally, Bizerte Port should be handed over to French management."

 Chapter 248 - 202 - Cooperation and Exploitation

    "Your Highness, I can promise on behalf of my father regarding the first two points you mentioned,"

    Labia said, showing a troubled expression: "However, matters concerning Bizerte Port exceed the authority my father has granted me."

    Without waiting for Joseph to say anything, she quickly added: "But if you could provide some financial support, I am confident that I could persuade my father."

    "Moreover, your funding would also help us defeat Hamouda Ali more swiftly, don¡¯t you agree?"

    Joseph smiled and nodded:

    "Very well, I¡¯ll provide an additional two million livres of military funding to Pasha Eunice. However, since this is for military purposes, the payment will be made after I¡¯ve seen his army."

    Two million?! Greed and surprise shed in Labia¡¯s eyes.

    Although she had some objections about the timing of the payment, thinking that the Crown Prince of France might be doubting her father¡¯s influence, she epted it.

    She immediately eximed aloud:

    "You shall soon see the mighty army that will satisfy you!"

    After that, Joseph negotiated some "cooperative" details with her and then had Joan take her to the adjoining guest room to rest, with ns for her to return to Algiers early the next morning.

    Once Joan had settled Labia, she immediately returned to Joseph¡¯s office, greeting him anxiously:

    "Your Highness, I do not wish to question your decision, but my duty requires me to offer you the advice I think is necessary. I¡¯ve had previous contact with Eunice. He is undoubtedly a person of great ambition and extremely cunning.

    "You have provided him with substantial support, including weapons and millions in funds, but it is very difficult to ensure that he will keep his promises or refrain from colluding with other powers.

    "Perhaps, you should send some troops to watch over him, to ensure that we get the benefits we deserve."

    Joseph looked at her with an appreciative gaze:

    "Thank you very much for your advice, and clearly your concerns are valid. However, I have never truly trusted that Eunice."

    "Ah?"

    Joseph smiled and gestured for her to sit down:

    "You see, Mr. Eunice once raised an army to betray his own father and, after being defeated, fled to Algiers. If he can betray even his father, what about others?"

    Joan nodded repeatedly.

    Joseph continued: "Moreover, do you know of Eunice¡¯s other identity?"

    "You mean thergest smuggler in Algiers?"

    Joseph shook his head: "Smuggling is just his overt cover; he is actually a major shareholder behind the Algiers Pirates."

    Previously, the incident of the American Charles obtaining pirate intelligence from Eunice¡¯s smugglers had made Joseph suspicious of Eunice.

    A mere smuggler, yet he knew the pirate¡¯s sailing routes inside out, which obviously wasn¡¯t right.

    Therefore, Joseph had the Police Affairs Department investigate Eunice further and discovered that he was involved in the pirate business himself.

    This was also why he had some degree of freedom in Algiers¡ªby taking shares in the pirate forces, influencing the Algiers Council, and eventually obtaining the privilege to live in the Dahra Region. Of course, for Eunice, this was just coboration with the Algiers Navy.

    Joan expressed her surprise: "He is a pirate?!"

    "Indeed. Eunice¡¯s fleet usually smuggles goods from Britain back to Tunisia, but if they encounter a suitable target along the way, the smuggler¡¯s ship immediately turns into a pirate ship. In fact, it¡¯s not difficult to find out about these things in Dahra."

    "Oh, that Labiady just now is a fearsome pirate leader. She has sold ¡¯white ves¡¯ many times in Algiers. I even suspect that the ¡¯white ves¡¯ she brought as gifts are those she herself plundered from the coasts of Europe."

    Joan suddenly remembered something and asked:

    "But, Your Highness, I heard that the American obtained pirate intelligence from one of Eunice¡¯s men. If Eunice has shares in the pirates, then why would he..."

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Pirate factionspeting for power," Joseph said with a smile, "Eunice belongs to the outside factions and has always been at odds with the local Algiers faction. He is using the Combined Fleet to strike at his rivals."

    Joan nodded silently. Knowing Eunice, she was sure he would be capable of such a thing.

    Joseph looked at her with a smile:

    "Look, how can I trust a man who can sell out even his own partners at any moment?"

    Joan asked in confusion:

    "Then why would you support his return to Tunisia?"

    She looked up to see the Crown Prince smiling without saying a word, realizing her impertinence, and quickly bowed, saying:

    "Oh, I am very sorry, Your Highness, this was not for me to ask."

    ...

    Tunisia.

    Ksar Hel Pce.

    A twenty-something woman with a shapely figure and distinctly Greek features is trying on French fashions in front of a mirror¡ªnaturally tailored to Arab styles.

    She is Hafsa, the most favored concubine of Bey Hamouda Ali of Tunisia.

    "Inam, is this color too dark?" she asked her maid, turning her head, "I remember I also ordered a lighter one."

    "Certainly, esteemed madam," before the maid could answer, a woman assistant from the tailor¡¯s shop nearby eagerly approached, "Is this the one you mentioned?"

    "Yes, help me put it on,"

    As maid Inam took the dress and turned away, the woman assistant slipped a piece of paper into Hafsa¡¯s hand.

    Thetter frowned slightly, nced at her maids to see them busy unfolding the intricate gown, and hurriedly unfolded the note.

 Chapter 249 - 202 - Cooperation and Exploitation_2

    When she saw the special crossed arc mark on the note, she quickly crumpled it into a tiny ball, stuffed it into her mouth, and swallowed it. Then she quietly asked her female assistant:

    "Who gave this to you?"

    The assistant replied in a low voice:

    "It was your fashion designer. He is just outside the hall."

    Hafsa nodded, tried on the new dress casually, and hurried out to the hall, where she saw a young man bowing respectfully to her.

    "Mr. Zaganos, right? I am very satisfied with your dress." Hafsa put on an air of arrogance and deliberately walked away from the guards, "I would like to order a few more dresses for formal asions from you."

    "Ah! It¡¯s my honor!" Zaganos promptly bowed his head and followed. If Joan were here, she would have recognized him at a nce as Isaac, the agent from the Police Affairs Department.

    Hafsa asked in a low voice:

    "What¡¯s the matter?"

    Isaac looked back at the guard, spoke in an inaudible whisper, "There will be a rebellion soon."

    "What? Does it involve him?!"

    "Don¡¯t worry, he is safe," Isaac said, "However, he asked me to tell you to find an appropriate time to inform the Bey about this."

    "Ah? Why?"

    "You will know the detailster. Right now, you just need to remember to inform the Bey of the rebellion within seven days. Also, there are some clues that you can use..."

    "Right, the styles will definitely be close to thetest trends." As Isaac passed by several guards, he spoke loudly, bluffing his way through, then whispered urgently, "Madam, the crucial partes after this. Once the war begins, you must convince the Bey as soon as possible to..."

    Hafsa kept herposure, but her heart was in turmoil as shemitted every word of "Mr. Zaganos" to memory.

    After he finished speaking, she quickly interjected, "Tell him I¡¯ll take care of it. He should be extra careful himself."

    "Very well, madam."

    ...

    Algiers.

    On the northwest coast of Dahra.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The sky was overcast. At a three-story pce with high columns and onion-shaped domes painted entirely white, a team of Imperial Guards wearing orange robes arrived at the archway door framed with gold trim. The leading officer politely knocked:

    "Lord Eunice, do you have any orders?"

    It wasbeled as asking for orders, but it was actually a routine check. Such checks were conducted three times a day: morning, afternoon, and evening.

    Although Eunice was closely associated with the Algiers Navy, he was also the "cash cow" of the Algiers Guard.

    More than twenty years ago, Muhammad Ibn Hussein and his brother Hamoud Ali borrowed the forces of the Algiers Guard to return to Tunisia, seizing the position of Bey.

    As per the agreed "borrowing fee," Tunisia would pay an annual tribute of 50,000 riyals to the Algiers Guard thereafter.

    Eunice, as the bargaining chip to assert pressure on the Bey of Tunisia to pay on time, was "protected" by the Algiers Guard.

    However, Eunice was also quite influential, managing to establish connections with the Navy, forcing the Guard to allow him to live freely in Dahra but absolutely forbidding him to leave.

    There was no response from inside the house, so the officer increased his volume:

    "Lord Eunice, are you asleep?"

    After asking three times with no answer, the officer exchanged a look with another officer and instructed the soldiers to break open the gilded door.

    Inside, the house was empty.

    The officer was rmed, immediately blew his whistle, and in no time, fifty or sixty guards of the Imperial Guard rushed over from various directions.

    "He¡¯s gone! Search quickly!"

    In less than ten minutes, the soldiers had ryed back: not only was Eunice himself gone, but his son, two daughters, and personal servants had all vanished from the pce.

    The bodies of four Imperial Guards responsible for patrolling were also found.

    The officer turned pale with fright and personally leaped onto the horse¡¯s back to report to his superior.

    Soon, more Imperial Guards arrived, blockading all nearby roads, while Cavalry chased towards the harbor¡ªif Eunice did not leave port, there would still be hope.

    In the night, more than twenty horses desperately raced towards Dahra harbor. Given the low responsiveness of the Algiers Guard, only so many Cavalry could be mobilized in a short time, and at that moment, more officers and soldiers were still at home, not even fully dressed.

    Twenty minutester, the Cavalry finally saw flickering torchlights from afar.

    The leading officer spurred his horse forcefully and then drew his saber, shouting loudly, "Prepare to intercept! And remember, except for Eunice, anyone who dares resist, kill on sight!"

    "Yes!"

    Just as they were closing in on seven or eight horses ahead, suddenly, a row of dense shes popped out of the dark night, followed by a series of thunderous "booms."

    Three members of the Algiers Guard fell off their horses in response, while the others reined in their mounts in terror, dodging to either side:

    "It¡¯s muskets. There¡¯s an ambush, be careful!"

    "What do we do? They seem to have quite a few people..."

    "Eunice has gotten away!"

    "I know! Secherie, go back for reinforcements! Piri, sneak over and scope out the situation!"

    "I... yes, sir!"

    On the other side, Prusper from the Police Affairs Department, after firing once, immediately called his men to mount up and rode in the dark towards the harbor.

    They were only 14 men¡ªthat was almost the entire police force of the Police Affairs Department in Algiers.

    They had no idea how many pursuers there would be and could only hope that firing their two guns per person at the same time in the dark would intimidate the enemy.

    By the time the Algiers Guard realized those in ambush had already left, it was already a matter of fifteen minutester.

    And by this time, Eunice had already reached the harbor.

    The pursuers from Algiers quickly divided their forces, with some heading straight for the harbor¡¯s cannon batteries and others going to inform the Navy to dispatch ships to intercept.

    Before long, an oar-and-sail ship of the Navy spotted a small boat moving. At this time of night, it was unusual for anyone to be at sea.

    They immediately sounded the rm, yet the small boat quickened its speed, heading towards the open sea.

    On the oar-and-sail ship, an officer of the Algiers Navy ordered the cannons to be loaded and issued a final warning to the small boat. Meanwhile, at no great distance, a cannon battery that had received the signal also readied itself to destroy the small boat at any moment.

    Just then, within the veil of night, a colossal form suddenly loomed, sprawling across the sea¡¯s surface like a prehistoric beast.

    The oar-and-sail ship of the people of Algiers hadn¡¯t reacted yet when the massive shadow spouted strings of fire, followed by several columns of water, meters high, erupting in front of the oar-and-sail ship, violently shaking it with the waves it cast up.

    "It¡¯s, it¡¯s a warship!" eximed themander of the oar-and-sail ship before hastily ordering his subordinates, "Retreat! Retreat immediately!"

    He was clearly aware that the cannonballs were at least 24 pounds. If they had been struck by one just now, their light patrol ship might have been torn in two on the spot.

    The sea¡¯s "giant beast" was none other than the "Avant" of the French Navy, a fourth-rate ship of the line!

    Seeing the oar-and-sail ship rapidly retreating, the "Avant" also made a slight turn, allowing its port side to face the shore¡¯s cannon batteries, quickly breaking out into a salvo.

    In fact, the ship¡¯s cannons would struggle to inflict substantial damage on a cannon battery, especially since the British had recently helped reinforce Algiers¡¯ cannon batteries and added manyrge-caliber heavy cannons. In a barrage contest, not to mention a fourth-rate ship, even a first-rate ship would be no match for these cannon batteries.

    However, the tremors caused by hits on the cannon battery and the dazzling cannon fire and terrible booming sounds in the night frightened the Algiers gunners so much that they couldn¡¯t aim properly and hastily ignited the gunpowder.

    The British cannons¡¯ shots mostly fell about half a mile away from the "Avant." Meanwhile, the small boat carrying Eunice had already reached the side of a French Escort Ship.

    Several ropes were thrown down from the Escort Ship. Eunice immediately leaped, grabbed a knot, and climbed aboard.

    The French sailors pulled Eunice¡¯s family and the people from the Police Affairs Department onto the ship and immediately set sail for the open sea.

    Behind them, the Algiers Navy finally reacted, with seven or eight warships¡¯ oarsmen rowing furiously, while the sails were also slowly hoisted.

    However, the "Avant¡¯s" cannon fire soon had them scattering to escape¡ªthese light warships, with at most 18 cannons, stood no chance against the 60-cannon "Avant." Not even the Escort Ship assigned for shallow waters pickups couldpete.

    The two French naval ships sailed straight north and, upon reaching the high seas, immediately implemented light discipline, leaving their silhouettes to vanish into the dark ocean.

 Chapter 250 - 203: Driving Away Wolves to Swallow Tigers

    Russia.

    Saint Petersburg.

    Crown Prince Paul Petrovich stepped out from Catherine¡¯s bedchamber, looking back reluctantly twice before finally striding towards the other end of the corridor.

    He didn¡¯t want closeness with his mother, on the contrary, he was filled with disgust towards Catherine, just as his mother was with him.

    He was loath to leave his little angel, Alexandra.

    Catherine never cared for his feelings. Ever since she noticed the growing resemnce between her and Alexandra, she had kept the little one by her side.

    Paul could barely see his daughter once a month.

    Before, he had taken his little angel to attend the King of France¡¯s birthday, and he had finally spent a good two months with his daughter. But now, returning to Saint Petersburg, they were to be separated again.

    As he walked up the staircase with a heavy heart, suddenly a figure darted out, firmly embracing his shoulders, and a familiar voice came:

    "When did you get back? My dear brother, how were thedies of Paris? Did they make you want to stay forever?"

    Paul immediately broke into a smile and forcefully pushed his brother away, then pretended to scold:

    "I don¡¯t have as much money as you to spend on women, especially Frenchwomen¡ªthey¡¯re even more beyond my reach."

    "Ha-ha, otherwise, what would we use the money for?" Alexei came close again, "Are you going to drill the troops today? How about we go fishing instead? I¡¯ve got all the gear and liquor ready."

    Paul continued walking with his chest puffed out and head held high:

    "Spare me, I don¡¯t want to end up drunk as a lord and swept away by the river."

    He was referring to a winter a few years ago, when Alexei, while fishing, had insisted on betting who could finish a whole bottle of vodka first. In the end, Alexei fell into the icy river drunk. If it hadn¡¯t been for the guards¡¯ desperate rescue, he might have been swept away.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m setting out to sea tomorrow, I won¡¯t drink too much."

    Paul looked at his brother, who had obviously matured a lot, and pped him hard on the back:

    "Let¡¯s go! To fish!"

    Inside the Winter Pce, Catherine looked at her granddaughter with tenderness, devoid of the stern demeanor of a ruler, and softly said:

    "Little one, did you enjoy Paris?"

    Alexandra sat upright and showed a happy smile upon hearing this:

    "Yes, it was very interesting. Everyone wore beautiful clothes, and I even rode on a carousel. Do you know? Those wooden horses can really run!"

    "Good, good." Catherine nodded with a smile and then asked, "Did you manage to aplish the task I gave you?"

    "Yes, Grandma."

    "Then tell me, what kind of person is the Crown Prince of France?"

    The little girl tilted her head and thought for a moment, then replied:

    "Hmm, he has a pair of very pretty blue eyes and is handsome, especially when wearing that dark blue long coat. But he seems to be very busy; I only saw him two or three times. Oh, and he is very popr. In the Pce of Versailles, you can hear people mentioning his name everywhere. It seems he did some very impressive things...

    but I didn¡¯t quite understand them, something about establishing a bank..."

    Catherine stroked the little girl¡¯s hair, listening to her sporadic storytelling for quite a while before suddenly asking:

    "So, you have a good impression of him?"

    Alexandra nodded earnestly.

    Catherine also nodded and continued:

    "Darling, would you like to live in Paris? I mean for a very long time."

    Thinking of ying on the carousel every day, the little girl¡¯s eyes lit up with joy:

    "Really? That would be wonderful!" she eximed, then seemed to remember something, looked down at the Tsar, "Will youe too? I would miss you a lot if you didn¡¯t."

    ...

    North Africa.

    Port of Sfax in southeastern Tunisia.

    In a tall beige building, Eunice, dressed in a long red robe with a white turban adorned with a dark grey feather and a curved sword at his waist and European-style tight trousers on his legs, stood energetic, pointing to a sandbox in front of him, talking to his subordinates about something.

    Whatever the topic, it elicited a burst ofughter from the group. Eunice¡¯s gaze went through the arched window, ncing at the pier in the distance where a crowd ofborers was unloading cargo from arge ship.

    He knew that the ship was carrying flintlock guns newly imported from France, as well as apanying gunpowder and lead bullets.

    The guards standing outside had already shouldered their Charleville muskets, looking formidable.

    A sedan chair stopped below, and a man in his fifties stepped out, adorned with a sumptuous waist sword, he signaled to the guards, then hurriedly climbed the stairs and with excitement saluted Eunice, eximing:

    "Pasha, I¡¯ve persuaded that old De Olle; he¡¯s brought 600 soldiers to join you!"

    No sooner had he spoken than a middle-aged man beside him with a goatee frowned and objected:

    "Imanzade, De Olle¡¯s men are not the Imperial Guard; why would you allow them to join us?"

    Eunice raised his hand to stop him, turning to Imanzade with a nod and a smile:

    "As long as they are loyal to me, I can bestow them with high positions and generous rewards, regardless of their origin."

    Overjoyed, Imanzade saluted again, adding:

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Thank you, Pasha! I am confident I can persuade a few more forces in the Kaf district; they can provide at least 4,000 troops."

    Eunice spread his arms graciously: "Go ahead, I will remember your contribution."

    "Yes, my most venerated Pasha."

    After Imanzade left, the middle-aged man with the goatee immediately saluted Eunice respectfully:

 Chapter 251 - 203: Driving Away Wolves to Swallow Tigers_2

    "Pasha, are you really going to disregard the traditions of the Imperial Guard?"

    Eunice said with a smile, "Nizamuddin, the glorious traditions of the Imperial Guard are not what they used to be. We must use every person we can."

    "If Imanzade can really bring back 4,000 men from Kaf, I will have an army of 12,000."

    He pointed to the carts constantly transporting munitions: "With these fine weapons, it won¡¯t take long to defeat that guy Ali. Once I be Bey, I will naturally restore the glory of the Imperial Guard."

    Currently, the entire poption of Tunisia doesn¡¯t exceed two million. Ali can muster an army of about 25,000 men, and arge part of it has already defected to Eunice.

    Moreover, due to the severe corruption within the Imperial Guard, theirbat strength has greatly declined, and some local forces are more capable fighters.

    Thanks to former subordinates like Imanzade who had long beenworking throughout Tunisia, Eunice had gathered an army of several thousand men within just three or four days of his return to Sfax.

    Eunice turned his head to look at the sand table; following thebat deployment he had previously discussed with his subordinates, as soon as he gathered enough logistical supplies, he could march north and take the Kairouan Fortress, presenting a front against Hamoud Ali.

    He was well aware that Ali waspetent in civil affairs but no match for himself in war.

    In no more than a year or two, he could surround Tunis City with his troops and thereby unify Tunisia!

    ...

    Tunis City, Ksar Hel Pce.

    Hafsa¡¯s slender fingers gently caressed the strings of the harp, the melodious sound drifting through every corner of the pce.

    Half-leaning on a cushion, a middle-aged man with slightly narrowed eyes, wearing only a light undershirt, was Hamoud Ali, the current ruler of Tunisia.

    He held a chess piece in his hand, looking somewhat impatiently at the official standing with bowed head beside him, and said:

    "Speak more slowly, what¡¯s happened to Sfax?"

    The official hastily replied, "Great Bey, news has juste from there that local forces have blocked the borders and are not allowing people to leave Sfax."

    Hamoud Ali tossed the chess piece to a servant beside him and frowned, "Is it another tariff dispute with the neighboring province?"

    Various powers in Tunisia were mixed, and local tribes often prevented people from other areas from entering or exiting their territory because of tax ormercial issues.

    "That, I¡¯m not sure of," the official said, "The Imperial Guard sent to investigate the situation has not returned."

    "Oh? Those scoundrels, thinking of rebelling?" Hamoud Ali waved his hand dismissively, "Send more men with my decree, tell them to cause less trouble."

    "Yes, Great Bey!"

    As the official who brought the news left, the sound of the harp in the pce suddenly stopped.

    Hamoud Ali turned to his favorite concubine and said softly:

    "Hafsa, why have you stopped ying?"

    The young woman in a dark green long dress stood up and came to his side, her face worried as she said:

    "Pasha, I feel I must tell you something."

    "Oh?" Ali said with a smile, "What¡¯s so serious?"

    Hafsa signaled for the servants around them to clear away, and then she said:

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "At the gathering I hosted the day before yesterday, I overheard wives of Imperial Guard officers like Rum, Ishakpa, and others saying that their husbands were going south to meet a ¡¯major figure¡¯."

    "What¡¯s so strange about that?"

    "Do you remember, a few days ago, Lord Halil reported to you that someone in the southern provinces was buying uprge quantities of grain and oats?"

    Ali nodded, "There was such a matter."

    Hafsa said with a grave expression:

    "Pasha, I think it¡¯s very likely that a rebellion is brewing in the southern provinces! Perhaps even in... Sfax."

    "Rebellion?" Aliughed and waved his hand dismissively, "What are you talking about?"

    Hafsa continued, "Do you remember the rebellion in the Gafsa region seven years ago? I remember that the Berber tribes there also began by hoarding food and then prohibited locals froming and going."

    Ali¡¯s smile suddenly froze, and he became serious.

    Hafsa continued:

    "Pasha, isn¡¯t it true that Rum and Ishakpa were also involved in a rebellion before, and it was your brother who pardoned them?"

    Ali¡¯s face darkened. He was very much aware that these two men had been under Eunice¡¯smand, and the rebellion Hafsa was referring to was the incident over twenty years ago when Eunice led his troops to besiege his father Ibn Hussein.

    Later, after his father was defeated and killed in battle, Eunice turned to attack his own father, Karamanli Ali, which gave himself and his brother the opportunity to retake Tunisia.

    Now, the former subordinates of Eunice had suddenly left Tunis City, heading South, and a series of unusual events had urred in the South...

    His gaze hardened; perhaps, as Hafsa spected, someone was plotting a rebellion!

    Given the speed of information dissemination at the time, the news of Eunice¡¯s escape from Algiers had not yet reached Tunis City. In fact, the Algiers Council was still debating whether to inform the Bey of Tunisia about the matter.

    After a moment of thought, Hamoud Ali ordered someone to summon the Aga of the Imperial Guard, who was also the Commander Koja, and asked him to prepare the troops to head to Sfax to investigate whether there was a rebellion. He also ordered the Imperial Guard to strictly investigate military officers such as Rum and Ishakpa.

    Soon, those investigating Rum and Ishakpa returned to report that they had left Tunis City yesterday, taking their sons with them.

    Koja acted quickly; the next day, he led two thousand elite Imperial Guard soldiers southward and also ordered his deputy to summon more troops to join them.

    He was in luck, for three days after leaving Tunis City, his army encountered a troop moving from Kaf to Sfax.

    Thetter seemed very uneasy andunched an abrupt attack on the Imperial Guard without even waiting for Koja¡¯s interrogation.

    Koja¡¯s forces were prepared and immediately annihted the Berber armed group of over eight hundred men.

    ording to these men¡¯s confession, it was an officer named Imanzade who had enticed them to go to Sfax to join "the true Bey," the honorable Eunice.

    When the news reached back to Tunis City, Hamoud Ali was shocked and immediately ordered a full mobilization of the Imperial Guard. Within a week, tens of thousands of troops had converged at the border of Kairouan and Sfax.

    ...

    "Pasha, the French people have sent a reply," a military officer with a solemn face ran into Eunice¡¯s tent, bowed his head in salute, "They said they encountered a storm in the Western Mediterranean, and the remaining weapons can only be delivered in 10 days at the earliest."

    "Ah¡ªAlmighty God, why must You punish me like this?"

    Eunice spread his hands wide, looking up at the sky with a long sigh.

    Ever since the first batch of two thousand flintlock guns and three cannons had arrived at the Port of Sfax, no other weapons had been delivered.

    The men he gathered only had very rudimentary weapons, after all, the most sophisticated equipment in Tunisia was in the hands of the Imperial Guard.

    What was worse, Imanzade had reported earlier that the major tribes from Kaf had decided to support him, but for some unknown reason, Hamoud Ali had suddenly sent troops southward, intercepting the tribal forces midway.

    Now, he had only less than seven thousand men under hismand, while Koja had already led tens of thousands of Imperial Guards to garrison the Kairouan Fortress, and the strategy tounch a surprise attack on Kairouan was evidently doomed.

    Eunice turned to look at the sand table and suddenly clenched his fist, grunting fiercely:

    "Rum, you immediately take fifteen hundred men to Chukri Valley."

    "Ah?" Rum obviously hadn¡¯t understood, "Pasha, but there¡¯s already an outpost of Koja there."

    "Did you not hear my order?"

    "Yes, Pasha!"

    Eunice then pointed to the man with the goatee:

    "Nizamuddin, you are to arrange the cannons in the dense forest on the eastern side of the valley."

    "Understood!" Nizamuddin asked carefully again, "Pasha, who will cover me?"

    Cannons were indeed the kings of the battlefield, but in the era of muzzle-loading, due to the limited range and slow movement of the cannons, they could easily be overrun by cavalry without infantry cover and left with no ability to defend themselves.

    "Don¡¯t talk too much."

    Eunice raised his voice, turned around to point at the middle of the sand table, and spoke through gritted teeth: "Ishakpa will lead the cavalry following me.

    "The people of Labia will be positioned west of the valley...

    "Before dawn tomorrow, we must break through Koja¡¯s defensive line! Take advantage of the limited forces in the Kairouan Fortress, bypass the fortress, and seize Sousse!"

    "Yes, Pasha!" Inside the tent, everyone echoed in unison, their faces grim.

 Chapter 252 - 204 Another Option

    France.

    Provence, to the southeast.

    A troop of well-arranged, well-equipped legionnaires marched into the Port of Toulon.

    If one looked closely, one could notice slight differences in the crisp white uniforms worn by the soldiers¡ªsome had the cor embroidered with the patterns of the iris and dolphin, the exclusive insignia of the Crown Prince of France; others had the emblem of the Paris Police Academy on their cors.

    Yes, this was precisely the "Crown Prince¡¯s Own Guard Corps" preparing to set sail for Tunisia. They had left Paris and headed south half a month ago.

    At the time, Joseph had even skipped the grand ceremony of the announcement of the metric standards in order to see them off. Although it was somewhat regrettable, evidently, the North African strategy was the most pressing issue at hand. He personally gave the troops a pep talk before the battle and apanied them for more than 20 kilometers, greatly boosting their morale.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Outside the Port of Toulon, a captain leading the group looked at his soldiers, who were slightly weary from the sun, and waved his hand, calling out loudly:

    "Where is the lead singer?"

    "Yes, sir! Right here!" A young soldier, not very tall and carrying an ordion, quickly stepped forward and saluted the officer with his cap.

    Patting him on the shoulder, the captain gestured towards the front of the line:

    "Have them sing a song."

    "Can we sing ¡¯Glory and Victory¡¯, sir?"

    "Good, that one. It¡¯s also my favorite," the captain replied.

    The lead singer ran to the front of the column and yed a few high notes on the ordion to catch the soldiers¡¯ attention, then signaled to the drummer and shouted:

    "Sing with me¡ª"

    "On the battlefield, before the dawn, the bugle sounds,

    "Warriors line up in tight ranks.

    "Resolution and belief written on their faces,

    "Glory and victory are our faith.

    "Our loyalty shall never waver,

    "To the King, we present our victories!

    "With blood and fire, we earn supreme honor..."

    The song, solemn and powerful, inspired the soldiers, who soon revitalized as they sang along.

    Although, the tune was unmistakably that of the "La Marseiise," which would eventually be very familiar to almost every French person. Joseph had brought it to his regiment ahead of time, and, as expected, it was well-received by the soldiers. Consequently, Joseph simply made it their marching song.

    Of course, Lady Gan had refined the tune, and the lyrics were rewritten by the great literary figure Bomashapletely transformed into a style of loyalty to the King and seeking honor andmendation on the battlefield.

    At the docks, arge number of naval supply ships and escort warships had already been anchored, rocking gently with the waves.

    The navy had taken the 800,000 livres that Joseph had "smooth-talked" from the Americans, and for this operation against the pirates, they only sent three warships, with most of the supplies provided by the Dutch¡ªthe navy had spent very little. Perhaps feeling a bit "guilty" about theirpensation, the navy was very responsive to the needs of the North African campaign.

    As more than 4,000 officers and men, along with horses, cannons, and other military supplies boarded the ships, at two-thirty in the afternoon, ten transport ships raised anchor and set sail, heading straight towards Tunisia.

    ...

    Tunisia, in the south-central region.

    The Chukri Valley, between Kairouan and Sfax.

    Under the thick olive trees, a Tunisian Guard officer dressed in an orange robe raised his hand and pped a mosquito as big as a green bean that was desperately sucking blood from his face.

    Wiping the blood from his palm, he frowned and snapped at a soldier fanning nearby:

    "Put some effort into it, youzy thing!"

    "Yes, yes, sir," the soldier mumbled, increasing the vigor of his fanning.

    The officer nced down the valley but saw only green grass and trees, seemingly tranquil.

    Turning to another officer with small eyes, he said:

    "How much longer do we have to stay in this damned ce? I¡¯m about to be drained dry by mosquitoes!"

    The small-eyed officer, fiddling with his boots and not looking up, replied:

    "Be patient, Gedik, this is a direct order from Ksar Hel Pce to Master Koja."

    Gedik nced at the woods where they were hiding and grumbled:

    "The Bey sitting in the pce has no idea what the frontline is like."

    The small-eyed officer waved him off:

    "I heard Master Koja say it was Lady Hafsa¡¯s idea."

    "Her?" Gedik snorted, "A woman meddling in matters of war, utterly without manners!"

    "It¡¯s said that she was the first to detect this rebellion. So now that she¡¯s suggested Eunice wille for a sneak attack, the Bey followed her advice and ordered Master Koja to take precautions in advance."

    "Lord, how can they trust the word of a woman?" Gedik eximed.

    Before he could finish his statement, he saw two scouts running frantically towards them, waving their hands:

    "Enemy sighting! Our outpost has been attacked; there are at least a thousand enemy troops!"

    Gedik and his colleague exchanged a look of disbelief and stood up abruptly:

    "How on earth did that woman guess this?!"

    Of course, Lady Hafsa hadn¡¯t guessed. Joseph had informed her early on that Eunice was likely to make a desperate sneak attack on Chukri Valley.

    This was because he had allowed Hafsa to leak Eunice¡¯s movements to Hamoud Ali in advance, giving him ample time to arrange his troops to respond to the rebellion.

    Meanwhile, Joseph also knew that Eunice had only a small number of weapons and that his military funds would soon run out. He provided Eunice with just 2,000 flintlock guns, and not a single livre of the so-called 2 million livres of military funding had been given.

    It had been difficult enough for Eunice to rally people with just his own savings; he had no idea where to find the sries or supplies for the troops that followed.

 Chapter 253 - 204 Another Option_2

    In such a situation, Eunice had no choice but to risk it all. Seizing the opportunity before the Kairouan Fortress was fully prepared, he preemptively attacked the defenders outlying the fortress, in an attempt to bypass it and directly seize the affluent city of Sousse, where he could obtain supplies.

    Of course, if Eunice was not nning to do so, Joseph¡¯s French military advisors staying by his side would also suggest a raid.

    Joseph¡¯s Tunisian strategy from the beginning was to set a wolf to kill a tiger, letting Eunice and Hamoud Ali fight among themselves, depleting the living force of the Tunisian Guard. What he held in reserve was his true objective.

    To aplish this n, he initially intended to send spies to infiltrate the Ksar Hel Pce, posing as military experts to offer Ali "advice."

    However, while the spies from the Police Affairs Department were carrying out their mission, an unexpected acquaintance was made with a French-descended merchant supplying high-end clothing to the pce, and through this person¡¯s introduction, another very important person was met¡ªthe son of the former Bey Mohammed Ibn Hussein, and Hamoud Ali¡¯s nephew, Haji.

    After Joseph established contact with Haji through his people at the Police Affairs Department, the two sides quickly confirmed their intention to cooperate, and Haji then rmended a person more suitable to influence Hamoud Ali¡ªhis favored concubine, Hafsa.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Afterward, it was Hafsa who pretended to deduce that a rebellion might arise in the south. After Ali deployed his troops, she "predicted" that the rebels would likely make a raid on Koja.

    Joseph¡¯s purpose, of course, was not to allow Ali to quickly quell the rebellion but to inflict a heavy blow on Eunice, making it seem like he was on the brink of copse.

    This would set the stage for the next phase of the n.

    As for Eunice¡¯s side, Joseph was not worried at all that he would be annihted. As long as the warships anchored off the coast of Sfax delivered the remaining weapons and some silver coins to him, he could immediately revive on the spot and fight the Tunisian Guard for another three hundred rounds.

    On the slopes on either side of Chukri Valley, the Tunisian Guard officer Gedik hastily sent the orderly officer to send a message, ordering the soldiers to prepare for battle.

    The terrain of Tunisia is t, and the entire country is almost entirely ins. What are called valleys are really only three to four hundred meters high at best, yet they are also an important strategic pass to enter Kairouan.

    Rum, one of Eunice¡¯s officers, disyed a rxed expression, signaling his men to speed up their advance.

    Just now, he had nearly crushed the Koja outpost without breaking a sweat, which filled him with great satisfaction: the present-day Imperial Guard was far from what it was twenty years ago. Back then, when he followed Pasha Eunice during the siege against Bey Hussein, his men were so valiant and adept at fighting.

    But the guards he encountered just now had obviously growncent in Tunis City, each one corpulent and slow, hardly able to run. It seemed this battle would be easily won.

    As soon as he crossed the valley and saw the boundless in before him, he immediately ordered a message to be sent to Pasha Eunice.

    Soon, Eunice personally led the main force through the valley. And at that moment, Nizamuddin, whom he had sent to set up cannons on the high ground to the east of the valley, suddenly engaged in fiercebat with the enemy forces.

    Gedik was also taken aback. He saw Eunice¡¯s vanguard troops passing by, preparing tounch a surprise attack on the enemy¡¯s main force when suddenly a small detachment of enemy artillerymen climbed up the slope.

    Left with no choice, he was forced to initiate the attack ahead of time.

    Eunice, an experiencedmander, instantly realized something was amiss. He hurriedly ordered the main force to retreat from the valley while sending his daughter Labia with troops to search both sides of the valley.

    Before his arrangements wereplete, Gedik had already led nearly 6,000 members of the Tunisian Guard charging down from both sides of the valley.

    Both forces immediately shed, but Eunice¡¯s side, caught off guard, was thrown into disarray, and the few hundred men who first entered the valley were ughtered within half an hour.

    At the same time, on the other side of the valley, the previously triumphant Rum¡¯s Force was surrounded and attacked by the main force of the Tunisian Guard led by Koja himself.

    They numbered only 1,500, with the narrow valley at their back. The battlested only a little over 40 minutes, and Rum was pierced through the chest by a stray bullet. His men promptly surrendered.

    Koja quickly assessed the size of the enemy forces and realized they were not Eunice¡¯s main force. He immediately ordered a crossing through the valley to seek out the enemy¡¯s main forces.

    Eunice, with a face ashen with rage, watched through his binocrs as his men scattered in panic from the valley, scurrying about like mice chased by a cat. He immediately ground his teeth and ordered the others to retreat first, while he stayed with the core 3,000 soldiers near the exit of the valley.

    Half of these men were former members of the Imperial Guard, and though they were not young anymore, theirbat experience should not be underestimated. Besides, the weapons they were equipped with were the good rifles sent from France!

    Gedik, in the midst of pursuing the defeated army and killing with high spirits, suddenly spotted a neatly arranged enemy square formation not far away.

    At this moment, his morale was soaring, and almost without a second thought, he ordered an all-out frontal assault, while his cavalry continued to chase down the fleeing enemy.

    The dull sound of bugles rose as his two musketeer battalions formed up to advance towards the enemy forces of Eunice, with a battalion of scimitar-wielding troops swiftly moving to nk on both sides.

    However, when the two sides were still over a hundred paces apart, Eunice¡¯s forces burst into heavy gunfire.

    Gedik was about to mock his opponents for being impatient¡ªthe muskets wouldn¡¯t be lethal at this range¡ªwhen he was stunned to hear screams within his own ranks and even saw cowardly soldiers, frightened by the sight of theirpanions being shot and rolling in pools of blood, began to shrink back.

    After being taken aback for a moment, Gedik hurriedly ordered to fire back, but at this distance, his side¡¯s guns indeed had little killing power.

    The poorly trained Tunisian Guard fired a disorderly volley, and in response, Eunice¡¯s troops stepped forward a few paces further, reloaded and fired in unison.

    The deafening gunfire went off, and around thirty to forty men on Gedik¡¯s side fell. Even though officers loudly ordered no retreat, they could not stop some soldiers from pulling back.

    For a moment, Gedik¡¯s musketeer units were a mix of those holding their ground and others falling back, with the lines now aplete mess.

    Through the smoke, Gedik could only clench his teeth and order the scimitar battalions to elerate their attack while directing the musketeers to fall back and re-form.

    But Eunice gave him no chance, ordering his own musketeer troops to keep advancing, while the fierce Labia, with hundreds of scimitar-wielding soldiers, confronted the opposing scimitar troops.

    Close-quartersbat is never like the movies where both sides disy martial arts, engaged in a stalemate, ending with bodies strewn all over the ground.

    In reality, the oue of hand-to-handbat is all about momentum.

    If one side loses momentum, they¡¯re almost instantly overrun by the other. Therefore, the meleested less than a minute before Gedik¡¯s scimitar troops were scared off by the terrifying aura of the female pirate and began to flee.

    Once arge army begins to rout, not even gods can restrain them.

    Labia immediately roared, leading her troops in pursuit of the fleeing enemy, while Eunice¡¯s French-style musketeers, after several volleys, almost had their enemies at point-nk range.

    Gedik didn¡¯t even have time to deploy his reserves before his main force was broken by an enemy that was only half its size, screaming and scattering in all directions.

    Having routed the enemy, Eunice did not dare linger too long, ordering his men to cover the previously scattered troops and to swiftly retreat to the south of Sfax.

    Several hourster, when Koja led the main force of the Guard to the other side of the valley, he only saw a disheveled Gedik and soldiers who were dispiritedly carrying bodies, while Eunice¡¯s main force had long since vanished without a trace.

    Observing the sky, he did not dare to pursue any further, ordering to set up camp on the spot, arranging defenses, and at the same time had the battle report sent back to Tunis City.

    On the other hand, Eunice kept running until twilight before finally stopping. Only at dawn the next day did he manage to approximate the losses: nearly two thousand dead or missing, including the total annihtion of Nizamuddin and Rum¡¯s Force, with hundreds more injured.

    At this point, the troops he had left capable of fighting numbered less than five thousand.

    Inside the military tent, several officers looked at Eunice with gloomy expressions, as some had already suggested continuing to the south, into the barren Ghadames region.

    Just then, the apanying French adviser let out an ill-timed smile:

    "Gentlemen, do not lose heart. Please trust me, the Crown Prince¡¯s reinforcements should be arriving very soon!"

 Chapter 254 - 205 The First Battle of the Guard Corps

    Tunis City.

    Inside the Ksar Hel Pce, Bey Hamouda Ali listened to the battle reports from the front lines, his brows lifted in delight.

    At first, when he learned that Eunice had truly returned to Tunisia, he was genuinely frightened for a while, but fortunately, his beloved Hafsa was exceptionally clever, predicting that Eunice would take the risk ofunching a surprise attack on Kairouan.

    Under his orders, Koja prepared in advance and indeed achieved a great victory, capturing and killing thousands of rebels.

    Several officials in the great hall immediately offered up ttery:

    "With the great Bey cleaning up these rebels, isn¡¯t it just a piece of cake?"

    "The Lord blesses the Bey, making his armies invincible in battle!"

    "After eliminating Eunice, the people of Algiers won¡¯t be able to extort our annual tributes anymore!"

    After Ali returned to the harem in high spirits, eager to tell Hafsa about the great victory.

    Contrary to his expectations, upon hearing the news, Hafsa appeared rather worried:

    "Bey, a buffalo bes ten times more ferocious when bitten by a lion, and it might even turn to gore the lion. Although you have defeated Eunice once, you absolutely mustn¡¯t take him lightly. I feel that now, more than ever, we need to increase our troops and strive to eliminate the rebels as quickly as possible."

    Though Ali admired her for correctly guessing the situation of the rebels twice before, this time he was somewhat dismissive. ording to thetest battle report sent back by Koja, Eunice should only have a little over 4,000 men left, and having suffered an immediate defeat after the rebellion, he shouldn¡¯t be able to stir up any trouble.

    He responded casually to his consort¡¯s words, then continued with the music and dance.

    However, Hafsa, as if possessed by the spirit of a prophet, was proven right in just five days when bad news came from the front lines.

    Koja assembled an army of 13,000 men to besiege Eunice, but unexpectedly suffered heavily under the devastating fire of Eunice¡¯s cannons.

    The battle report stated that those cannons had an extremely long range and formidable power; after more than ten volleys, Koja¡¯s vanguard suffered heavy casualties.

    Moreover, Eunice had somehow acquired arge number of highly superior muskets, with incredibly fierce firepower. Under the cover of the cannons, it only took a few hours to shatter Koja¡¯s encirclement, and they chased him all the way out of Chukri Valley.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After this battle, Koja¡¯s Guard no longer dared to confront Eunice. Currently, Koja could only use Kairouan Fortress to stand off against Eunice. Enjoy more content from empire

    When Hamoud Ali looked towards Hafsa this time, all he felt was admiration, and he immediately followed her advice, dispatching 3,000 garrison troops from Tunis City to Kairouan, and allocating 20,000 riyals to Koja for military expenses.

    At the front of Kairouan Fortress, Eunice, who had just won a battle, also had a grave expression on his face.

    A week ago, just as the French advisor had said, a French transport ship arrived at the Port of Sfax, bringing along 2,000 Chaleville flintlock guns, 4 six-pound cannons, and 15,000 ducat gold coins.

    He quickly reorganized his army with these weapons and money, then cleanly shattered Koja¡¯s siege, driving Koja into the Kairouan Fortress.

    However, faced with the strong fortress and the tens of thousands of Tunisian Guards, he too was vexed.

    If he had more gunpowder and cannonballs, he would have been fully confident in taking down the fortress or, at the very least, forcing the defenders not to show their heads so he could bypass the ce and march straight to Sousse.

    But now he was left with only four carts of ammunition, not nearly enough to bombard the fortress, and he had no idea when the French would deliver the next supply.

    Several dayster, Hamoud Ali¡¯s reinforcements arrived at Kairouan before Eunice. Koja immediately led his troops in another fierce attack on Eunice¡¯s army...

    While Koja and Eunice were engaged in a tug-of-war, more than ten transport ships carrying the French Crown Prince¡¯s Guard Corps, escorted by the Combined Fleet to strike against pirates, appeared outside the Bizerte Port of Tunisia.

    This was the northernmost port of Tunisia and an important stronghold of the Barbary pirates, or rather, the base of the Tunisian Navy.

    A small boat was lowered from the gship "Advance" of the Combined Fleet, carrying an official in charge of negotiations, who boarded the Bizerte Port.

    He submitted a list containing hundreds of names to the local authorities of Bizerte, demanding that these pirates be handed over to the Combined Fleet within 24 hours. Furthermore, their pirate ships used for plundering also had to be taken away by the Combined Fleet.

    After 24 hours, the Combined Fleet would take matters into their own hands and capture any pirates who had not yet surrendered.

    The list was provided by Haji, the nephew of Hamouda Ali; every person listed hadmitted murders and plundered Europeans¡ªa matter of military achievements for the Tunisian Navy, which their inner circles could easily track.

    Unsurprisingly, the demands of the Combined Fleet were refused.

    The pirates listed were mostly military officers from Bizerte, and many of them carried significant clout throughout Tunisia. How could they possibly be willing to "surrender themselves"?

    On the gun decks of the Bizerte Port, a Tunisian Navy officer looked towards the barely visible warships of the Combined Fleet in the distance and said nervously:

    "Why are the people from Catholic countries making such a grandiose fuss this time? What do they really want?"

    Another agreed, "Yeah, there¡¯s not even the slightest hint of negotiation."

    ording to their past experiences, even if they identally harmed French or Spanish merchant ships, settling the matter with somepensation was usually enough.

    They had never faced a situation like today¡¯s, with warships bearing down and an ultimatum demanding immediate surrender of people.

    The officer stroked his mustache and said:

    "I think the Americans must have had a hand in this. A few months back Pargale captured two of their ships and killed over a dozen people."

 Chapter 255 - 205 The First Battle of the Guard Corps_2

    ```

    Experience new tales on empire

    "It seems they¡¯re serious this time," an officer said anxiously, holding a telescope, "I have spotted a 60-gun ship of the line."

    Yet the man with the eight-character mustache scoffed with disdain:

    "Hmph, what¡¯s there to fear? Even if it¡¯s a first-rate ship, at most, they¡¯ll just cruise outside the harbor. We have fortifications after all," he said.

    Another officer nodded:

    "Exactly, if themerce at the port stops, they too will suffer a great loss. I suspect it will all end with them payingpensation¡ªjust a bit more, at worst," he said.

    However, no matter what the pirates thought, the atmosphere in Bizerte Port still hinted at an impending storm. The merchant ships, especially those from Europe, did not hesitate to weigh anchor and leave this ce of trouble.

    On the "Advance," in the officer¡¯s cabin, Bertier looked towards the officer responsible for negotiations and said calmly:

    "As expected, it seems that we will have to apprehend those pirates ourselves."

    Major General Sisneros, themander of the Combined Fleet, heaved a slight sigh and said:

    "Lieutenant Colonel, while I still have reservations about attacking the port, I will still try my best to provide fire support for your troops."

    He had received orders from the Navy to "strike at the Barbary pirates with full force," but no one had mentioned attacking a well-defended port before this.

    He had thought that with the funding received, patrolling the Mediterranean for a while and capturing some pirates to appease the Americans would suffice.

    But after rendezvousing with Bertier, thetter produced an order from the Navy Minister, informing him that this time the target was to seize the pirate stronghold of Bizerte Port.

    Naturally, Joseph had obtained this order from the Marquis of Castries. For thetter,bating piracy was a task endorsed by the Queen in a Cab meeting, and the assault on the port was an operation by Bertier¡¯s Corps, unrted to him. The Navy¡¯s role was merely to transport troops and to bombard from the periphery. Selling a favor to the Crown Prince in this affair, why not?

    Major General Sisneros continued:

    "As you know, we cannot get too close to the batteries... So, your corps might have to face those heavy cannons atop them on their own," he said.

    "Rest assured, General," Bertier nodded, "I have confidence in my men."

    Thending tactics had beenid out in advance. Bertier spoke for a while longer with a few naval officers and then stood up to return to the transport ship. Tomorrow, he would lead the soldiers of his corps in an assault on the pirates¡¯ir from there.

    The next morning, ten transport ships lined up outside Bizerte Port. Soldiers from the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard stood in formation on the deck, quietly watching as the sailorsunched thending boats into the water, one after the other.

    On the transport ship "Stallion," Bertier walked past the crowd, nodding seriously at each soldier. Then, he moved to the front of the line and pointed forcefully towards the coastline not far away and shouted:

    "There lies the ce where we shall earn supreme honor!

    "Soldiers, I will stand with you, with invincible courage and conviction, to shatter those cowardly pirates and let them receive God¡¯s punishment!

    "Now, let the whole world witness the fearlessness and bravery of the French warriors! Go, win your victory, simply by charging forward and crushing everything!"

    He took a deep breath, raised his arm, and cried out:

    "For the King! For the Crown Prince! For honor!"

    Immediately, a thunderous roar erupted from the soldiers:

    "For the King! For the Crown Prince! For honor!"

    Their voices reached the other transport ships, where the soldiers also began to chant:

    "For the King! For the Crown Prince..."

    At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard¡¯s debut began.

    The soldiers skillfully slid down the ropes into the small boats¡ªan action they had practiced hundreds of times before¡ªand then they grabbed the oars and rowed vigorously.

    ```

    Dozens of small boats charged toward the shore like arrows released from their bows.

    On the batteries of the port, lookouts quickly spotted the activity on the sea and hurriedly reported to the officers.

    More than ten Tunisian officers gathered together, discussing tensely¡ªthey hadn¡¯t expected at all that the fleet outside the harbor really intended tond andmence battle.

    "What do we do now? Do we open fire on them?"

    "Where is Ayas Pasha? Without his orders, opening fire on the French people rashly, who knows what consequences it would bring!"

    Ayas was the highest-ranking officer in charge of the port¡¯s defense.

    "He seems to be at his..." The officer almost let slip "those female ves," but hastily corrected himself, "I have already sent someone to report to him."

    It wasn¡¯t that Ayas was negligent in his vignce, he was somewhat nervous after receiving the ultimatum yesterday, but the traditional style of the Ottoman officers [Note 1], still had him return to his vi in the town to spend the night, several miles away from here.

    The Tunisian officers¡¯xity reduced casualties among the Guard Corps. In what was supposed to be a very dangerous beaching process, the port¡¯s batteries didn¡¯t fire a single shot, and the first wave ofnding boats had already rushed onto the beachhead.

    Hundreds of paces away, one could see the pirates setting up obstacles, which were stakes sharpened at one end and inserted into the ground at the other, with four to five rows in front and back, taking up almost the entire beach.

    Behind the obstacles, there were hundreds of Tunisian Navy soldiers, each holding various types of muskets, looking nervously toward the coastline.

    Dawu, as part of the first wave of the assault force, leaped from the small boat, turned back to the soldiers in hispany and waved them on, shouting loudly:

    "Quick! Disembark, form up! What are you dawdling for, forgotten how to run?"

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    As his standard-bearer nted the g onto the beachhead, dozens of soldiers from several nearby small boats rapidly gathered towards him. The Guard Corps¡¯ rigorous training shone through at this moment, and within just about ten minutes, they had arranged themselves into neat rows of three columns, beginning to load their ammunition.

    A few soldiers carried a knee-high cannon to the left side of the line. The men behind them pried open wooden crates full of cannonballs and positioned them in front of the cannon.

    It was not until then that Ayas¡¯smand finally reached the battery. The Tunisian soldiers, receiving the "permission to fire on the enemy" order, hurriedly adjusted the angles of their cannons, aiming at thending forces on the beachhead.

    However, before they could fire, the "Forward" from the distant sea initiated the attack first.

    32-pound and 24-pound heavy cannons spewed mes and thick smoke in session, and amid the tremendous roar, pitch-ck iron balls whistled down onto the western side of the port¡¯s batteries.

    The training level of the French Navy might not have matched that of the British, but in Europe, they were still top-tier.

    At almost extreme range, three out of twenty cannonballs hit the walls of the battery directly. The fierce impact shatteredrge chunks of stone, sshing into the Mediterranean Sea.

    The battery shook violently with the bombardment, and the pirates on it immediately panicked. Two hurried to light their cannons, while many more cowered in the corners, holding their heads.

    One of the cannonballs shot from the battery fell directly into the sea, while anothernded more than two hundred paces away from the Guard Corps, kicking up a cloud of sand.

    On the side of the Combined Fleet, more warships joined the bombardment of the battery, and the sound of cannon fire became even denser immediately.

    Their efforts drew the attention of most of the pirates. More than seventy percent of the cannons on the battery turned towards the sea, trying to drive away the fleet.

    On the side of the Guard Corps, the first group ofnders, 8panies, which is about 800 soldiers, had all finished forming up.

    On the officer¡¯s "begin the attack"mand, the gunners loaded gunpowder and cannonballs into the Mortar Cannon, that knee-high small cannon, and then lit the fuse.

    With a burst of booming, 5 cannonballs spewing sparks drew several arcs, flying towards the pirate ranks opposite.

    Don¡¯t be fooled by the small size of these cannons; because of theirrge caliber and the parabolic trajectory they fired in, their range was quite formidable.

    The cannonballsnded one after another, three to four hundred paces away, and as the fuses burned out, they exploded one by one with a thunderous boom.

    [Note 1] Most of Tunisian officerse from the Ottoman conquerors over a hundred years ago. In order to retain the purity of their lineage, they strive not to intermarry with the local people of North Africa, always preserving the Ottoman way of life and military customs.

 Chapter 256 - 206: Like Wolves and Tigers

    The first shot from the cannons usually serves as a ranging shot, especially for the high-trajectory mortar cannons. Adjusting the angle of the cannon barrel based on where the ranging shotnds is a necessary step.

    However, one of the cannonballs happened tond right inside the pirates¡¯ defensive position.

    The explosive power of ck gunpowder isn¡¯t particrly great, only knocking down the two pirates who were closest. But flying shrapnel embedded itself in the chests and abdomens of both men, sttering blood all over the pirates nearby.

    Before the pirates could react, the Guard Corps had already issued another round of artillery fire.

    Based on the errors from thest round, the gunners made adjustments. This time, more than half of the cannonballs fell urately into the midst of the pirates, immediately resulting in more sprays of blood.

    After several rounds of bombardment, a Major alsonded on the beach in a small boat.

    He frowned as he looked at the harbor fortifications ahead that were continuously firing, thankful that the pirates¡¯ gunners were not very skilled and had yet to hit the Guard Corps directly, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they got lucky.

    The Major immediately pointed at the several hundred pirates defending the beachhead and said to the orderly officer,

    "Launch the assault immediately."

    "Yes, Commander!"

    As themand gs went up and down, the drummers of the Guard Corps came to the front of the formation, aligned with themanders of the units, and began to beat their drums, stepping forward.

    The soldiers behind followed in step, entirely ignoring the disorderly musket fire from the pirates.

    By the time the first batch of sevenpaniesnded on the beach reached within 70 paces of the pirates, not a single one had been shot.

    "Halt¡ª"

    The officers, following themand gs, consecutively shouted orders:

    "Present arms!"

    "Aim!"

    "Fire!"

    A volley of gunshots immediately erupted from the line of the Guard Corps. On the pirates¡¯ side, a wave of screams followed, as more than ten men copsed on the beach.

    The pirates, already in disarray from the bombardment, were now even more chaotic. The sporadic gunfire that once rose and fell had turned into a scant, scattered sound.

    The Guard Corps¡¯ second rank stepped forward three paces and, at themander¡¯s order, fired another volley.

    In this way, alternating fire and advancing, they quickly closed the distance with the pirates to less than 40 paces.

    The Guard Corps outnumbered the pirates to begin with, and used percussion cap guns, which had a faster reload speed and greater firepower; their training levels were also far above those of the pirates. Thus, in the continuous exchange of fire, the pirates suffered over a hundred deaths, and those remaining began to flee the field in panic.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    In contrast, only four or five unlucky soldiers from the Guard were hit.

    Finally, the psychological defenses of the pirates copsedpletely under the overwhelming and oppressive momentum of the adversary¡¯s neatly ordered, solemn ranks.

    After one more synchronized volley from hundreds of Auguste-style caplock guns, four or five hundred pirates, with white head scarves and wearing variously colored long robes, yelled, "It¡¯s over! It¡¯s all over! Run for it!" They tossed their weapons aside and turned to flee towards the town behind the harbor.

    On the Guard¡¯s side, they rapidly dismantled the spiked barricades. Meanwhile, more soldiers arrived on the beach in speedboats, and three four-pounder cannons were also brought ashore.

    After a brief formation, the two infantry battalions and an artillerypany quickly bypassed the slope behind the port¡¯s coastal battery and encircled it from a distance.

    By then, the pirates around the battery had long fled. Bertier had alreadynded on the shore, looking rxed as he observed the coastal battery situated on the high ground, contemting how to attack with the least loss¡ªwithout the cover of infantry, the battery was not particrly frightening. Using skirmishers for the assault, apanied by cannons for distraction, they could take it easily.

    Just then, several enthusiastic young military academy officers came running over, saluting with some excitement:

    "Commander, please let us take the coastal battery!"

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    "We will not let you down!"

    Bertier looked through his telescope at the pirates on the battery firing chaotically, and nodded:

    "Alright, go and earn your glory,ds!"

    "Yes, Commander!" The two young officers exchanged excited nces and swiftly returned to their respectivepanies, and soon the sound of the military drums rose, with the soldiers quickly forming into more than ten assault columns.

    At the same time, three cannons began providing covering fire.

    Not far away, Davout, upon hearing that the military academy officers were about tounch an assault, felt hispetitive spirit stirred and also applied to Bertier to participate in the takeover of the coastal battery.

    If Joseph had seen this scene, he would have eximed that it was a terrible waste¡ªthis was Marshal Davout, one of the three great warriors under Napoleon, and he was about to take on such a dangerously risky task of attacking the battery!

    However, every famous general has had their youthful moments; without being tempered in the hail of bullets, how could one acquire rich battlefield experience? Even a young Davout was no exception.

    This was also one of the key reasons Joseph had sent them to North Africa.

    In fact, the intensity of the North African campaign was much lowerpared to Europe, and it was indeed the safest ce to umtebat experience.

    After a moment¡¯s thought, Bertier consented to the request of the freshly graduated officer, instructing him and anotherpany to provide backup for the military academy students. If the students failed to prate the coastal battery, they would initiate the second wave of attacks.

    Davout returned to hispany at top speed, leading his soldiers to join forces with the military academy students responsible for the assault, and arranged themselves in a skirmish line following behind to their side.

    Soon, the columns led by the twopanies of military academy students charged up the slope, heading straight for the pirates¡¯ coastal battery at the top of the incline.

    The pirates also noticed the movement of the Guard Corps and hastily assembled more than 150 men to pour out of the coastal battery, forming a line on the slope in a rushed and disorganized manner. This was all the force the battery had left.

    Unlike what is often portrayed in films and television, if the defenders keep coiled up within the battery, the attackers could quickly enter the cannons¡¯ blind spot and eventually dismantle the battery¡¯s firing points bit by bit.

    The most sensible defensive tactic was to use the infantry to hold the enemy while taking advantage of the battery¡¯s firepower to inflict casualties, ultimately repulsing the enemy.

    However, the pirates had barely managed to form their messy lines when two hundred military academy students had already charged to within seventy or eighty steps of them. Although the cannons on the battery had been firing nonstop, the pirates¡¯ poor aiming meant that very few shots had actually hit their targets.

    The pirates at the base of the battery had only managed two volleys when they heard the military academy students shout, "In the name of the Crown Prince," charging with bays fixed to their caplock guns.

    Davout then ordered his soldiers to fire a round of covering volleys.

    The Tunisian Navy might handle bullying sailors on merchant ships, but faced with such an overwhelming and fearsome elite force, they couldn¡¯t muster even a sliver of resistance.

    Their defensive line copsed in an instant. The pirates howled as they fled back into the coastal battery, but many didn¡¯t even have time to run and simply dropped their weapons and knelt to surrender.

    Such coastal batteries are generally built on very high ground, but the structure itself is not very tall, usually only about the height of a two-story building.

    Davout watched, eyes wide, as the military academy students climbed the battery like hungry wolves, asionally throwing down a few pirates¡¯ bodies, envying them so much that his eyes turned red with yearning¡ªfor that was the supreme honor of being the first to breach the enemy stronghold, and it had eluded him...

 Chapter 257 - 207 Chasing Pirates

    On the sea, the Combined Fleet had daringlypleted its mission of firepower distraction. To avoid unnecessary casualties, Commander Major General Sisneros ordered a retreat beyond the effective range of the port¡¯s cannons.

    Just as several warships had adjusted their sails, he suddenly heard silence from the direction of the batteries.

    Sisneros, somewhat perplexed, went to the bow deck of the "Advance" and pulled out his telescope. He immediately saw a g with a blue and purple base and an Iris fluttering atop the battery.

    "These guys are too fast, aren¡¯t they?" he eximed in surprise to his adjutant, "Have they beennding for an hour?"

    The adjutant checked his watch and shook his head:

    "Not yet, Your Excellency. Only 48 minutes have passed."

    A twitch appeared at the corner of Sisneros¡¯s eye. Just marching from the shore to that battery would probably take over half an hour. Had Bertier led his soldiers on a run directly into the pirate¡¯s battery?!

    He had thought that this corps, established only half a year ago and apanied by a group of policemen, would have done well to capture the battery before dark. Yet, the battle was over before noon?!

    This was probably not simply a novice troop...

    If someone told him at that moment that it was the policemen who had taken the battery, he might have doubted life even more.

    At the Guard Corps, medical officers directed the removal of the injured to tents while Bertier, looking at thebat statistics report just delivered by his adjutant, walked toward the battery on the slope.

    Eight police academy students were killed and ten were injured. Three from Bertier¡¯s Corps were killed and five were injured. This was because it was the first time the police academy students were on the battlefield, too excited, and charged too fast, which led to higher casualties. Otherwise, the number could have been lowered.

    In terms ofbat results, 282 pirates were captured alive and about 90 were killed. The battery at Bizerte Port was taken. The materials, such as cannons and muskets, had not yet been counted.

    Due to the port¡¯s characteristics, after capturing the coastal fortress, the dock and town behind it hardly put up any resistance.

    In other words, one of the two main Barbary pirate bases in Tunisia, Bizerte Port, had been captured.

    He ordered his adjutant to do everything possible to treat the injured. The troops that had been responsible for the initialnding were to rest on the spot, while the two newlynded battalions were to enter the town to hunt down the pirates.

    By nightfall, the Guard Corps hadpletely controlled the entire Bizerte Port, capturing more than 40 pirates listed on the roster, while many more had already fled the port.

    Looking at the still somewhat bright sky, the corps adjutant said to Bertier:

    "Commander, should we send the Cavalry to chase those who fled? They probably haven¡¯t gone too far."

    But Bertier shook his head, "Send the order for the entire army to rest and resupply in Bizerte for a day and a half, stocking up on some food and wine."

    "Ah? To rest that long?"

    The adjutant was puzzled, "Sir, in doing so, the pirates will likely have the chance to escape far."

    "No matter, we will give them time to run," Bertier replied with a smile, recalling Joseph¡¯s n, "We will set off southward after noon the day after tomorrow."

    To the north of Bizerteys the sea; to the south, only Kairouan and Tunis City are options. Now, with the fierce battle going on at Kairouan Fortress, these pirates would have only Tunis City to run to, and that was Joseph¡¯s true target.

    ...

    Two dayster.

    Tunis City.

    Inside the Ksar Hel Pce, dozens of navy officers appeared disheveled, groveling on the ground, pleading with sobs:

    "Great Bey, those Europeans attacked the port so suddenly, we cannot just let it go!"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "They even brazenly threatened to kill us! This is a direct insult to you!"

    "Great Bey, you must protect us! Over the years, the navy has contributed arge amount of taxes for you..."

    "Please rally the troops and chop off the heads of those infidels!"

    Hamoud Ali furrowed his brows in frustration, besieged by one problem after another ofte.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Eunice¡¯s sudden rebellion, which had led him to muster the Imperial Guard from all over Tunisia to suppress the revolt, leaving fewer than 500 soldiers to man the port, the Europeans would not have breached Bizerte Port so easily.

    He waved his hand, silencing the naval officers who had just escaped from Bizerte, and turned to gesture the middle-aged official beside him to follow into the inner hall, frowning as he asked:

    "Sinanidine, with the European army hastening our way, what do you think we should do about this?"

    The middle-aged official was Tunisia¡¯s Qadi, akin to a Chancellor. He pondered for a moment, then bowed his head and said:

    "Great Bey, the Europeans havee to eradicate the pirates... because our navy has plundered their merchant ships and demanded high ransoms."

    "So, what are you suggesting?"

    Sinanidine said in a low voice:

    "Bey, technically, the navy is not under your control; if sacrificing them could avoid European censure, it might be worth considering."

    Qadi Hamoud Ali nodded thoughtfully at his words:

    "You make a good point. Have the Imperial Guard detain those outside. Go tell the Europeans that they can be handed over to..."

    Before he could finish, Hafsa, who had been quietly ying the harp, suddenly stood up and hurried over, bowing to him urgently:

    "Bey, you must not give up the navy, Lord Qadi!"

    "Oh? Let¡¯s hear your reasoning." Ali turned to look at her.

    "You are the protector of all of Tunisia; if you cannot defend the navy now, it will cause all of Tunisia to doubt you."

    Sinanidine interjected hastily: "But the Europeans..."

    "You need not worry," Hafsa stated dismissively. "I¡¯ve heard they¡¯ve only brought two to three thousand men, and we have the Imperial Guard and the sailors of the navy; there¡¯s no need to fear them!"

    Before Sinanidine could object, she immediately added:

    "Moreover, your great army is engaged in battle with the rebels. If you show any sign of weakness now, it could sway those who are still watching to join Eunice!"

    Hamoud Ali immediately looked uncertain upon hearing this.

    Since Eunice¡¯s rebellion began, Hafsa¡¯s judgment on the situation had been remarkably urate, disying her exceptional strategic insight.

    And, indeed, as she had pointed out, he needed to demonstrate a strong front to subdue the various forces within Tunisia.

    As for the Europeans, the navy had plundered their merchant ships, but as long as hepensated them with enough money, that should quell their anger.

    Pondering this, he looked towards Sinanidine: "Qadi, take three million riyals and negotiate with the Europeans, you must save the navy.

    "Also, summon the Imperial Guard to bolster the defenses of Tunis City."

    "But..." Sinanidine wanted to persuade further, yet seeing his resolute attitude, he could only ept the order respectfully and depart.

    A subtle, undetectable glint flickered in Hafsa¡¯s eyes. Although she didn¡¯t know why Haji had instructed her to convince Ali to protect the navy, she had evidently seeded. Explore hidden tales at empire

    ...

    Bizerte Port was only 70 kilometers from Tunis City. After a three-day march, Bertier¡¯s Corps had already reached the outskirts of Tunis City.

    In coordination with their movement, the Combined Fleet also headed south to the Port of Tunis, leaving only one Escort Ship and a few small boats to blockade Bizerte Port¡ªafter taking the port¡¯s battery, a small number of warships couldplete the blockade task.

 Chapter 258 - 208: Titled "Savior of Sorrows

    Bertier did not personally meet Sinanidine, who hade as an emissary, but sent someone to Ksar Hel Pce with a list of pirates, demanding that Hamoud Ali immediately hand over the individuals.

    Under Hafsa¡¯s advice, Ali decided to take a tough stance and upromisingly drove the French emissary out of Tunis City.

    At the same time, arge-scale mobilization began within Tunis City.

    Because many troops had been previously dispatched to Kairouan to deal with Eunice, there were less than a thousand guards left in Tunis City. However, Sinanidine demonstratedmendable personal ability, mobilizing over 7,000 noble guards within just two days.

    To those unfamiliar with the situation in Tunisia, this might sound somewhat awkward. That is because the term "Guard" in Tunisia does not refer to the name of an army, but is closer to a ss.

    Over a hundred years ago, during the heyday of the Ottoman Empire, elite Ottoman Imperial Guards invaded North Africa, including Tunisia, Algiers, and Tripoli, and effortlessly defeated the locals, turning these ces into provinces of the Ottoman Empire.

    Afterward, as the Ottoman Empire declined, the Ottoman Imperial Guards stationed in North Africa began to control these areas and gradually broke away from Ottoman rule, bing separate ruling entities.

    The Ottoman Sultan, having no solution, simply granted them the title of "Pasha," simr to a governor, acknowledging their rule over various parts of North Africa.

    Your next journey awaits at empire

    To prevent being assimted by the locals, these Ottoman Imperial Guards strictly practiced intermarriage within their group, maintained Ottoman attire, customs, and other traditions, forming a unique ss.

    Over the years, the Ottoman Imperial Guards became extremely wealthy by exploiting the local North Africans. The new generation of Guards, livingfortably from a young age, no longer possessed the valor of their ancestors.

    Meanwhile, fragmentation began to appear within the Guards. The lower ranks continued to undertake military duties, while those with power and influence could hire others to serve in their ce, eventually developing into a system where one could be exempted from military service by paying a fee.

    Thus, the Tunisian Guard was no longer an army, but had be synonymous with the nobility.

    At present, the Tunisian Guard ss numbers nearly ny thousand people, but the actualbat forces are less than twenty thousand.

    However, nominally all members of the Guard were still soldiers, so when the Bey of Tunisia issued a mobilization order, arge number of noble guards were called up and formed into an army.

    Yet most of these individuals had hardly ever handled guns, and their military training was almost non-existent, so one could imagine theirbat effectiveness.

    The next day at noon, an emissary from the Guard Corps arrived outside Tunis City, enumerated the crimes of the pirates, and vehemently denounced Hamoud Ali for collusion and sheltering pirates.

    Subsequently, Bertier ordered an attack.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Tunis City, closely adjacent to the Port of Tunis, is a coastal city, so its defenses were primarily built against threats from the sea, with walls on only three sides¡ªthe side facing ind had almost no defense.

    However, the Guard Corps happened to be attacking fromnd.

    This time, unlike thending operation needed in Bizerte, the entire corps could fully deploy. Cannons, war horses, and other equipment were all in ce. It was a battle that could fully showcase the entire strength of the Guard Corps!

    Bertier could be Napoleon¡¯s chief of staff because he had an exceptional talent for troop deployment.

    He had already surveyed the nearby terrain the night before and had drawn up a detailedbat n.

    At this moment, he stood on a mound opposite Tunis City, peering through his telescope at the dense Tunisian forces, and although he was somewhat nervous, he still ordered the artillery to begin the attack strictly ording to the nned time.

    The rolling sounds of gunfire immediately entered Tunis City, and together with the news from the previous day that the European fleet had blockaded the Port of Tunis, the city was thrown into utter chaos.

    At the side gate of Ksar Hel Pce, the guards were taken aback to see their lord¡¯s nephew, Haji, approaching with more than a dozen entourage.

    The leading guard hurriedly came forward with a salute and asked, "Pasha, do you need something?"

    "I have urgent business with the Bey," Haji gestured to a person dressed as a tailor behind him, "and on the way, make him a new robe."

    "Make a robe? Now?" The guard listened to the distant gunfire, a look of great confusion on his face.

    Just then, those "tailors" suddenly surged into the pce gate, subduing the guards with their pistols. Beside the sculptures at Ksar Hel Pce, roughly forty to fifty men armed with guns and scimitars rushed out, surrounding Haji as they continued toward the inner pce.

    Since there was conflict with the Europeans, many of the guards from Ksar Hel Pce had been reassigned. At this time, only a few dozen guards were present, scattered throughout the pce grounds on patrol.

    Prosper personally led over a dozen special agents from the Police Affairs Department in formation at the front of the group. Whenever they saw a guard rushing over, they would immediately issue amand to stop and greet them with volley fire, then reload and continue advancing.

    With this orderly progress, they barely took more than ten minutes to escort Haji to the rear halls of Ksar Hel Pce.

    In the end, in a bedroom on the second floor, Haji saw Hamoud Ali, dressed in casual attire, and Hafsa standing by his side.

    His eyes immediately filled with endless chill.

    Prosper instructed his men to carefully search the room, ensuring no guards were present, before withdrawing with the special agents, leaving only Haji¡¯s people in the room.

 Chapter 259 - 208: Dubbed "Savior of Sorrows"_2

    Haji¡¯s guard immediately stepped forward and surrounded Ali, who shouted with feigned bravado, "Haji, what are you doing?!"

    Haji did not respond but simply drew the curved saber from the guard¡¯s waist and strode towards him.

    Ali began to panic, staggering back, his voice trembling, "You, why are you doing this?"

    "Seventeen years ago, you took advantage of my youth and forged my father¡¯s will, stealing my position as Bey. I could bear that!" Haji looked at Hafsa beside him, his voice filled with emotion, "Three years ago, you even tried to take my Hafsa! I knelt and pleaded with you, yet you had me thrown out."

    Haji took a few steps forward, grabbed Hafsa with one hand, and raised the curved saber with the other, "Don¡¯t you understand? Without her, my life is nothing!"

    "Ah, you can take her, I... I..."

    A sh of cold light interrupted Ali, as the curved saber plunged into his left side below the ribs, the tip piercing through his back.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Haji, clenching his teeth, said emphatically, "I don¡¯t need your consent! I swore three years ago that I would take her back myself!"

    As he spoke, he violently pulled out the saber, and Ali¡¯s crimson blood sprayed over both him and the woman.

    "I did it! Look, I really did it!" Haji threw the saber aside, turned around, and hugged Hafsa tightly, burying his head in the nape of her neck, "We can finally be together!"

    "Yes!" Hafsa nodded vigorously, "I saw it! From now on, we will never be separated again!"

    The two embraced tightly, both with eyes brimming with tears.

    After a while, Isaac¡¯s voice came from outside, "Haji Pasha, although I should not disturb you, time is pressing. Are you finished on your side?"

    Haji quickly wiped away his tears, took a deep breath, and called out loudly, "Yes, Mr. Isaac, you maye in now."

    Then, with Hafsa taking the lead, the guards in the pce were informed that Hamoud Ali had just been assassinated by traitors in the navy, and that he had left a will before his death appointing his nephew, Haji, as the new Bey.

    Outside Tunis City, the left wing of the Guard Corps had breached the defensive line of the Tunisian Guard, quickly triggering the copse of the Tunisian Army.

    In fact, the Tunisian Guard was already in disarray after over ten rounds of bombardment by the artillery battalion of the Guard Corps. By this time, thetter¡¯s only two cannons had still not reached their position.

    Afterward, the Guard Corps made a feint attack on the right wing, which allowed the left wing to easily achieve the breakthrough.

    The Tunisian Army, outnumbered by double, waspletely powerless, constantly fleeing and being hit.

    Just as Bertier was about to order the left wing to turn and encircle, the pce steward of the Ksar Hel Pce came rushing from Tunis City and conveyed the new Bey¡¯s order to the Tunisian Guard: "Stop resisting immediately, and let the French Army into the city."

    The Tunisian officers, upon receiving the order, all heaved a sigh of relief¡ªthe army they were facing was terrifyingly efficient, with disciplined formations, fierce firepower, and proficient tactics. They had been afraid of being shot at any moment; at least now their lives were spared.

    Bertier left some men to guard the prisoners, and he himself led three battalions of soldiers to Ksar Hel Pce to provide support to Haji.

    It should be noted, Hamoud Ali was dead, but there were certainly many among the high-ranking Tunisian officials who were loyal to him. And Haji, having been oppressed by Ali for years, had virtually no political power and would have difficulty maintaining control over these people.

    The dozen or so men from the Police Affairs Department were hardly enough to ensure Haji¡¯s safety.

    As the Guard Corps quickly controlled all the strategic points of Tunis City, officials began to make their way, either willingly or by coercion, to Ksar Hel Pce to pay respects to the new Bey¡ªHaji.

    As for the death of Hamoud Ali, no one really cared¡ªthe officials knew he too hade to power through a conspiracy. Whether he died at the hands of the Tunisian Navy or not, whatever Haji said would be epted as truth.

    One of the first things Haji did after taking office was to announce the disbandment of the Tunisian Navy that participated in the assassination of the previous Bey, handing over the naval officers who had engaged in piracy to France for prosecution as Pirates.

    After that, he ordered the Guard in Kairouan to continue purging the Eunice rebels and not to leave the fortress without authorization.

    On Bertier¡¯s side, he immediately began organizing the police force of Tunis City, with its members entirelyposed of the local Berber poption. There were many instructors from the Paris Police Academy in the corps, and they were given responsibility for the training, while also "temporarily" holding all mid-level and senior police duties in Tunis.

    The Guard of Tunis City had beenpletely disarmed, and for the time being, the security of the city was temporarily managed by the Berber policemen under the guidance of the Guard Corps.

    Meanwhile, Tunisian officials were ordered to start tallying the number of white ves and Europeans living in Tunisia.

    ...

    France, Paris.

    The front pages of nearly all the newspapers these past days were filled with news from North Africa.

    His Majesty the King sent out an expeditionary force which, with the support of the naval fleet, had annihted the Barbary pirates entrenched in Tunisia within a few months. The expeditionary force rescued more than 33,000 European citizens kidnapped by the pirates and protected over a hundred thousand Christians in Tunisia from the threat of piracy.

    In the streets of Paris, people excitedly discussed the events in Tunisia: "A distant cousin of mine disappeared suddenly five years ago. It was not until he was recently rescued by the expeditionary force that we discovered he had been taken by the pirates!"

 Chapter 260 - 208: Named "Savior of Sorrows"_3

    "These ursed pirates! Thank goodness His Majesty¡¯s grand army has wiped them out!"

    "I heard that this time around nearly a thousand pirates were captured, and arge number of pirate ships were seized, which is just fantastic!"

    "Long live the King! He truly is the greatest king!"

    "Ah, have you seen what¡¯s reported in the newspaper? The Pope has proimed His Majesty as ¡¯Savior of Sorrows¡¯, thanking him for the blessings he brought to countless Catholics!"

    Of course, this title was the result of Joseph¡¯s peoplemunicating with Pope Pius VI. The Pope also wanted to use this opportunity to enhance the prestige of the Holy See and to please France, so why not?

    In the circles of wealthy nobles and factory owners, what concerned them was the news that "after sincere exchanges between His Majesty¡¯s diplomats and the new Bey of Tunisia, a series of agreements have been signed."

    In a salon of the Louvre District, a group of nobles were heatedly discussing: "I hear now we can buynd in Tunisia?"

    "Yes, I saw it as well; it was reported in the Paris Commercial News, and thend prices are very cheap."

    "I have a rtive who trades with North Africa. He told me that thend in Tunisia is incredibly fertile, allowing for three wheat harvests a year!"

    "These past few years, France has constantly been troubled by droughts and hailstorms; perhaps buying somend in Tunisia wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice."

    "All you think about is farming? Right now, Tunisia has almost reduced the customs duties for French goods to zero. You could make a fortune by just shipping over a bit of wine or clothing!"

    "Exactly! Viscount Hoien is gathering funds to buy two ships for trade with North Africa. Anyone interested in investing?"

    At the Pce of Versailles, Mirabeau and a few industrial system officials walked out of the office, looking somewhat exhausted. They had just finished discussing how to make use of the agreement that allowed the French to build factories in Tunisia to expand their industrial scale; now they were off to attend the ball hosted by Queen Mary to celebrate the sessful eradication of the pirates.

    The Hall of Mirrors was filled with lively music and crowded with nobles who hade to join the ball. These celebratory balls were very popr because the King and Queen were bound to be in very good spirits, often bestowing generous amounts of Gold Coins on the attendees.

    Queen Mary, with an exaggerated hairstyle towering on her head, took Louis XVI¡¯s arm and gracefully proceeded to the front wooden steps of the Hall of Mirrors.

    Thedies were all discussing the Queen¡¯s trendy hairstyle. It was a huge ship, taking up almost her entire head, and its height even surpassed her face.

    "Oh, Her Majesty always sets the trend! That hairstyle is simply beautiful!"

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Oh God, that¡¯s a warship!"

    "Madame Xisneros, do you recognize what ship that is?"

    As the wife of a naval officer, Madame Xisneros had some knowledge on the topic and immediately answered: "If I¡¯m not mistaken, that should be the gship of the Combined Fleet, the Avant-Garde."

    "It¡¯s said that the King himself crafted that headpiece."

    "Oh, that is so romantic! If a man made such a ship for me, I¡¯d marry him on the spot!"

    The Queen¡¯sdy-in-waiting pped her hands to signal everyone to be quiet, then curtsied and stepped back two paces.

    Queen Mary, smiling, raised her hands and then, full of admiration, looked towards her husband beside her and loudly said, "Let us pay our highest respects to the great ¡¯Savior of Sorrows¡¯!"

    The nobles immediately erupted with praise: "Long live the Savior of Sorrows!"

    "Long live the King!"

    Louis XVI, finding himself the center of attention, felt somewhat uneasy and rubbed his forehead, thinking that he hadn¡¯t really done much at all; why was the Pope being so generous?

 Chapter 261 - 209 North Africa Development Plan

    As the nobility in the Hall of Mirrors finished their curtsies, the murmurs of admiration gradually faded, Queen Mary turned to Joseph, her expression filled with indulgence and pride:

    "And my excellent son, your Crown Prince! As everyone knows, the n to strike against the Barbary pirates in North Africa was first proposed by him, and he provided many key suggestions for its concrete implementation. In the end, we have weed this great victory!"

    Yes, indeed, bringing up her husband first was just to save King¡¯s face; the one she really wanted to praise from the beginning was her darling son.

    Remembering her son¡¯s various excellent performances, she couldn¡¯t help but smile¡ªfirst, her son said that he would join forces with the United States to fight the pirates, thus saving France a substantial amount of money, and he also earned the gratitude of both America and Russia.

    Later, her son suggestedst month to deploy the newly formed Bertier¡¯s Corps to North Africa for support. She had thought they were going there to assist the navy, only to find out that this small corps of 3000 men had directly stormed the pirates¡¯ stronghold, and along the way helped the young king of Tunisia reim his throne, winning immense benefits for France in Tunisia.

    Indeed, the Queen was only aware of the 3000 troops from Bertier¡¯s Corps sent to North Africa. As for the more than 1100 police academy students, they were sent on an overseas vacation funded by the Crown Prince, and they had not reported back to her at all.

    The nobility in the Hall of Mirrors immediately bowed to Joseph again, showering him with endless praise:

    "The Crown Prince will bring a bright future to France!"

    "Praise be to the Son of Providence!"

    "France¡¯s most outstanding Crown Prince..."

    "His Highness is the embodiment of talent and wisdom..."

    Joseph, though he had be somewhat immune to such ttery through almost a year of "training," still felt chills running down his spine at this moment.

    On the other hand, Louis XVI was patting his son on the shoulder with utmost pride, looking even happier than when he himself was being praised by everyone earlier.

    And as for the Queen, she had only one thought repeating in her heart: with such exceptional judgment and talent, my son truly lives up to my bloodline...

    The young noblewomen in the great hall looked at Joseph with eyes full of admiration and infatuation¡ªthe Crown Prince was indeed the most outstanding, the most handsome and appealing, the most perfect dream lover!

    Andpared tost year, His Highness had even more of something.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Indeed, he seemed to have grown a bit taller, more robust, and even his Adam¡¯s apple stood out more prominently! Obviously... Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

    As the girls thought of this, their cheeks turned crimson, the Crown Prince was clearly "ripe."

    So, what method should they use to be the first to entice him into their beds? After all, he didn¡¯t yet have an official mistress!

    They had already automatically ignored Clementine, who was trying to look ferocious next to the Crown Prince. After observing for a few months, everyone realized that the little princess from Tuscany only seemed fierce but was actually quite amiable, and most importantly, not very cunning.

    Therefore, the girls¡¯ minds became more active again¡ªafter all, at the Pce of Versailles, the position of the Crown Princess was the Crown Princess, and that of a mistress was a mistress. Everybody could negotiate ande to a pleasant agreement...

    As everyone¡¯s praises died down, Louis XVI, joining hands with Queen Mary, came to the center of the great hall and began the opening dance to the tune of Handel¡¯s "Water Music."

    A young nobleman in a brown coat, standing at the back of the many nobles, gazed at the grand celebration with some confusion and muttered to himself:

    "Just because they caught more pirates than usual, is it necessary to hold such an extravagant ceremony? It wasn¡¯t like this when pirates were caught in the past..."

    A middle-aged nobleman nearby heard him and quickly corrected him:

    "This celebration is not just for the eradication of pirates. Look, France hardly spent a franc, sent just 3000 soldiers, yet obtained enormous benefits in North Africa."

    "Indeed," his portlypanion nodded, "ording to the reports sent back, we will be able to buynd in Tunisia, set up factories. Moreover, France now has most-favored-nation status in Tunisian tariffs[Note 1]."

    He said with augh: "You could say that apart from not having official appointment authority, it¡¯s almost like a French colony."

    The nobleman with the brown coat¡¯s eyes widened: "I see now! That really calls for a celebration. It has been quite some time since France gained overseas benefits, due to British interference, since the Seven Years¡¯ War!"

    The fat nobleman continued: "Moreover, Tunisia is a great ce, fertilend, abundant in iron and olives, quite a wealthy region indeed."

    "It seems that, in a few years, it will bring great profits to France. Our Finance Minister will certainly be very happy."

    "Ha! Truly, God blesses our King, God blesses France!"

    "God bless our King!"

    Unlike the majority in the great hall, a small group of nobles with a military background near the orchestra appeared less joyful.

    A military officer spoke under his breath: "Does anyone know the background of this Bertier¡¯s Corps?"

    Hispanion also lowered his voice: "It seems that Bertier was previously under General Custine, then was rmended by Breti and took up a position in Paris. After the issue with the French Guards, he took over some of their men, forming this corps."

    "It appears he must be quite wealthy, otherwise how could he have climbed the ranks so fast..."

    An officer around fifty, with deeply-lined eyes, interrupted him bitterly: "I don¡¯t care about his background; I just want to know, how dare he lead troops to North Africa without notifying us?! I heard that even Marquis Saint Priest wasn¡¯t aware of his deployment!"

 Chapter 262 - 209 North Africa Development Plan_2

    ```

    These military nobles had long since formed a munity of interest," monopolizing the army¡¯s resources and ensuring that any substantial military maneuver had to pass through their consultation to proceed.

    Otherwise, the troops wouldn¡¯t budge, or the involved officers would be ostracized, or you could find a 1 million livres campaign costing 5 million and still failing.

    "It was the Royal Family who directly ordered the movement," another officer said, "without going through the Minister of War."

    "How could this be allowed?!" the general with crow¡¯s feet at the corners of his eyes said somewhat agitatedly, "We must never set this precedent! I mean, allowing the Royal Family to use force at their whim..."

    Surrounding people hurriedly signaled him to be quiet, fortunately, the music was loud enough that no other nobles heard.

    Even without considering political factors, if it were their people sent to fight in North Africa, they would at least get a cut of a hundred million livres.

    But since Bertier had gone without them, that money had gone down the drain.

    The other generals nodded in agreement: "The Royal Family is trying to bypass us."

    "We must prevent the Royal Family from controlling the army!"

    However, a slightly younger officer gestured dismissively: "General Astou, you really needn¡¯t be so worried."

    "It¡¯s just a small corps of 3,000 men, they can¡¯t do much."

    "Like this time, if it weren¡¯t for their good luck in happening upon a Tunisian coup, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter Tunis City with their meager forces."

    "In future, when facing a realrge-scale campaign, the Royal Family will still have toe to us. Then, we can certainly negotiate terms with the Royal Family concerning the affiliation of Bertier¡¯s Corps."

    "Won¡¯t that solve everything?"

    After the King and Queen¡¯s opening dance, Joseph followed the tradition and danced the second segment. His partner, of course, was Clementine.

    It was still the simplest sarabande dance, and the two people with the obvious height difference thus held their heads high, posing in various shapes while politely circling each other.

    It was undoubtedly the most awkward dance of the evening.

    Once the dance was over, Joseph immediately escaped to a quiet corner. Soon, Mirabeau, who likewise wasn¡¯t very fond of dancing, joined him and started discussing the investment ns for Tunisia.

    Technically, this task should have been managed by the Minister of the Interior, but Joseph knew Mono¡¯s capabilities, so he had Mirabeau lead the nning and wouldter present it directly for Cab approval.

    However, as Joseph heard Mirabeau speaking of "three to four years" and "ns to have 50,000 people moving to Tunisia," he couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    ording to his vision, it would be best if, by next year, Tunisia could yield arge amount of grain to alleviate France¡¯s food shortage. If there could also be some industrial and trade revenue scale, so much the better.

    But if it would take three to four years just to move 50,000 people, that would be almost ineffective.

    "Can we elerate the speed and scale of this immigration?" he asked Mirabeau.

    "Your Highness, this is the fastest n we havee up with after research," Mirabeau said, troubled, "As you know, althoughnd is cheap in Tunisia, buyingrge parcels costs a considerable amount. And with the long journey to an unfamiliarnd, travel and settling costs are significant.

    With no returns for the first half-year, people without a certain level of wealth simply cannot afford to go there.

    "And few wealthy individuals are willing to leave France, given that North Africa¡¯s environment is not thatfortable. Only after the first group makes money and word gets back home, would more capable people be willing to take the risk, but it would certainly take time to reach scale."

    Upon hearing this, Joseph fell silent.

    It seemed he had oversimplified things.

    The real world was nothing like a game; you couldn¡¯t just swipe a mouse and have hundreds of thousands of people instantly follow orders.

    Getting each living person to take their savings and take a chance on an unfamiliarnd was something the vast majority were unwilling to do.

    Could it be that the achievements in North Africa simply couldn¡¯t be turned into profits in a short time?

    He searched his mind for all cases of immigration, when suddenly his face lit up. The scale of the American migration, a centuryter, wasn¡¯t that the perfect example? He couldpletely follow their Western expansion n and implement a North African expansion n.

    ```

    Joseph organized his thoughts before saying to Mirabeau, "Perhaps, we can look at the problem from a different angle."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Since the rich are unwilling to endure the hardships in North Africa, let the poor go instead!"

    Mirabeau was taken aback and shook his head, "Your Highness, this is hardly feasible... The poor can¡¯t even afford the necessary travel expenses."

    "The government will provide loans to support them." Joseph suggested, following the Americans¡¯ approach and considering the current situation in France, "Travel expenses, money for seeds, money for agricultural tools, and even the living expenses for the first half of the year, all of it could be loaned to French farmers by the banks. Do you think 300 livres per person would be enough?"

    "That should be more than necessary, Your Highness, a little over 200 livres would suffice. If we organize a fleet to transport them inrge scale, it could cost even less."

    "Very good." Joseph nodded, "As for thend, the banks will fund the purchase from the Tunisians and give it directly to the farmers to cultivate. After 10 years of cultivation, thend would belong to them. In the meantime, they only need to pay a portion of the grain yield to the government each year."

    "Thend in Tunisia is fertile; they should be able to pay back the loans quickly with their harvests."

    Mirabeau eximed in surprise, "Your Highness, this would mean the government would have to spend a lot of money... probably tens of millions of livres."

    "It would be worth it!"

    Joseph knew that the drought in the next couple of years would lead to a massive reduction in crops. By the middle of next year at thetest, an unavoidable famine would ur. By then, the government would still need to spend a lot of money to buy food for disaster relief.

    It would be better to invest some of the money in Tunisia now, as the increased grain yield could also be used to deal with the famine. Plus, it would be a stable source of food ¡ª with plenty of sunshine and rainfall there, it was possible to harvest three times a year with minimal effort.

    "Before long, the rich produce of Tunisia should recoup the initial investment."

    Mirabeau pondered and slowly nodded, indeed as the Crown Prince had said. If the number of French people in Tunisia increased, the development of the abundant iron goods, olives, livestock couldmence due to the market demand. This could eventually extend to the whole of North Africa.

    He suddenly thought of a problem, "Your Highness, such a big investment, I fear our finances might not be able to support it..."

    "Leave that to me."

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help sighing lightly, considering setting up a Tunis Development Fund first to attract private investment, but he was unsure about the domestic capital interest in North Africa.

    If it really came down to it, they could issue a batch of high-interest bonds. Thankfully, France¡¯s debt had been somewhat relieved; looking at the current financial situation, it should still be just about manageable.

    But that meant the recently lowered interest rates for national debt would rise again.

    Ah, money, why is it so hard to earn?

    ...

    Ennd.

    London.

    The parliamentary hall of St. James¡¯s Pce.

    "Clearly, the French have pulled the wool over our eyes," a bespectacled member of Parliament nced towards the Foreign Minister, Duke of Leeds, his toneced with irony, "We spent 400,000 British Pounds to fortify the coastal defenses of the utterly unrted North African ¡¯neighbor,¡¯ Algiers, oh, and a few dozen cannons too."

    "And now we can only watch as France reaps benefits in Tunisia almost equivalent to those of a colony." Read thetest on empire

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Duke of Leeds clenched his fist under the table, these Whig Party fellows were enjoying themselves in their mansions in London while he was being sted by the Mediterranean sea breeze, dining on salt meat and sour wine.

    Now they had the audacity to me him!

    His eyelid twitched, but he adopted a smiling demeanor, "Mr. James, I believe you¡¯re mistaken, it was 360,000 British Pounds, I didn¡¯t spend the entire budget."

    [Note 1] Most favored nation status means that if Country A enjoys most favored nation treatment from Country B, then any trade preferences and exemptions given to any other country by B must also be given to A. Simply put, this means that the import tariffs B charges A will be lower than those charged to anyone else.

 Chapter 263 - 210: The Traditional Performing Arts of the Great Ying Empire

    "Ha, thank you for saving Great Britain up to 40,000 British Pounds in expenditures!"

    As the opposition party¡¯s "strongest firepower," Charles James Fox snorted, stood up, and sarcastically said, "But this little ¡¯contribution¡¯ can hardly make up for the huge losses we have suffered in North Africa due to the strategic errors of you and the Prime Minister."

    Speaking, he gestured to the hundreds of members of Congress behind him: "I think the Tory Party must give Congress an exnation for this!"

    The Tory Party was currently the ruling party of Ennd.

    However, they did not have much of an advantage over the Whig Party in terms of support,rgely because King George III had a special preference for young William Pitt and used the influence of the Royal Family to strongly promote him to the position of Prime Minister.

    The Whig Party had always been unhappy with this, so since young William Pitt took office, they seized every opportunity to attack the Tory Party.

    The Duke of Leeds took a deep breath and told himself that what was expected hade atst, and luckily, he had discussed countermeasures with the Prime Minister yesterday. Now it was time for his performance.

    He nced subtly at the head of the Intelligence Department next to him and then raised his hand to interrupt Fox:

    "Respected Member Fox, before you rush to use me, please rify the actual situation first."

    "The actual situation?"

    "Yes." The Duke of Leeds confidently nodded, "The current situation in North Africa ispletely under the control of the Prime Minister and myself. We have long received reports and are aware of the French movements in Tunisia. Right, Mr. Butler?"

    The head of intelligence immediately stood up:

    "That¡¯s right. We discovered the French¡¯s actions months ago."

    The members of Congress, upon hearing this, began to murmur amongst themselves.

    Of course, in reality, the Duke of Leeds knew nothing of France¡¯s Tunisian strategy and had only learned of the dramatic changes there from recent French newspapers. However, as politicians, lying was a basic skill.

    "Control?" Fox sneered disdainfully, "Do you mean watching the French gain enormous benefits in Tunisia?"

    The Duke of Leeds immediately responded loudly:

    "No, why would you think the French are profiting? On the contrary, the current situation in Tunisia is the opportunity I have been waiting for!"

    Fox gave him a dismissive look:

    "Did you drink before you came here? Look at the nonsense you¡¯re spouting!"

    Unperturbed, the Duke of Leeds raised his fists and spoke passionately: "Right now, we have the opportunity to repay the French in North Africa for all that they¡¯ve done to us in North America!

    "No one knows the serious dangers of colonial uprisings better than we do. Tunisia is like a dangerous swamp crawling with countless crocodiles, and the French are like inexperienced hunters who have stepped into it.

    "They only have a force of 3,000 men there. We just need to startle those beasts, and we could take their lives!"

    A member of Congress named James asked subconsciously, "What are you going to do?"

    The Duke of Leeds spread his hands: "The details of the operation cannot be disclosed for the time being. You may apply to the Prime Minister for permission to learn about them."

    This was amon practice. The British could get insider information from French Cab meetings attended by only a few ministers, and France could easily gather intelligence from among the hundreds of British members of Congress. So precise ns were not spoken of during Congressional inquiries.

    Fox shouted, "I¡¯m not interested in the contents of the n. I just want to know how much time your grand Tunisian n will require and what kind of result it will produce."

    "One year, no, even just a few months, and the French will be rolling out of Tunisia," the Duke of Leeds dered confidently, "Or alternatively, the French Government would have to invest huge funds there, eventuallypletely dragging down their finances."

    The British members of Congress all roughly understood¡ªthe management of colonies was costly, especially when mired in security wars, yielding no profit while continuously draining money. When the Americans revolted for independence, Britain was in such a predicament, and now, it was time for the French to taste something simr.

    The Whigs finally paused their attacks, with Fox ending with a threat:

    "I look forward to your sess. But if the Tunisian issue is still unresolved, I think you should take responsibility and resign."

    The Duke of Leeds smiled easily, "Of course, but that will depend on Mr. Hollis¡¯ performance."

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    George Hollis was the British Consul in Tunisia and also a member of the Whig Party.

    Without waiting for Fox to say anything more, the Duke of Leeds immediately added, "Oh, and to better deal with the French in Tunisia, we will need some funding. Perhaps about 300,000 British Pounds..."

    ...

    To the southwest of Tunisia, Gafsa.

    Find exclusive stories on empire

    "These damned bastards!" Hollis, wrapped in a white turban, wearing a pale yellow Arab-style robe, cursed under the scorching sun, "You fight for power in London, yet you¡¯ve gambled my future away!"

    "Your Excellency, the Consul, what did you say?" The tall middle-aged Englishman dressed simrly, sitting opposite in the open carriage, leaned forward and asked.

    "Ah... I meant, fortunately, the Tunisians are very wary of Europeans, so we should not have a hard time convincing them to oppose the French," Hollis replied.

    "True indeed," the tall middle-aged man nodded, "Besides, their Imperial Guard was just beaten up by the French; they are bound to be resentful."

    "And the new Bey of Tunisia, who clearlycks ruling power. This should all be good news for us."

    The two engaged in casual conversation, jostling along the rugged path for another half hour until the carriage finally stopped in front of a domed mansion to the south of a town.

 Chapter 264 - 210: The Traditional Performing Arts of the Great Ying Empire_2

    The Berber servant who came to greet them, upon receiving the silver coins from Hollis, immediately led them courteously into the vi.

    Afterward, Hollis met with the highest Commander of the Tunisian Guard in this area, who was akin to the mayor¡ªUquz.

    Sitting on an exquisite wool carpet in the living room, Hollis exchanged pleasantries with Uquz in fluent Arabic before diving straight into the heart of the matter: "Pasha, the French disarmed nearly ten thousand courageous warriors of the Tunisian Guard outside of Tunis City, this is aplete humiliation to the entire Tunisian Guard! We absolutely cannot tolerate this indignity!"

    Uquz nodded indifferently, humoring him out of respect for the several thousand silver coins he had brought, "The navy provoked them, yet they targeted the Imperial Guard, this is truly outrageous!"

    "Exactly! That¡¯s why we must take our revenge on those French people fiercely!"

    However, Uquz immediately shook his head: "How could my few men possibly defeat them?"

    Hollis hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to confront them directly. Just attack French merchant caravans every now and then and burn down French factories, houses, and the like under cover of darkness.

    "If the French send troops, just implete ignorance and pretend to agree to help capture the bandits. They will soon leave. They have only 3000 men in Tunisia and can¡¯t handle these troubles."

    He directly copied all the attack methods the British had experienced in America.

    Still appearing uninterested, Uquz said, "But there is still a great risk..."

    Seeing this, Hollis had no choice but to pull out his trump card: "To support the vengeance of the Guard, I can offer you 2000 riyals of funding."

    A riyal is a gold coin slightly smaller than a British Pound, and 2000 riyals are worth about 44,000 livres.

    Hollis saw that the imperial officer seemed somewhat moved and signaled to the Englishman who hade with him: "This is Mr. Robert. He wille to assess your rebellion regrly, leaving you with monthly expenses from 500 to 1000 riyals."

    Uquz immediately showed a smile, clenching his fist and saying: "I¡¯ve long had an eye on those French people! Rest assured, I will certainly make them pay!"

    After leaving the Guard officer, Hollis immediately rushed to the viges outside the city, where he visited arge tribe of the Berbers.

    "Respected n Leader, you cannot let the French deceive you." Hollis said earnestly, "They say they¡¯re buyingnd, but they definitely won¡¯t pay.

    "Moreover, the French have a kind of sorcery that allows their cultivatednd to take away the ¡¯vitality¡¯ of nearbynds. If they nt here, in a few years, your neighboringnds will yield nothing!"

    The n Leader with light brown skin frowned: "Are you speaking the truth?"

    "Absolutely!" Hollis said, "For the future of your tribe, you must find every way possible to drive out those French settlers!

    "I know it might bring you trouble, but a kindly Pasha is willing to offer you 200 riyals topensate for the losses due to conflicts with the French."

    "But I heard that the Bey has already ordered cooperation with the French..."

    "Don¡¯t you worry, the Bey¡¯s Imperial Guard has already been crushed, there¡¯s no need to fear them."

    Before long, the British Consul left the Berber tribe and continued to his next "stirring" duty in the next city.

    ...

    Tunis City.

    The French Consul in Tunisia, Baron Joann, straightened his hat and stepped into Ksar Hel Pce.

    Upon seeing him, the current Bey Haji greeted him cheerfully: "Mr. Joann, your prediction hase true! The Eunice rebels were utterly defeated a few days ago, Koja has already led the troops to chase the remaining hundred or so fugitives into the desert to the south."

    "Congrattions, Bey." Joann was not at all surprised by this.

    After cutting off Eunice¡¯s ammunition and funding supplies, the rebels¡¯ disadvantages in numbers and terrain became evident, and Koja wore them down within a month.

    On the side, Hafsa was beaming with happiness as she directed the maids to set out fruit drinks. She had officially married Haji a few days prior, and the two were finally united.

    Haji had finished delivering the good news and began to ask Baron Joann some questions about taxation and the appointment and dismissal of officials.

    Mediocre in his personal abilities andpletelycking a political base, he had only thirty or so servants and now relied entirely on the French military to make an impression, even entrusting the policing of his pce to recruits from the Paris Police Academy. Therefore, for any matter, big or small, he would consult with Joann.

    It was not until dusk fell that Baron Joann left the Ksar Hel Pce, only to immediately see Ameti, the newly appointed immigration officer, approaching with an anxious expression.

    "Do you have any issues?"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Ameti tipped his hat briefly as a gesture and said in haste, "Baron Joann, a newly built workshop southeast of Bizerte was set ame, and three people have died."

    Joann immediately frowned. Tunisia had recently seen dozens of incidents where French people were attacked. These were the more serious cases; sporadic attacks that hadn¡¯t been recorded were likely even more numerous.

    "Have you found out who did it?"

    "Not yet... You know, we are severely understaffed... Also, I¡¯ve heard rumors that the Imperial Guards are nning to take revenge on us."

    As the two talked, they walked towards the residence across the street. Upon arriving at the entrance, Ameti¡¯s assistant rushed over and handed him a letter without even remembering to salute: "Sir, it seems a merchant convoy was plundered in Sousse; seven French and three Sardinian people were killed..."

    Joann¡¯s expression turned grave: "It seems we must report back to the homnd."

    ...

    Paris.

    In the corridors of the Pce of Versailles, Joseph listened with a gloomy face as Joann next to him reported the situation in Tunisia¡ªfor things had gotten somewhat out of control, and thetter had returned to Paris the day before.

    "The Tunisian Guard is threatening to attack all French people?" Joseph frowned and looked at Joann, "Have they begun to assemble an army?"

    "They have not."

    "Who is calling them together?"

    "There seems to be no clear leader."

    "Oh?" Joseph was somewhat surprised, "With no one to rally them, why would the Tunisian Guard take such unified action? I heard you just now say the attacks are happening frequently all over Tunisia."

    Joann said with a pained look, "Your Highness, it¡¯s not just the Imperial Guard, there also seem to be Berber tribes attacking French farmers who have gone there to cultivate thend."

    "Didn¡¯t the newly appointed Bey issue a decree forbidding the attacks on French people?" Discover more stories at empire

    "He... Your Highness, in truth, his edicts only carry weight within Tunis City, and that¡¯s only because Colonel Bertier¡¯s legion is stationed there."

    "This situation is quite troublesome," Joseph shook his head privately. It sounded as if they were about to be embroiled in a full-scale security conflict.

    But no, he thought rapidly, if the ruler of Tunisia had no appeal and the region was far from a national awakening, it was virtually impossible for there to be spontaneous resistance to foreign powers.

    Therefore, it was very likely that someone was instigating this behind the scenes.

    Who could it be? An influential officer in the Tunisian Guard? Someone from the Ottoman Empire? A British person? An individual from Algiers?

    He rubbed his forehead. Regardless of the instigator, they had to find a way to stabilize the situation in Tunisia.

    After asking Joann some detailed questions about Tunisia, the two had already arrived at the golden doors of the conference hall.

    The guards on either side were busy opening the doors for him, then stood at attention to either side.

    Inside the conference hall, several Cab Ministers had clearly already been informed of the situation in North Africa and were discussing it in low voices.

    Soon, Queen Mary also arrived, and after everyone rose to salute, the Cab meeting centered on the Tunisian issue officially began.

    Mirabeau, responsible for Tunisian immigration affairs, was the first to rise and speak, "Clearly, the news from Tunisia has spread domestically. In thest week, almost no one has applied to go to Tunisia, and even some people who have reached Marseille waiting to embark have begun to return home..."

 Chapter 265 - 211: The Crown Princeâ€™s Personal Expedition (Seeking Monthly Votes)

    Queen Mary flipped through the report submitted by Baron Joann on the situation in Tunisia, a document she had in fact already perused several times the day before, and frowned:

    "Attacks, always attacks, who exactly is behind this?"

    Baron Joann stood at the end of the conference table, cautiously saying:

    "It¡¯s still unclear, Your Majesty. However, the attacks seem to be rted to the Tunisian Guard."

    Queen Mary asked some more specifics about Tunisia and then turned to the ministers present:

    "What are your thoughts on this matter?"

    The Duke of Orleans nced at the empty seat of Foreign Minister Vilran¡ªwho had been sent to the Nordic regions by Brian to "tend to" the war between Sweden and Russia¡ªand suddenly felt a hollow sense of loss. Less than a year ago, his powermanded nearly half of the seats in Cab meetings, but now, he was left to fight alone.

    He cleared his throat and nodded to the Queen:

    "Your Majesty, actually, such situations often ur in the colonies of various countries. For instance, Congo, South Africa, Peru¡ªthere are riots every now and then. The Americans even managed topletely expel the British from the thirteen states.

    "Yes, America. You see, the British fought there for seven or eight years, lost over thirty thousand soldiers, spent billions of livres, and in the end, still faced defeat.

    "Therefore, I believe we should make every effort to avoid a situation in Tunisia simr to what the British faced."

    He had secretly met with the British ambassador to France, Hartley, a week ago. Thetter wanted him to help influence French policy so as to withdraw from Tunisia.

    The reward for him was a great deal of political gain, including having Vilran preside over the signing of an agreement that seemed favorable to France, to help him gain political prestige, among other things. Now, Vilran was the Duke of Orleans¡¯s only ally in the Cab, and keeping him was of great significance; therefore, the Duke of Orleans immediately agreed.

    "I also think we should not invest too much effort in Tunisia," Mono said, lifting his round arm, "It is full of heathens, and our financial situation does not allow us to waste money in North Africa."

    Typically, it was Mono, the Minister of the Interior, who was in charge of immigration-rted matters, but this time, Brian, following Joseph¡¯s instructions, had handed over Tunisian immigration affairs to Mirabeau.

    Mono watched as a "fatty cut" involving tens of millions of livres slipped from his hands, and discontented, he began to work towards sabotaging the matter.

    Brian, upon hearing the words "financial situation," felt an instant agreement in his heart. However, since the Crown Prince greatly pushed for North Africa, he suppressed himself from making any statement.

    Joseph frowned upon hearing this. Tunisia was the pivot of his North African strategy, and just when some progress was emerging, how could he give up so easily?

    Not to mention he was still counting on Tunisia¡¯s fertilends to alleviate the famine next year, and he could not just watch the over one million livres invested in immigration funds go to waste.

    He was about to say something when the Minister of War stood up, with a raised fist dering loudly:

    "If a handful of rioters scare us into giving up a freshly acquired colony, I bet tomorrow France will be theughingstock of all Europe! In fact, just sending out an adequate legion would let those North Africans know our might!"

    The military naturally wanted to send arge force to Tunisia. This would mean the Royal Family would need the military, and also, arge amount of military funding would pass through his hands¡ªit was an excellent opportunity to make a fortune.

    The Navy Minister and Mirabeau immediately expressed their agreement.

    Both were eyeing the military budget, and the other hoped to use Tunisian markets and resources to support industrial development. Read exclusive content at empire

    For a while, both sides who supported and opposed broke into intense debate.

    Queen Mary blinked her blue eyes, looking back and forth between the ministers on both sides, quickly realizing that it seemed there were more who opposed withdrawing from Tunisia.

    She then raised her hand to signal for silence and with an authoritative voice said, "I have made a decision."

    She gestured to the Minister of War: "Marquis de Saint Priest, please submit a reinforcement n for Tunisia to me as soon as possible."

    "By yourmand, Your Majesty."

    Exiting the conference hall, Joseph still had furrowed brows.

    Although the Cab had decided not to give up on Tunisia, obviously, it was moving in the direction of a public security war.

    This waspletely different from his initial n¡ªextensive public security operations would not only consume huge amounts of funding, but they might not be able topletely suppress the Tunisians in a year or two, and might even sow seeds of hatred towards France in the hearts of Tunisian people.

    This would be endless trouble for the future.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph shook his head, still without an effective solution, so he returned to his study, spread out the copious amounts of North African materials Baron Joann brought back on the desk, and started to carefully study everything from the political and military structure to customs, habits, and religious and cultural matters, page by page.

    After an unknown amount of time, Eman came in for the tenth time, treading lightly, to trim the wicks of the candles for him.

    Joseph opened a report on the poptionposition of Tunisia and saw a description of its Guard, "...As the highest ranking ss in Tunisia, the Guard always intermarries within, forming a closedmunity..."

    Suddenly he thought of something, hastily pulling out materials concerning Tunisian religious forces, and his eyes lit up¡ªit was this!

    To be on the safe side, he gestured to Eman: "Could you please find Baron Joann for me?"

    "Ah? Your Highness, it¡¯s already 1 a.m. ..."

 Chapter 266 - 211: The Crown Princeâ€™s Personal Expedition (Seeking Monthly Tickets)_2

    "It¡¯s thiste? Oh, then let¡¯s do it in the morning."

    ...

    Two dayster.

    An emergency Cab meeting was convened once again.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Marquis Saint Priest presented a thick stack of ns for reinforcing Tunisia to Queen Mary with great pride.

    Seeing the Queen absentmindedly flipping through the military n, he coughed lightly and started to exin the main content:

    "Your Majesty, our n is to send General Kellermann with 25,000 soldiers to Tunisia, and together with the existing 3,000 soldiers there, deploy our forces to control here, here, and here..."

    As he spoke, he pointed to the map of Tunisia on the table, "After that, a mobile force will systematically clear all the major towns..."

    Having briefly introduced the battle deployment, Marquis Saint Priest added:

    "ording to estimates, the initial cost of the entire military operation will be about 10 million livres. Additional funds will be allocated based on how the battle progresses."

    "Furthermore, for the convenience of unifiedmand, it¡¯s necessary to incorporate Bertier¡¯s Corps into General Kellermann¡¯smand."

    "That much money?!" Queen Mary looked at him in shock.

    Duke of Orleans interjected at the right moment:

    "If the conflict cannot be resolved swiftly, it¡¯s not surprising to end up spending tens of millions of livres. I still believe that abandoning Tunisia is the correct decision."

    "What are you talking about?" the Minister of War was visibly dissatisfied, "We will have victory within a few months!"

    "That¡¯s uncertain..."

    Joseph suddenly stood up, interrupting them:

    "I also disagree with abandoning Tunisia!"

    Marquis Saint Priest immediately cast an approving look at him:

    "Praise your courage and wisdom, Crown Prince!"

    Joseph simply nced at him indifferently and thought to himself, praise my foot! How dare you covet my Guard Corps? I¡¯ll settle the score with youter!

    He continued loudly, "However, I think we don¡¯t need to rush to reinforce. We could first try to persuade the troublesome Tunisians."

    "Persuade?"

    Apart from Joan and Mirabeau, who were already informed, everyone else in the hall gave him a strange look.

    "Correct." Joseph nodded seriously, "There are always reasonable people in Tunisia."

    "Moreover, persuading them would only require a few hundred thousand livres."

    Joan and Mirabeau immediately voiced their agreement as Joseph had instructed beforehand.

    Brian, who was frightened by the military expenses of 10 million, also immediately expressed support for the method of "persuasion."

    Duke of Orleans, contrary to his usual stance, sided with the Crown Prince¡ªwhat persuasion? Ridiculous! It was nothing but the fantasy of a politically inexperienced child. But as long as there was no military dispatch, he could ount for it to the British Ambassador.

    Queen Mary did not expect her son¡¯s proposal to receive so much support, so she nodded:

    "Perhaps you could first try persuading them. If that fails, then execute Marquis Saint Priest¡¯s n."

    Joseph bowed slightly with a smile:

    "I certainly won¡¯t disappoint you."

    ...

    That afternoon, in his study, Joseph exined the deployment in North Africa to Joan: "The Tunisian Guard is the only breakthrough."

    "They have always intermarried within their own ranks, refusing to integrate with the local Tunisians, and have oppressed the locals greatly. This has made them without any ¡¯friends¡¯ in the area."

    He abruptly changed the topic, "Do you know what politics is?"

    "Ah? Politics?"

    Joseph directly answered, "Politics is about having more of your people and fewer enemies."

    "The Tunisian Guard has made exactly this mistake. They have made themselves the minority."

    "At the same time, they hold most of Tunisia¡¯s wealth."

    "And they no longer have the overwhelming military advantage they did a century ago."

    "So now, it only requires someone to guide the Tunisians, and the Guard will easily be ¡¯sacrificialmbs¡¯."

    Joan nodded thoughtfully, "Your Highness, what should we do then?"

    "We must start with identity politics and the influence of the Church."

    Joseph ryed his n in detail but realized Joan was rather bewildered, prompting a silent shake of his head. It seemed rather challenging for this consul to ensure the n was perfectly executed.

    Tunisia was of utmost importance and could not bepromised. Joseph sighed, deciding that it would be safer if he went personally.

    Petit Trianon Pce.

    Queen Mary¡¯s head shook so vigorously her swan-like updo almost tumbled off:

    "My dear, how can you go to North Africa?! It¡¯s too dangerous! I¡¯ve heard there are lions everywhere. No, absolutely not!"

    Joseph gestured toward the doorway, "Kesode and the others will ensure my safety."

    "Not just lions, there are venomous snakes, scorpions..."

    With no other option, Joseph resorted to the "trump card" he learned from Clementine, stepped forward to take the queen¡¯s arm, and swayed gently and rhythmically, whispering:

    "I beg you! I will be careful. Or perhaps, I could take more soldiers with me."

    "And there are cannibals..."

    Joseph hugged the queen tightly, burying his head in her bosom, and continued to plead:

    "Alright, I¡¯ll stay on the ship the entire time, will that do? If you still disagree, I will nevere to you again!"

    Queen Mary thought about it, the Mediterranean didn¡¯t have lethal storms, so this could be somewhat eptable.

    She eventually relented, "Take all your entourage, eat on time, and write me at least every three days."

    "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll do as you say." Joseph kissed Queen Mary¡¯s cheek, "Thank you, dear mother, I love you the most!"

    "I love you most too, my darling!" The queen chuckled, lightly flicking her son¡¯s nose, "I¡¯ll discuss with Marquis Saint Priest about which corps to send as your escort."

    "Oh, no need to trouble him. I¡¯ve already arranged with Duchess Vr; her husband will personally lead 3,000 men from Murat¡¯s Corps to apany me."

    Queen Mary hastily said, "3,000 men seem a bit few, how about I allocate an additional 500 from the Swiss Guard to you."

    The Swiss Guard is King Louis XVI¡¯s Imperial Guard, the most loyal Swiss mercenaries.

    ...

    Ten or so dayster.

    In the northern Mediterranean, the vibrant blue waters of the French Riviera.

    The majestic fourth-rate ship of the line "Advance" swelled its sails proudly, carving through the water, steering a straight course southward.

    Weakly reclined in a cabin, Pernay on the bed, her limbs limp, her eyes half-closed, nostrils ring, her forehead drenched in sweat as if she¡¯d beenboring with great exertion.

    Joseph ced an ice-cold towel on her forehead and sighed:

    "Had you no idea that you get seasick so easily?"

    "I... this is my first time on a ship." the girl¡¯s sprite-like green eyes were filled with remorse as she spoke feebly, "I¡¯m really sorry, Your Highness, I meant to look after you on the trip, but instead, you¡¯ve ended up taking care of me..."

    "It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to be so formal." Joseph waited for her to fall into a deep sleep before returning to the officers¡¯ meeting room on the ship, saying to the few historians poring over documents:

    "You have been working hard. Any progress?"

    The schrs stood up promptly to salute, with the leader responding:

    "Your Highness, the main inhabitants in Tunisia were Arabs and Berbers that came from Egypt. As for their connection to France,

    "It seems only Emperor Charles I from the Holy Roman Empire conquered the ce some two hundred years ago..."

    Experience more on empire

    Joseph nodded, "Please, continue."

    This was the task he had assigned to the historians¡ªto prove amon ancestry between Tunisians and the French. Indeed, the best scenario was to make everyone kin if possible.

    The schr wiped sweat from his brow, his voice dropping:

    "And France also originated from the Holy Roman Empire in ancient times."

    Of course, this division of Holy Rome into Germany, France, and Italy, and the current Holy Rome, werepletely different matters. The current entity could only be considered a forced attachment, neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.

    The schr felt as if he were exhausting all his life¡¯s capacity for far-fetched associations:

    "So, that is, if we reason it out, both French people and Tunisians could be considered children of Rome."

    "Excellent! Just like that." Joseph approved, "Please find more historical evidence and give it to the writers to draft into articles."

    The historian¡¯s eyelid twitched, his voice tinged with a sob, "Your Highness, how could there possibly be evidence for this..."

    "These kinds of things, well, don¡¯t have to be too rigid." Joseph winked at him, "Sometimes, you can let the writers help you conceive the evidence."

    "As you wish, Your Highness."

    By the time the "Advance" sailed into the Gulf of Boni, an "Analysis of the Origins of Tunisia" was already ced upon Joseph¡¯s desk.

 Chapter 267 - 212: Layout Wiring, Cast the Net

    ```

    Ottoman Empire.

    Constantinople.

    Said walked past the guards who were bowing their heads in salute on both sides with a gloomy expression, then turned to nce back at the Topkapi Pce, feeling increasingly deste.

    Just now, the Sultan had appointed him as a special envoy to "inspect" Tunisia.

    A few years ago, this would have been a coveted position that many envied¡ªtypically, fringe provinces like Tunisia would treat the Sultan¡¯s envoy well and give him a substantial amount of "travel expenses" upon departure.

    However, this mission was doomed to be devoid of such benefits.

    The empire was facing a critical situation in Ochakov. That Potemkin from Russia had arge army pressing hard, and the important fortress on the northern shore of the ck Sea could fall at any time.

    Moreover, with the previous crushing defeat at the Battle of Fidonisi Ind, the empire was now facing an extremely grim situation, with its finances, military, and other aspects stretched to the breaking point.

    And at such a crucial time, a coup had erupted in Tunisia.

    The Pasha appointed by the empire, Hamoud Ali, was killed, and his nephew Haji dered himself the sessor, yet he had not followed the usual protocol of seeking investiture from the empire to be Pasha, which had undermined the empire¡¯s dignity.

    It was against this backdrop that the Sultan had chosen him to go to Tunisia.

    Said sighed; there wasn¡¯t even a budget for this mission, and he had to dig into his own pockets.

    Moreover, ording to the empire¡¯s usual practice, if he couldn¡¯t get Haji to apologize to the Sultan and request to be recognized as Pasha, he would most likely be executed for "ipetence and insulting the imperial dignity"...

    He got into his pnquin with the assistance of his servant, mentally calcting his family fortune. He could probably take out 30,000 sultanis, wondering if this small favor would be enough to "persuade" Haji.

    Ha! What an irony, the Sultan¡¯s envoy now had to bribe a Pasha of a border province...

    United States.

    Phdelphia.

    Outside Independence Hall, about two or three thousand citizens were excitedly shouting slogans and waving vigorously towards Congress Hall.

    Hamilton stood in front of the second-floor window, watching the scene outside with satisfaction, feeling that the more than 200,000 US dors spent before were well worth it.

    The news from the Mediterranean yesterday was that, with the help of France and the Nethends, the US fleet had eradicated the Barbary pirates of Tunisia, significantly improving the safety of the Mediterranean seanes in the future.

    And he, as the congressman who had strongly advocated for the special funding to fight the pirates, had gained a wealth of political prestige.

    Madison, also a member of the "Federalist Party," approached and, gesturing towards the window,ughed:

    "Mr. Hamilton, you are now a legendary hero in Phdelphia! Ah, ¡¯Pirate Judge,¡¯ just listen to the nickname everyone is giving you."

    He lowered his voice a little, "Looking at this momentum, you might even have a shot at the presidential seat."

    "Ha, you jest. My reputation is still far from enough," Hamilton said with augh, waving his hand. Yet the title of "Pirate Judge" did stir something within him.

    The navy had reported that the French had captured thousands of pirates and offered to sell them to the US at a price of 2000 US dors each.

    That money could buy five sturdy male ves. But the fleetmander at that time thought it was too expensive and didn¡¯t buy any.

    Hamilton shook his head privately; that fool definitely should have bought a hundred or so pirates, conduct a public trial, and then hang them in front of everyone. That way, his title of "Pirate Judge" would indeed suit him!

    Those fervent and proud citizens outside, perhaps, could give him a pleasant surprise in next year¡¯s presidential elections...

    With this thought, he turned to Madison:

    "I will submit an appropriation request to purchase the Barbary pirates in Congress, please support me."

    Nethends, Amsterdam.

    Sir Joseph York, the British ambassador to the Nethends, walked out of the Congress building with a stern face.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    At the recently concluded provincial union Congress, the Dutch did not condemn France¡¯s actions in North Africa as Britain had hoped.

    Instead, they issued a statement saying that free trade in the Mediterranean had been better protected recently, which included Dutch contributions.

    York cursed under his breath; everyone knew that the Dutch ship was just assisting the French, which was clearly a form of support for France!

    Although the Dutch were intimidated by Britain, they were deeply resentful of British high-handedness. Therefore, they were very willing to seize such minor incidents to annoy Britain.

    Then York suddenly remembered a rumor he had heard a couple of days before¡ªthe Dutch East and West India Companies were going to merge and ept French investment to establish the "United East India Company."

    This matter had to be ascertained as soon as possible, and if true, it must be thwarted at all costs to prevent the Nethends from continuing to lean toward France.

    The Low Countries were a strategic "bridgehead" for the British Empire, absolutely not to be lost!

    ...

    On board the "Avant-garde," Joseph read through the "Origin Analysis of Tunisia" with a smile on his face.

    Mr. Saint Pierre¡¯s writing was undoubtedly excellent; he interwove history, various legends, and even myths skillfully into one narrative, making the story very vivid...

    No, it was a record of Tunisia¡¯s colorful history.

    He handed the manuscript to Isaac, the "North Africa expert," asking him to review it and, if there were no issues, to trante it into Arabic and Berber as soon as possible, and then print it inrge quantities.

    To increase efficiency, he even brought a printing press and craftsmen on board.

    Another day passed, and the fleet arrived at the Port of Tunis.

    Bertier and a group of officers had already arrived at the dock to wee them. However, as Joseph had requested that his identity not be disclosed, there were almost no soldiers there.

    ```

 Chapter 268 - 212 Wiring, Spreading the Net_2

    Thending craft moored and steadied, Bertier and the others saw an exaggeratedly long gangnk extending from the ship, and shortly afterward, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince appeared before their eyes.

    After a simple weing ceremony, Joseph walked straight along the more-than-30-meter gangnk to the carriage that had been unloaded from the ship.

    Bertier, eyeing the strange carriage with a sealed bottom and pointed ends, pulled Kesode aside with a puzzled look and asked:

    "What is this... for the Prince?"

    Thetter spread his hands helplessly and whispered:

    "His Royal Highness promised the Queen that he would stay on the ship at all times. So, that is a ship. A ship mounted on a carriage."

    Bertier: "..."

    Half an hourter, the procession arrived at the outskirts of Tunis City, where Joseph immediately saw a vast array of tents¡ªthousands of them¡ªarranged on open ground beside the main road.

    Judging by the gs around the camp and the attire of the patrolling soldiers, it seemed to be the Tunisian Guard.

    "What¡¯s all this?"

    Bertier, seated across from the "ship", quickly exined:

    "Your Highness, these are Koja¡¯s Imperial Guard, more than twelve thousand strong. After the end of their conflict with Eunice, they have returned to Tunis City. I was worried they might cause trouble, so I had them stationed outside the city."

    It was well known that the French legion had breached the defenses of a hastily assembled 7000-strong Imperial Guard in just over an hour, so Koja did not dare to engage the French Army lightly and had obediently remained outside the city.

    Bertier continued: "However, these Tunisian soldiers are ustomed to living infort and have been moring to return to their homes in the city. Ah, they usually train only once every three days and spend the rest of their time away from the military camp."

    Joseph immediately caught on to something and asked, "So, the mostbat-effective units of the Tunisian Guard are mostly here, right?"

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Joseph smiled slightly and said, "Then let them go into the city and return home."

    Bertier hastily said, "Your Highness,st week Mr. Prosper and his men, disguised within the French merchant convoy, sessfully repelled an attack on the convoy and captured several bandits.

    "It turned out that these men were from the Tunisian Guard in the north of Kaf.

    "Many pieces of evidence suggest the previous attacks on the French people were indeed the work of the Tunisian Guard.

    "If we let thousands of Imperial Guards into Tunis City, they may very well..." Continue your story on empire

    "It doesn¡¯t matter," said Joseph. "To prevent another assassination attempt on the Bey, they must deposit their weapons in the armory before entering the city.

    "Additionally, we¡¯ll increase the number of Berber police and strengthen patrols; there shouldn¡¯t be a problem."

    Only then did Bertier nod hesitantly:

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    The next morning, Joan, apanied by two men, one tall and one short, came to Joseph¡¯s temporary residence south of Tunis City.

    The taller middle-aged man had a typical Arab face, yet his attire was quite European in style. The shorter, plump man was clearly French but wore a turban and an open long robe.

    The three were led in by Eman, and upon entering, they immediately saw the wooden nks on the floor arranged in the shape of a ship.

    Joan, no longer surprised by this, came forward and bowed, pressing his hand to his chest:

    "Sir, Mr. Agadon and Mr. Morel have arrived."

    He then addressed the two men beside him:

    "This is Mr. Joseph."

    After the introductions, Joseph, following the local customs, invited the two men to sit on the rug, ordered the servants to bring drinks and pastries, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then got straight to the point:

    "I hope to utilize your channels to help me transport some special items to various locations in Tunisia."

    Agadon was the French-Tunisian Chamber of Commerce¡¯s top member and French descendent clothing merchant who had previously assisted the Police Affairs Department in entering Ksar Hel Pce. He had extensive connections and resources in Tunisia.

    And the Mr. Morel beside him was his local partner, a native of Arab descent.

    Agadon had only heard from Joan that this young man before him held a prestigious status and possessed extremely high authority over affairs in Tunisia.

    Thus, he asked very politely:

    "May I know what you would like me to transport?"

    "Weapons, ammunition," Joseph stated without any hesitation, "and some silver coins."

    Agadon and Morel exchanged a nce, their expressions immediately tensed:

    "Sir, you must be aware, things have been very chaotic around Tunisiately, and these items might get hijacked..."

    "I will send men to protect you. The number won¡¯t berge, but as long as it¡¯s not a sizable Imperial Guard, it should be sufficient to handle it. Oh, and you can rest assured about the payment, it will definitely satisfy you."

    Seeing the hesitation in the other party, Joseph brought out a greater temptation:

    "By the way, this matter is of interest to the Royal Family. If you handle it well, I can guarantee you a ce in Parisian high society."

    Agadon¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. To these French-descended businessmen striving in this "Barbard," no matter how much money they made, Parisian nobility would only scornfullybel them nouveaux riches.

    And their greatest dream was to be true French upper-ss gentlemen. Who would want to muddle through life in a godforsaken ce like North Africa?

    He nodded vigorously at once: "Please rest assured, no matter the quantity of weapons... Uh, I mean goods, I guarantee they will be delivered on time to the ce you desire!"

    "You can avoid the Imperial Guard¡¯s inspections?"

    "That¡¯s the very basic, sir. I am perfectly clear on how to bribe those greedy fellows. Moreover, I can mobilize the power of the Chamber of Commerce; even if there¡¯s an inspection, just a little money should sort it out."

    "Excellent, Mr. Agadon! Allow me to express my heartfelt thanks on behalf of His Majesty the King."

    ...

    On the outskirts of Tunis City.

    In a typical Arab-style two-story building, several well-dressed individuals were excitedly passing around two pamphlets.

    The title on the cover of the pamphlets read ¡ª "An Analysis of the Origins of Tunisia."

    A middle-aged man with a beard pointed vigorously at a page, saying excitedly:

    "Cebi Xda is absolutely right! We are Roman Descendants, with a glorious history and noble bloodlines!"

    The term "Cebi" is a title of respect for a very well-known schr. The Xda he mentioned is indeed a schr with a great influence in Tunisia.

    Another immediately added:

    "These historical evidences demonstrate that we sharemon ancestry with countries like France and Spain, and we canpletely integrate into the advanced civilization of Europe!"

    "Look, Cebi mentions that many people in France consider us as their long-lost kin!"

    The bearded man flipped through a few pages and said in a grave tone:

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "It¡¯s all because of those ursed Ottoman People, severing our ties with the Roman mothend and leading Tunisia to ruin and decline!"

    Joseph had truly not anticipated that there would be so many in Tunisia who were "pro-French".

    However, this was not surprising since there were many French people doing business in Tunisia, showcasing enviable fashion, wealth, confidence, and the strength of France itself in front of the locals. In an era where national and ethnic consciousness was extremely weak, it was easy for Tunisians to embrace pro-French sentiments.

    Initially, Joseph had simply nned to identify as manymon ancestors as possible between France and Tunisia, with little expectation that many Tunisians would believe it.

    Even if he could influence 10% of the poption, it would make his ns go much more smoothly.

    Yet, his historical proof ofmon origins gained huge poprity among many Tunisians, especially the intellectual ss. No one cared about the reliability of the evidence in the text and immediately epted the conclusion.[Note 1]

    Just like in the future, if an American schr were to "prove" that Filipinos and Americans sharemon ancestry, thetter would happily agree as well.

    [Note 1]: At this time, the main poption of North Africa was Berbers, Arab descendants, and Ottoman descendants, with thetter two being standard Caucasians, not differing much in appearance from Europeans. Even among Berbers, who had slightly browner skin, their long history of interbreeding with Caucasians meant they looked like sun-tanned Caucasians.

 Chapter 269 - 213: Gun in Hand, Follow Me!

    As the schr gathering was nearing its end, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a middle-aged man with a profound gaze and an aura of erudition, led by a servant, entered the room.

    Everyone turned to look and immediately let out excited and surprised exmations:

    "Xda Cebi! How did youe here?"

    "Cebi, we were just admiring your masterwork."

    "You¡¯ve written so well! There are some parts we didn¡¯t quite grasp, so please help us understand."

    "Please have a seat here..."

    The schr named Xda engaged with them somewhat wearily. He sat down on the carpet, smiling, and began discussing with a few people in the room about the rtionship between the Tunisians and Rome.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    This was the third such gathering he had hurried to that day. For him, this should have been a mere transaction¡ªhe had taken a considerable sum of money to publish "Tunisian Origins Analysis" under his own name.

    The fee was quite steep, amounting to 1000 riyals. It¡¯s worth noting that the booklet had not been approved by the religious authorities, and it was particrly critical of the Imperial Guard. He had taken a big risk.

    However, after repeated studies of the booklet, he found himself more and more in agreement with its contents and began to actively promote it all around Tunisia.

    "Our origins from the mighty Eastern Roman Empire are beyond doubt," Xda quickly became the center of discussion, voicing the perspectives from the booklet, "What now stands between us and civilization, prosperity, are those Ottomans!

    "They ughtered our ancestors and brutally oppressed us Roman descendants for over a hundred years!"

    The Ottomans he spoke of were the Tunisian Guard. In fact, in terms of the animosity toward the Guard, people in the room already agreed without his incitement. Over a hundred years before, when the Ottoman Imperial Guard invaded Tunisia, theiring was naturally apanied by great plunder and ughter.

    Someone cautiously inquired:

    "But, Cebi, our Romanpatriots, the French people... they are Christians. What if they force us to convert..."

    "Don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t happen." Xda assured confidently, "I have been in contact with high-ranking French officials. They are all good people, very civilized and tolerant. They want to help us achieve self-government, and they guarantee not to force us to make any changes..."

    "That¡¯s really fantastic!"

    Meanwhile, as the "Francophiles" were excitedly discussing, Joseph was traveling in his horse-drawn carriage towards the north of Sousse.

    In the carriage, the consul stationed in Tunisia, Joan, reported the status of the "identity propaganda" to him, then added with some concern:

    "Your Highness, we have been busy for so long, but it seems no Tunisians dare to resist the Guard. I mean, French people are still being attacked by the Guard frequently. Should we not deploy troops to intimidate them first?"

    ording to the Crown Prince¡¯s n, the first step was to make the indigenous Tunisians feel supported by their "Romanpatriots," then remind them of their hatred for the Guard, and finally, encourage them to "rise up" against the Guard.

    Joseph shook his head:

    "We absolutely cannot get embroiled in a public order war; it would drag us down. It¡¯s normal thatmon people would be afraid of the Guard after they¡¯ve ruled Tunisia for so long. Thus, we need to provide them some ¡¯incentive.¡¯

    "Incentive?"

    "People might not challenge the powerful for the sake of revenge, but they might risk it for Gold Coins." Joseph smiled as he looked toward the distant Mosque, "That¡¯s the reason I went to see Elder Aly."

    Elder Aly was a highly influential religious leader within the Tunisian religiousmunity, with many devoted followers. Most importantly, he was not an Ottoman, but a native Tunisian.

    An hour and a halfter, at a vi outside the Mosque, Joseph pleaded earnestly:

    "This will be greatly beneficial for you and your faction¡ªright now, the religious sector is dominated by the Ottomans. Expelling them, you would undoubtedly be the top religious leader in Tunisia."

    The kind and benevolent-looking elder still hesitated and declined, and after politely saying goodbye, he returned to the grand Mosque with his entourage.

    Although he was somewhat moved by the idea of calling on the Tunisian natives to drive out the Ottomans, he ultimately felt the risk was too high and did not agree to the young Frenchman¡¯s suggestion.

    Watching Elder Aly¡¯s retreating figure, Joan said in a low voice:

    "Your Highness, should we try threatening him?"

    Joseph immediately shook his head, "No need. Let¡¯s try again tomorrow."

    Although Joan felt that no matter how many times they tried, it would be useless with the old man¡¯s attitude, he said no more, since the Crown Prince had spoken.

    The next day, Joseph brought a few more people and met with Elder Aly again. The topic was still the same as the day before¡ªcalling on the followers tounch attacks on the Tunisian Guard. In this process, all the wealth "recovered" from the Guard, except fornd, would belong to the attackers.

    As rulers of Tunisia, the Guard held the vast majority of Tunisia¡¯s wealth. Simply raiding a high-ranking Guard official could feed severalrge Berber tribes for years! With such significant incentives, coupled with the call of a religious leader, it would be no surprise that the Tunisian natives would risk their lives against the Guard.

    Discover exclusive content at empire

    Of course, although the current Tunisian Guard, mostly bloated and weak inbat, still controlled most of the weapons in Tunisia. If the natives wanted to challenge them, they could only seek weapons and funding from their "Romanpatriots," thus creating a closer emotional and financial "bind."

 Chapter 270 - 213: Gun in Hand, Follow Me!_2

    This was Joseph¡¯s "sacrifice" n.

    However, Elder Aly, ever cautious and prudent, once again rejected his proposal, politely hinting that the young dignitary should note again. As a Berber who had managed to stand firm in the religious circles of Tunis controlled by the Ottoman People, he relied on this cautious approach of not sticking his neck out and not taking risks.

    Joan watched the old man leave, looking disheartened towards the Crown Prince, about to ask what to do next when he saw His Highness turn to the two "guards" behind him:

    "How about it? Are you confident?"

    The two men simply nodded, then immediately returned to the carriage, took out charcoal and a sketchpad, and began to sketch.

    More than ten minutester, Joan saw a lifelike representation of Elder Aly on their drawing paper.

    "Your Highness, what are you nning to do?!" he asked the Crown Prince in surprise.

    "Since Elder Aly doesn¡¯t agree, we¡¯ll just have to agree on his behalf," Joseph said with a sly smile, then ordered the carriages to proceed to a prepared house several streets away.

    The two painters entered the house and immediately set up their easels, wielding their full array of oil painting tools to continue their work.

    Joseph watched the two men busily at work and couldn¡¯t help but sigh:

    "Her Majesty the Queen was truly prescient in instructing me to bring all the exclusive painters!"

    A few dayster, an oil painting of Elder Aly calling solemnly for his followers to drive out the Imperial Guard bandits spread like wildfire throughout Tunis.

    Above the painting was an oval frame with sharp angles, which read: Drive out the Ottoman People and reim the wealth from them; everything but thend belongs to those who heed the call.

    The sharp point of the angle pointed directly to Elder Aly¡¯s mouth, making it clear these were his words.

    Each province had arge number of oil paintings circting, and those printed with lithography, while less colorful, numbered in the tens of thousands.

    In less than ten days, the whole of Tunis knew that Elder Aly had "dered war" on the Ottoman People.

    This method, Joseph had been inspired by the previous "The Last Supper."

    If the French people, much more educated than the Tunisians, were firm believers in the truth of what was depicted in oil paintings, then the Tunisians would undoubtedly be even more so.

    Luckily, since the 18th century, due to European influence, the entire religious world of the Ottoman Empire and North Africa no longer shunned portraits, which allowed his n to go smoothly.

    As for whether Elder Aly would deny it?

    Not to mention that his home was currently under martialw by the Police Affairs Department, preventing ordinary people from seeing him easily, even if he could get the message out, whether people would believe a word of mouth or an oil painting that looked as real as if the person was standing right in front of them was self-evident.

    Unless Elder Aly could teleport to Tunis City and dere in public, "That painting is not true," the "deration of war" would be set in stone.

    ...

    Soon, the whole of Tunis started to be restless under the call of the religious leader.

    In the southern part of Bizerte, Andalusian.

    More than a dozen members of the "Sword of Vengeance" organization, around their forties or fifties, were gathered in a dimly lit hut. On the north wall hung an oil painting of Elder Aly, surrounded by a circle of religious paraphernalia.

    They were a resistance groupprised of Berbers formed to fight against the Imperial Guard. Having a history of over a hundred years, however, after such a long period, they had lost all hope of expelling the Ottoman People, and the younger generation simply did not want to join, leaving the organization on the brink of dissolution.

    It was at this time that the religious leader¡¯s "deration of war" came.

    This oil painting helped them recruit more than 60 members within three days, all young and strong men in their twenties and thirties, a cause for ecstatic joy.

    Zemir, the leader of "Sword of Vengeance," finished the prayers with the high ranks of the organization and immediately looked towards the nearest big-bearded man:

    "What does the Fawaz Tribe say?"

    "Chief Hasani agrees to join us in attacking the town¡¯s Imperial Guard. They take six-tenths of the loot," the big-bearded man replied.

    Zemir nodded. The Fawaz Tribe had many more people, at least capable of fielding over 400 warriors, while his own side only had about 150 men, so it was eptable for the other side to take therger share. Ah, no, "Sword of Vengeance" was not after those Gold Coins, they were purely to avenge the evil Imperial Guards!

    But the big-bearded man continued:

    ```

    "But Chief Hasani said they only have a few scimitars, and the rest are machetes, worrying they won¡¯t stand a chance against the Imperial Guard,"

    he said referring to machetes as a type of farm tool used for ughtering livestock and chopping through brush.

    Although there are only about 200 Imperial Guards in the Andalusian towns, they possess dozens of guns. If it reallyes to a fight, it¡¯s hard to say who would win or lose.

    Zemir couldn¡¯t help but frown. "Sword of Vengeance" had been assassinating and kidnapping Imperial Guards for years, but they only managed to gather less than 12 matchlock guns, all old models that were practically useless in aiding their allies.

    Another high-ranking member of the organization clenched his fists, grinding his teeth:

    "What¡¯s there to fear? I can lead the warriors to drown those evil enemies in a sea of blood!"

    Zemir shook his head decidedly, just as a man with a big beard said:

    "I heard that a Bey from Tunis City is willing to offer help to the warriors fighting to expel the Ottoman People."

    He leaned forward, his voice lowering:

    "It¡¯s said that he has many guns, even cannons. Perhaps we could go see him."

    Everyone in the room instantly brightened up.

    ...

    Bizerte Port.

    Zemir eyed the unremarkable building across the street from a distance, then cautiously led his men inside after instructing his subordinates to reconfirm there were no ambushes surrounding them.

    This was the residence of the Bey who could provide them with weapons, information he had obtained from a French merchant.

    The agent from the Police Affairs Department, disguised as Zaganos Bey, named Isaac, received them.

    In less than an hour, Zemir emerged from the old house beaming with joy. Just now, Zaganos Bey had only asked them to agree to the concept of "Roman origins"¡ªhe had previously read the pamphlet and had no objections to acknowledging their identity as Roman Descendants¡ªafter which Zaganos Bey promised to hand over a full 100 flintlock guns to him!

    Moreover, these weapons would be directly transported to Andalusian.

    He felt dizzy, pinching his arm three times to be sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming. With these weapons, he was confident of sweeping through the Imperial Guards in the town!

    And then to plunder all the luxurious mansions of the Ottoman People one by one!

    After Zemir and his men left, Isaac immediately instructed his subordinates to head to Andalusian to confirm the true identities of these individuals.

    "Sword of Vengeance" was a well-known anti-Imperial Guard organization in Tunisia, so Isaac allocated more weapons to them, hoping they would live up to the expectations. The guns, of course, were those previously seized from pirates and the Imperial Guard, thousands in number, and he didn¡¯t mind giving them away at all.

    Meanwhile, Zemir returned to his base and quickly made contact with Zaganos Bey¡¯s men, and five dayster they unloaded the shipment of guns from a group of "Olive Merchants¡¯" carts.

    However, to his surprise, the Fawaz Tribe, although equipped with weapons, suddenly got cold feet, stating they needed to properly prepare for a while longer before attacking the Imperial Guard.

    Simr situations unfolded across Tunisia.

    The natives eyed the Imperial Guard with hostility, andrge quantities of weapons were distributed to them through Agadon and the Chamber of Commerce. But because everyone harbored a deep fear of the Imperial Guard, no one dared to make the first move.

    In Tunis City.

    Joseph listened to Isaac¡¯s report with a frown, and couldn¡¯t help but think of the plot in "Let the Bullets Fly"¡ªZhang Mazi raised his arm and shouted "With the gun, follow me," but the people of Goose Town only dared to peek out from their homes, too afraid to challenge Huang Sng¡¯s fortress, even with guns in their hands.

    He truly didn¡¯t expect the Tunisians to be this timid.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He got up irritably and paced back and forth in the room several times, reflecting on how even the religious leaders called to action couldn¡¯t stir their courage.

    Did they really need their savior to appear before they dared to make a move?

    Hmm? Wait a minute!

    Joseph suddenly had an epiphany at that point, Right, that¡¯s exactly what to do!

    ```

 Chapter 271 - 214: Change the Sky and the Earth

    The n set, Joseph immediately had Eman summon all the Crown Prince¡¯s exclusive attendants.

    Before long, looking at the painters, sculptors, pharmacists, acrobats, and other attendants standing in two rows before him, Joseph once again marveled, how wise his mother was to have him bring them all to Tunisia!

    Without these people, his n would indeed be a bit difficult to implement¡ªeven if one could find such masterful experts in Tunisia, keeping things confidential would be a big issue.

    As for how to operate specifically, he didn¡¯t rack his brains much. There were already mature ns from predecessors; he just had to copy directly.

    First, he gave some simple instructions to the pharmacist and the ventriloquist, then arranged for the Police Affairs Department and the French-descended merchant Agadon to coordinate with them, before turning his attention to Mr. Brigette, the dedicated sculptor, who bore the brunt of this mission.

    "It¡¯s just over ten days until the traditional Imic festival of Ashura," Joseph said to the sculptor. "I need you to help me create a stone sculpture before then.

    "Oh, considering transportation will take time, you actually only have about 8 days."

    Mr. Brigette bowed earnestly and asked:

    "Your Highness, may I know what kind of artwork you require?"

    "A stone figure dressed inmon Arab attire," Joseph pointed to the ceiling, "at least this tall, but of course, the taller the better."

    Mr. Brigette was taken aback; this luxurious hall was nearly 4 meters high!

    He immediately disyed a look of difficulty. "Your Highness, if I may speak frankly, it would be quite difficult toplete such arge sculpture in 8 days."

    "It doesn¡¯t need to be too exquisite. Just refine the facial features a bit, and as for other parts, as long as it resembles a person, that¡¯ll be enough."

    "Even so, it¡¯s still quite unlikely..."

    Joseph smiled faintly and yed his trump card:

    "If you finish a day early, you¡¯ll receive a bonus of 1000 livres. Two days early, 2000 livres. Three days early, 4000 livres. And so on, with the reward doubling for each additional day early."

    Filled with the clinking sound of silver coins, Mr. Brigette promptly nodded without hesitation:

    "Rest assured, Your Highness, you will definitely see the stone figure you want within 8 days!"

    He paused then cautiously added, "Your Highness, if you could allow me to borrow some engineers, that would make meeting the deadline even more certain."

    "No problem. You can go and choose some from the legionter."

    Joseph further instructed him on some detailed requirements, then cautioned:

    "Oh, and by the way, make sure the stone figure is one-eyed, please do not forget that."

    Eager to waste no time, Mr. Brigette left the Crown Prince¡¯s presence and immediately went to Bertier to request a few sappers responsible for sting, then headed straight for the vicinity of the Oued Medjerda¡ªthat was the Crown Prince¡¯s instruction for ease of transportation.

    He quickly chose arge block of limestone, had the sappers drill holes in it, install gunpowder, and st it.

    Each of these sappers received 30 livres from the sculptor as a hardship fee; hence, they all brought out their best skills. They spent the better part of a day with very precise explosions to create a human outline from that massive stone...

    Dayster, a prophecy from Elder Aly began to spread throughout Tunisia: a divine oracle would soon descend on Tunisia, conveying the message through water or woods to the people...

    Initially, people didn¡¯t pay much attention to it until one day, a resident of Mejazba found a stone with white marks that vaguely resembled writing in a fish¡¯s belly he had bought.

    The letters were not carved, appearing very miraculous.

    He immediately took the fish and stone to the local mosque, asking the clergy to decipher it.

    Soon enough, the whole town was abuzz because the Imam recognized the inscription, which read "The descendants of Rome shall drive out the Ottoman Imperial Guard"!

    In the days that followed, people along cities on the banks of the Oued Medjerda kept finding mysterious stoned with the same writing in fish bellies.

    There was even a fisherman who scooped out an "Oracle Stone" right from the belly of a freshly caught fish, so astonished that he immediately knelt and prayed on the boat.

    And in ces further from the Oued Medjerda, such as the northeastern mountains, some people vaguely heard fox-like cries at night that sounded very much like "Drive out the Ottomans."

    Clearly, Elder Aly¡¯s prophecy hade true! Tunisia was boiling with excitement once more. People started to gather openly, discussing how to drive out the Imperial Guard.

    This was a divine oracle!

    With the Lord backing them, what was there to fear from the fearsome Imperial Guard?

    Of course, all of the oracles were actually the handiwork of the Crown Prince¡¯s exclusive attendants.

    They wrote on the stones with strong acid and then stuffed them into the bellies of live fish. To be efficient, they directly took them to sell at the market; to make them more believable, they managed to ce them into fishermen¡¯ss.

    Mass-produced "Oracle Stones," ensuring that almost everyrge town got a piece.

    The ventriloquist had it hard, though, traveling to several ces each day to mimic the cry of foxes, only able to work at night, and lost no less than six or seven pounds after half a month of exhaustion.

    However, the final catalyst for the natives of Tunisia to erupt was the astounding divine oracle that appeared on the day of Ashura.

    Ashura is the day of repentance for Adam and Eve recorded in the scriptures, for their transgression of eating the forbidden fruit¡ªyes, the records of these two human progenitors are the same in Im and Christianity.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    On that day, tens of thousands gathered in Utica City to celebrate the festival, when the oar of a huge ferry boat that hade here struck something in the center of the river.

 Chapter 272 - 214: Change the Sky and the Earth_2

    ```

    The captain felt very puzzled, so he ordered his sailors to dive into the Oued Medjerda to take a look, and to their surprise, they discovered a huge stone man!

    Of course, this captain had been arranged in advance by the Police Affairs Department.

    Consequently, Utica City organized arge number of boats and hands, using ropes to tie up the stone man and dragged it ashore from the river.

    Upon seeing the one-eyed Stone Giant, people immediately recalled the strange prophecy left by a mysterious ascetic: "Stone Giant with one eye, purify the corrupt Ottoman."

    The prophecy came true, and the oracle appeared once more!

    The clergy of Utica immediately dered that a mosque would be built on top of the stone statue, to facilitate worship. Outside the city of Utica, nearly ten thousand peopley prostrate long around the cyclopean Stone Giant, loudly praising the Lord¡¯s might and swearing in unison to follow the content of the oracle.

    Mr. Brigette spent 5 days toplete this enormous work, earning a reward of 4000 livres, and, at the same time, sent the Tunisian Guard on theirst journey.

    ...

    As the astonishing oracle event spread from Utica across Tunisia, people finally overcame the fear in their hearts andunched the first attack on the Guard.

    Zemir led the "Sword of Vengeance" members, along with the warriors from the Fawaz Tribe,prising nearly 600 in total, and stormed into the Andalusian Town¡ªa town with hardly any substantial defenses¡ªswiftly driving 200 members of the Guard into the town¡¯s mosque.

    Zemir and his warriors first knelt before the brought "Oracle Stone," then, rising, they drew their scimitars and pointed towards the enemy¡¯s final stronghold, shouting loudly:

    "No more oppression by the Ottoman, follow the oracle! Warriors, attack!"

    This force of 600 was quite well equipped, possessing 100 flintlock guns and nearly every one of them carried a scimitar and a spear. They immediately charged toward the Guard inside the mosque, shouting as they went.

    On the Guard¡¯s side, though frightened by this show of force, they were after allposed of regr troops, and under the officers¡¯ orders, the soldiers took up their muskets and began firing outside.

    With the disordered gunfire, several of the "Sword of Vengeance" members at the forefront were hit and fell to the ground. Those behind, seeing the ripped bodies and the dark blood spilled on the ground, hesitated in their steps.

    The Guard officer, seeing this, shouted fiercely:

    "You wretched lot dare to rebel? You and your families will all be hanged outside the city! No one will escape!"

    The force led by Zemir, hearing this familiar terrorizing shout, lost most of their courage in an instant and hastily retreated beyond the range of the Guard.

    Zemir was so frustrated, he personally led a charge once more; however, after a few were shot, the charging troops immediately pulled back.

    Left with no other choice, Zemir ordered to exchange fire with the Guard. So, both sides fired shots at each other until nightfall, with around a dozen casualties in total.

    The Police Affairs Department agent Isaac, who was watching the battle from a distance, just wanted to curse loudly. Even a few hundred sheep armed with flintlocks might be braver than these people.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    He knew well that this was the Tunisian¡¯s first attempt to attack the Guard, and that all the Tunisian natives were watching; victory needed to be achieved quickly, otherwise the barely raised morale of the natives would soon dissipate.

    The situation would be even worse if reinforcements from other Guards arrived.

    With that thought, he immediately rushed back to Tunis City by night.

    The next day, the battle at Andalusian Town continued, with the Guard even attempting a breakout¡ªbut fortunately, Zemir led his brave men to block them, otherwise the effort might have failed.

    As dusk approached and Zemir was in a state of vexation, a thunderous boom suddenly erupted from around the corner of a distant road. Soon after, bricks and stones flew around the spot where the Guard had taken shelter, and a holerge enough for half a man appeared in the rear wall.

    Then, a second loud noise followed...

    Isaac, with no other choice left, had to ask the cadet artillerymen to "cheat." They used a four-pound cannon to st an opening for Zemir.

    Zemir, quick to grasp the situation, guessed someone had helped with artillery, but stood up and shouted:

    "Divine punishment! This is the divine punishment sent by the Lord! The Guard is finished!"

    ```

    Hearing "divine punishment," the indigenous Tunisians were instantly emboldened¡ªsince the gods were on their side, what was there to fear? They howled immediately and followed Zemir in a fierce charge.

    The dim twilight made it hard for them to see how many of theirrades had been shot; fueled by sheer momentum, they surged through the gap in the mosque and, with the advantage of numbers, shed wildly at the Guards inside.

    They had been oppressed by the Ottoman people for too long; their pent-up rage was unleashed, utterly beyond control.

    It wasn¡¯t until Zemir had exhausted his strength and sheathed his scimitar that he turned around to discover there were hardly any standing Guards left.

    By daybreak the next day, Zemir had led his men to loot the homes of all the Guards in the town, collecting a hefty sum of 30,000 livres on the same day.

    The news of the great victory in the Andalusian town quickly spread throughout Tunisia. The natives realized that the seemingly invincible Guards were not unbeatable after all.

    The Oracle had spoken the truth; the degenerate Ottoman people were destined to be cleansed!

    More importantly, it was said that the Rebel Army in the Andalusian town had extracted fifty to sixty thousand livres from the Guards in just three days!

    All were immediately dominated by greed.

    The natives, no longer timid and dreaming of sudden wealth, began attacking the Guards more and more frequently, and soon a sweeping movement took hold.

    Meanwhile, not a single attack on the French people urred in Tunisia¡ªthe Guards were too busy being plundered by the natives to remember their dealings with the British.

    As for the natives, they now all imed to be "Roman Descendants," and naturally they wouldn¡¯t trouble their French brothers who shared the same ancestry. Besides, they were counting on their French brothers to supply them with weapons and equipment for their piging.

    Then there was Zemir, who after clearing out all the Guards in the Andalusian town, began leading his troops to support nearby natives.

    They, being the victorious army with high morale and now some experience, quickly helped five or six towns ovee the Guards¡¯ defenses.

    Within just half a month, Zemir had gathered a force of nearly 4,000 native warriors.

    He had cherry-picked brave and skilled fighters; the cowards had been sent back home.

    Then, under the guidance of a military advisor brought by Isaac, this strongest native army sessfully repelled the Guards dispatched from Tunis City to suppress them and also captured Sousse, the secondrgest city in Tunisia, creating immense resonance.

    Half a monthter, Zemir¡¯s army of 5,000 had reached Tunis City.

    Other native rebel forces also converged from various directions, umting an army of about 20,000 individuals.

    The natives elected Zaganos Bey, supported by Isaac and who had backed all the rebel forces, as their leader, with Zemir as the General,manding all the native armies to surround Tunis City.

    And a week earlier, Joseph had ordered the Guard Corps to retreat to Bizerte, while Murat¡¯s Corps took control of Kairouan Fortress, not getting involved in the looming storm.

    ...

    When the Ottoman Sultan¡¯s envoy Said arrived in Tunisia, he saw nothing but smoke of war everywhere, withrge numbers of the Tunisian Guard killed or expelled, and he even narrowly escaped being robbed by a group of fleeing Guards.

    After learning the situation in Tunisia, he, being a pure-blooded Ottoman, dared not stay long and fled back to his ship as quickly as possible.

    Luckily, the Tunisian Navy had been annihted by the Europeans, so he did not have to worry about natives capturing him at sea.

    However, this meant that his mission from the Sultan, to persuade the Bey of Tunisia to request the Pasha title from the Ottoman, was now impossible toplete.

    And failing toplete the mission could likely lead to execution by the Sultan.

    Reluctant to return to the Ottoman Empire, Said agonized for a long time before realizing that he must find a way to fulfill his task.

    Toplete the task, he first needed to help stabilize the situation for the Tunisian Guard.

    He immediately turned his attention to Algiers, which still wielded influence over the Ottoman Empire. The Guards there were also a branch of the Ottoman Imperial Guard, and they had a tradition of meddling in Tunisian politics. He needed to persuade them to send troops; only then would there be hope for saving his own life.

 Chapter 273 - 215 Siege

    After besieging Tunis City from the north, west, and south, the Tunisian Rebel Forces had surrounded it for three days.

    Gazing at the majestic Tunis City, Zemir, his expression stern, raised his hand and pointed at the Guard formation below, "Signal the attack, begin the final assault!"

    The extended sound of bugles drifted across the miles surrounding the area, as more than ten Rebel Army formations quietly advanced forward under themand of their respective officers.

    Koja, who was in charge ofmanding the Imperial Guard to defend the city, stood in the hignds to the west of the city with a telescope in his hand, frowning and murmuring to himself:

    "That damned fire... Is the great Guard really going to end here?"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    If it were a normal skirmish, even if the rebels were twice the number of his own men, he would be confident in crushing them.

    However, more than half a month ago, the munitions warehouse in Tunis City identally caught fire, which may have been set by the Berbers within the city.

    In any case, more than 70% of the weapons in the warehouse were burned.

    Previously, those Imperial Guard soldiers insisted on returning to live inside Tunis City and, because of the incident with the assassination attempt on the Bey, were not allowed to bring weapons into the city and had to store them in the warehouse.

    After the fire, half of the soldiers faced ack of weaponry and equipment.

    It was at that time rebels from various ces gradually obtained victories and began converging towards Tunis City.

    The pampered high-ranking officers of the Guard inside the city, learning that the armycked weapons, rolled up their valuables and fled towards Tripoli or Egypt, which also affected his soldiers.

    "Less than a week, and over a thousand deserters. These cowardly wretches!"

    Koja shook his head and sighed, "With over a hundred years of umtion for the Guard, if we were firm and courageous in clearing out the rebels, how could we have ended up being surrounded in the city like this?"

    "Pasha?" His adjutant, noticing him in a daze, hurriedly whispered to remind him, "The enemy is getting close."

    Koja nodded and with a casual wave of his hand, ordered, "Fire the cannons."

    "Yes, Pasha."

    In front of the Tunisian Guard¡¯s defense line, around ten cannons roared as their shells, emitting shrill whistles, tore through the indigenous army¡¯s crowds.

    "Ah¡ª"

    Amidst the screams, several bodies shattered by the cannonballs were sted into chunks of flesh and sprays of blood, immediately causing additional chaos within the already disorderly ranks of the indigenous army.

    Those native army officers, who were farmers and peddlers just a short while ago, desperately repressed their own fears, waving their sabers and shouting at their subordinates to maintain order: "Keep the formation!"

    "Don¡¯t panic, and certainly don¡¯t retreat!"

    "Don¡¯t freeze, keep moving forward!"

    With their efforts, the advancing columns barely managed to keep pushing forward. However, the cannons of the Guard rang out again.

    In fact, these solid cannonballs couldn¡¯t cause too much casualties. Even if they hit the military formation at the best angle, they could kill at most about ten people. In most cases, they would take one or two lives, or even miss entirely.

    But the deafening sound of the cannons, along with the fear of being shattered by an unseen shell at any moment, were a severe test of the soldiers¡¯ willpower.

    These native soldiers, who had received no formal training,pletelycked this capability.

    After enduring four or five rounds of cannon fire, the majority of soldiers began uncontrobly turning and fleeing¡ªespecially those covered in blood and brain matter, who ran faster than anyone else.

    The officers in charge of managing them, after a bout of yelling and cursing, found they couldn¡¯t control them at all and also started running back.

    There were a few soldiers who, in a burst of fervor, charged towards enemy positions ready to fight to the death while shouting the Prophet and the Lord¡¯s noble names, only to be met with volleys of fire from the Imperial Guard.

    Two dayster.

    Zemir listened with a gloomy expression as an officer reported the casualties to him, murmuring under his breath, "Over twenty thousand soldiers, a dozen assaults, and not even once could we get within fifty steps of the enemy..."

    He had originally thought that, like the previous battles, they would quickly storm into Tunis City. Yet, in these two days, despite losing more than four hundred men, they hadn¡¯t even touched the first line of defense of the Guard.

    "The cannons! It¡¯s all because of those damned cannons!" he suddenly burst out, furiously clenching his teeth, "If we had cannons, we would surely crush those devils!"

    An officer next to him moved a couple of steps closer and whispered, "General, perhaps we could try asking Pasha Isaac."

    After bing the leader of the Rebel Army, the generous "Zaganos Bey" had reverted to his original name and became Pasha Isaac.

    At twilight, the dimming light caused both sides to temporarily cease hostilities, and the soldiers returned to camp to prepare dinner.

    Zemir, apanied by several main officers, went to the residence of the Rebel Army leader, Pasha Isaac.

    "Cannons?" Isaac frowned and shook his head, "Such things are not easy toe by."

    Zemir pleaded anxiously, "Pasha, the enemy¡¯s cannons pose a great threat to us. If we do not have equivalent weapons, I fear it will be difficult to achieve victory. Please, you must think of a way..."

    "Currently, only the French in all of Tunisia have cannons," Isaac pondered and shook his head, "It¡¯s just, this is a grudge between us Tunisians and the Ottoman Imperial Guard, and it doesn¡¯t really involve them. They might not be willing to help."

    Zemir immediately responded, "How can this not involve them? We are all Roman Compatriots of the same faith. I believe they will not stand by and do nothing!"

    The officers beside him nodded and echoed in agreement.

    Isaac appeared to be persuaded by them, and with reluctance said, "Alright then, let¡¯s go try our ¡¯Roman Compatriots¡¯."

    "That¡¯s right, it would be best if we could ask Elder Aly to join us. His exceptional prestige should be of help."

 Chapter 274 - 215 Siege_2

    "Alright, I will personally beg him!"

    The following day, a Tunisian native "delegation" of over ten people arrived at the location of the Guard Corps, where Bertier warmly received them.

    Elder Aly was now the religious leader of the Tunisian natives and had gained immense prestige and status during this uprising. Regardless of whether he was initially willing, he was now firmly tied to the interests of the Rebel Army and had long since stopped pursuing the matter of someone using his name to issue prophecies.

    On the contrary, he was now actively advocating for the interests of the Rebel Army.

    After he represented the Rebel Army and exined the difficulties they faced and requested patriots" to help, Bertier also sincerely said to him, "Rest assured, we will definitely do our best to help with the suffering of ourpatriots.

    "Not just with cannons, I can also send officers to help youmand the battle. I believe their experience will certainly be very useful."

    This was also a part of Joseph¡¯s n. It was to make the Tunisian natives understand that the Imperial Guard was not defeated by their own strength. Without the "Roman Compatriots" assistance, they would not have been able to achieve victory.

    Upon hearing this, Zemir was immediately moved to tears and was the first to excitedly bow deeply: "We will never forget your kindness! We won¡¯t forget the assistance of our Frenchpatriots!"

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The apanying officers and several of the most prestigious native n leaders also followed in saluting Bertier, repeating their sincere thanks over and over again.

    Outside Tunis City.

    Two artillery toons of the Guard Corps had already mounted six eight-pound cannons in the preset position, with ammunition boxes neatly arranged in rows not far behind.

    "Load the cannon!"

    "Aim!"

    Under themand of each cannon¡¯s chief, the artillerymenpleted their firing preparations skillfully.

    "Fire!"

    After a roar, six cannonballs flew straight towards the Imperial Guard¡¯s artillery position.

    With the inclusion of the Guard Corps¡¯ cannons, the situation on the battlefield immediately took a drastic turn.

    Although they had fewer cannons than the enemy, the level of their artillerymen was streets ahead of the Ottoman People.

    After a few rounds of simple ranging shots, a cannonball urately hit an enemy cannon more than 700 paces away.

    The huge impact force of the cannonball flipped the barrel off its carriage, crushing several Tunisian gunners behind it, and finallynding on rocks more than 20 meters away. The cannon was now deformed and rendered useless.

    As cannonballs continued to fall near the Imperial Guard¡¯s artillery position, the Ottoman Artillerymen were so frightened that they scattered and fled without even bothering to drag their cannons away.

    "Thank God!" Upon seeing this through his binocrs, Zemir was overjoyed and turned to an officer beside him, "Signal the order, prepare for a full frontal assault by all troops!"

    "It may not be appropriate for you to attack in such a hurry," the apanying French officer immediately stopped him.

    "Ah? What do you suggest?"

    The French officer didn¡¯t exin much to Zemir but directly bypassed him, having his orderly officer issue a series ofmands consecutively.

    g signalers continuously waved gs, and the French mid-level officers began rapidly mobilizing the Rebel Army units.

    On the western front, a thin line of infantry columns slowly advanced towards the Imperial Guard¡¯s position¡ªwith the threat of the enemy¡¯s cannons gone, their steps became much steadier.

    At the same time, dozens of Rebel Army columns appeared on the south side of the Imperial Guard¡¯s defensive line, quickly moving towards their nk. The French artillerymen also turned their cannons and began assisting bombardment on the Imperial Guard¡¯s nk.

    "What are they trying to do?" Koja put away his binocrs, surprised in his heart. The rebels hadn¡¯t fired for several days, so howe they suddenly started fighting with strategy?

    He swiftly analyzed the situation, feeling that the enemy force in front was just a diversion and that the main attack direction was his own left nk.

    So, he immediately turned to his adjutant and said, "Signal the order, move Orhan¡¯s men to the left nk to strengthen the defense."

    "Yes, Pasha!"

    Orhan¡¯s thousand men, previously positioned in the front formation, received orders and hastily formed ranks, moving to the left nk.

    At that moment, a rebel army of four to five thousand men appeared on the Imperial Guard¡¯s right wing, forming an infantry line of six rows front to back, slowly pressing towards them.

    Koja was instantly rmed and muttered, frowning, "These cunning fellows, it seems this is their main force!"

    He immediately detached more than five hundred men from the front and also sent half of the reserve corps to the right wing. He moved themand post to the north side as well to facilitatemand at any moment.

    However, the rebel infantry on both wings never advanced within firing range. Instead, a cavalry unit of more than three hundred men suddenly emerged, seizing upon the chaos in the Imperial Guard¡¯s front troops caused by frequent maneuvers, and swiftly galloped towards their several artillery positions.

    These horsemen,posed of nomads, although ignorant of formation and shing techniques, were still quite adept in horsemanship.

    They approached the Imperial Guard¡¯s cannons at great speed and dismounted.

    The leading officer, following the orders received earlier,manded loudly to his men:

    "Mehmet, take your men and destroy the cannons! Everyone else, be on guard around, and watch out for enemy infantry!"

    "Yes!"

    More than forty soldiers immediately brandished their scimitars and formed a defensive line around, remaining alert. Around ten others surrounded the cannons, inserting previously prepared spikes into the touch holes and hammered them down forcefully.

    These iron spikes were extremely difficult to remove, and a cannon with a blocked touch hole was immediately rendered useless.

    Afterpleting these tasks, they leaped back into their saddles and returned to their own camp like the wind.

    Dozens of minutester, the rebel army on all three sides withdrew sessively without engaging in battle with the Imperial Guard. It was only then that Koja finally received a report from his subordinates and learned that his cannons had been destroyed by the rebel troops.

    Zemir was dumbfounded by themand of the French officer¡ªit was almost without directbat, the casualties were negligible, and it took just over half an hour to eliminate all of the Imperial Guard¡¯s cannons!

    It was almost on par with the warlord Sdin[1]!

    If he had known there were such capablepatriots, why would he need tomand blindly himself? Perhaps the Imperial Guard robbers would have been driven out of Tunisia years ago!

    If the French officer knew his thoughts, he probably would feel somewhat chagrined. These were justmon tactics he had often seen in training at the Paris Police Academy, just arranged ording to the battlefield situation, yet now he was being "promoted" to a "warlord"...

    Having lost their cannons, the Imperial Guard became extremely passive.

    The rebels kept bombarding them with cannons, causing casualties that were not significant but the blow to their morale was extremely severe. After all, anyone facing a situation where they could only be hit without being able to fight back would find it hard to keep from copsing.

    Finally, after being tormented by cannons for five days, Koja, before moralepletely dissipated, gathered all his troops andunched a desperate breakout battle against the rebels.

    On the other side, the rebel army had long since formed an extremely dense defensive formation under the orders of the Frenchmander.

    These native soldiers, though not of high military quality, were still capable of firing their guns while standing in ce.

    Taking advantage of their great numerical superiority and with artillery support from behind, they faced the enemy¡¯s frantic counterattack and heroically pushed them back with concentrated fire.

    In the rear of the position, the French officer looked through his binocrs at the scene and let out a long sigh of relief.

    He had also prepared a reserve force of more than 3,000 men behind, just in case these new recruits were breached by the enemy.

    "It looks like, they can still be trusted," the officer said with a smile, turning to the orderly officer beside him, "or perhaps, the enemy¡¯s attack was too slow."

    Upon hearing the officer¡¯s words tranted to him, Zemir approached respectfully and said, "No, respected Pasha, I believe, it¡¯s all thanks to your superbmand!"

    [1]Sdin: Sdin bin Ayyub (1137¨C1193), a Kurd, was a distinguished military and political leader of the medieval period and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt. He became famous in the Christian and Muslim worlds for his military prowess and leadership in the Imic resistance to the Crusades.

    In the West, he is celebrated as a monarch with the "gentlemanly qualities of a knight"; while in Egypt and the Arab world, he is honored as a "national hero."

 Chapter 275 - 216 Provincial Governments and Colonies

    The Tunisian Guard left a trail of corpses as they retreated. The Rebel Army immediatelyunched a counterattack under themand of a French officer.

    Seeing this, Zemir drew his curved sword and charged onto the battlefield, leading his soldiers in pursuit of the fleeing Ottoman People, shouting orders.

    Although the tens of thousands of Rebel Army soldiers surged forward in disarray, with no semnce of formation or order, the Imperial Guard hadpletely lost their will to fight at this point, merely trying to flee headlong, which meant the battle quickly turned into a one-sided massacre.

    More than two hourster, nearly all of the Tunisian Guards had been driven to a small area to the north of the city. Koja saw that the situation was hopeless and had no choice but to order his men toy down their weapons and surrender.

    The Rebel soldiers, bloodthirsty from their fighting, showed no mercy to the Imperial Guard officers shouting "surrender," until Zemir personally intervened to stop the carnage.

    By this time, of the tens of thousands of Imperial Guard, only about 7,000 remained, including Koja and other senior officers who were hacked to death.

    Zemir left some soldiers to guard the prisoners and led the main force to storm into Tunis City.

    The flourishing capital of Tunisia was quickly taken by the Rebel Army. The Imperial Guard inside the city had long fled. The native inhabitants ran out into the streets, loudly cheering and celebrating the Rebel Army.

    Soon, thousands of Rebel soldiers had Ksar Hel Pcepletely surrounded. Zemir, with his officers and the high-ranking members of the native tribes, marched straight into the pce.

    Under the protection of the Police Affairs Department operatives from Prusper, a trembling Haji came to the pce entrance. Before he could say anything, the rowdy shouts of the Rebel soldiers erupted around him:

    "Execute him!"

    "Kill that Ottoman!"

    "Kill him, he¡¯s part of the Imperial Guard too!"

    "Decapitate..."

    Haji turned ashen with fear. He never expected that he would face the prospect of death before he had even settled into the role of Bey.

    Zemir and the high-ranking natives exchanged silent nces, each giving a slight nod.

    He drew his curved sword, adjusted his headscarf, and walked toward Haji:

    "You Ottoman dog, your blood must pay for the sins you¡¯vemitted!"

    Haji watched the blood-stained de with terror, staggering backward, but Zemir closed the distance in a few steps, lifting his sword high.

    At the critical moment, a loud call came from the back of the crowd:

    "Spare him under the sword!"

    Zemir and others turned to see the French consul in Tunisia, Joan, apanied by Elder Aly, schrs including Xda, and several French officers, pushing their way through the native soldiers.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Zemir and the tribal leaders quickly bowed respectfully to the group of more than ten, and then heard Joan speaking fluent Arabic:

    "Honorable General Zemir, I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding."

    "Ah? What are you saying?"

    Joan bowed to Haji:

    "The Bey is the Bey, he is neither part of the Imperial Guard nor an Ottoman."

    The natives looked at each other, puzzled. They remembered the first Bey Hussein had been an officer of the Ottoman Imperial Guard who had ousted the previous leader of the Guard and then seized control over Tunisia, didn¡¯t they?

    How could he not be one now?

    Joan immediately exined, following the orders of the Crown Prince:

    "The Bey is the ruler of Tunisia; he belongs only to Tunisia, not to the Ottoman Empire. Strictly speaking, it was the Imperial Guard who betrayed him by secretly conspiring with the Ottomans and persecuting the Roman Descendants of Tunisia!"

    He gestured to Haji again:

    "Haji Bey¡¯s grandmother was Genoese, and his mother was a Toucouleur. Even if there is some Ottoman blood in him, it is very diluted by now."

    Upon hearing this, Haji wiped his brow secretly, relieved that his grandfather and father had not strictly followed the tradition of the Guard for the sake of lust; otherwise, he would have certainly been doomed today.

    Joan looked at Haji again, loudly saying:

    "Is that not so, esteemed Bey?"

    Haji snapped to attention, seizing thisst chance to save his life, nodding vigorously:

    "Yes, yes! I am forever a Tunisian, a... oh, a proud Roman Descendant! I have nothing to do with those damned Ottomans!"

    A n leader frowned and voiced an objection:

    "But the Bey is also a Pasha, conferred by the Ottomans."

    Joan immediately waved his hand:

    "That was under the threat of the Ottomans. Moreover, Haji Bey has never epted the conferment."

    Haji kept nodding:

    "Yes, yes! I will never be a Pasha for the Ottomans!"

    Zemir and the n leaders exchanged puzzled looks again. Seeing this, Joan covertly signaled Elder Aly.

    Thetter stepped forward and spoke in a melodious tone:

    "Gentlemen, the Bey was a ruler recognized and served by all tribes. He is not an Ottoman, nor should he be subjected to your betrayal."

    Isaac stepped forward from behind Zemir, bowing respectfully to Haji:

    "I will always be loyal to you, great Bey."

    Seeing the Rebel leader set a precedent, the n leaders hurriedly followed suit in pledging their loyalty to Haji, quickly followed by the officers.

    Finally, including Zemir, the thousands of natives present bowed to Haji. Thetter finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Joan and the others who had saved his life with immense gratitude.

    Southern Bizerte.

    In a vi guarded by the Swiss Guards in their red uniforms, Joseph yawned and moved the "knight" on his hand, taking a ck "pawn" off the chessboard.

    Having promised the queen to "stay on the ship," he couldn¡¯t go anywhere and had to spend his time in the "wooden ship" of this house, ying chess to pass time.

 Chapter 276 - 216: Provinces and Colonies_2

    Bertier, sitting opposite, pushed his "rook" forward three squares, hesitated, and then voiced the doubt in his heart:

    "Your Highness, why do you care so much about the Bey of Tunisia? I mean, it might not be a bad choice to let the rioters vent their anger on him."

    Joseph moved his "queen," saving his "knight":

    "Haji has worked with us after all, even if it was for revenge and to reim his beloved. Morally speaking, we should not just ignore him like this. Besides, although he doesn¡¯t wield much actual power, he is still a symbolic figure in Tunisia. Various decrees are issued in his name from the Ksar Hel Pce, and they are executed more swiftly.

    If he were to die, who knows how long it would take for the locals in Tunisia to bnce the interests of all parties and produce a government."

    What he didn¡¯t say was that as Haji had little capability, he was easier to manage. If a Tunisian native with exceptional methods and strategies came to power, it would indeed be troublesome.

    Bertier, holding a chess piece, nodded continuously:

    "Your Highness¡¯s concerns are indeed very necessary. I thought too simplistically."

    Joseph smiled and said:

    "Additionally, having a Bey prevents the possibility of a military dictatorship from arising, and it facilitates the future merger of Tunisia with France."

    Bertier was somewhat surprised:

    "You mean, Tunisia will not be a colony of France, but... a province?"

    "I do have this intention. That¡¯s why from the beginning, I¡¯ve been promoting identification with France here."

    "But, Your Highness," Bertier hesitated, "wouldn¡¯t that cost be too high?"

    People ofter generations often think of colonies as ces full of bloody oppression, with exorbitant taxes reaching the sky and everywhere people cannot make ends meet.

    In reality, for the most part, colonies are only subject to some trade restrictions, such as being prohibited from buying certain goods or forbidden to sell to certain parties. The tax rates aren¡¯t too high, for example, the various taxes in the United States before independence were even lower than in the mother country Ennd.

    The biggest difference between a colony and a non-colony lies in the investment¡ªa colony¡¯s taxes, no matter how low, end up being spent on the mother country. The colonies do not receive any construction funds, and there are no funds for disaster relief when trouble arises, inevitably leading to local resentment.

    At the same time, if problems arise in a colony, the mother country can easily abandon it without any psychological burden.

    Therefore, the investment in building a province is actually much higher than that in a colony.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Joseph looked at the chessboard, somewhat reluctantly using his "rook" to take the opposing "knight" and "pawn" and nodded:

    "You are right. This means we will need to invest a considerable amount of capital into Tunisia, especially in the early stages." He shifted his tone, "However, it¡¯s also worth it. Tunisia is rich in natural resources and has fertilend; at the same time, it possesses excellently located harbors. If developed, we can quickly recoup our initial investment.

    Moreover, in the future, it may be an important economic pir for France!"

    He was very aware of the significance of North Africa for France inter times. Even without proper development, North Africa had once been the foundation for France¡¯s status as a great world power.

    In the 20th century, thest respectable president of France, Chirac, once said, "Without Africa, France would descend into a third-rate country."

    At present, for France topete with Ennd, simply plundering resources from North Africa waspletely unfeasible, as this region was nowhere as vast as Ennd¡¯s colonies in the Americas and India.

    Since it couldn¡¯t win in terms of quantity, it had topete in quality.

    To develop Tunisia into a core area for France, achieving a level of productivity close to that of European territories. Such a region¡¯s contribution to national power would be iparable to that of the Americas or the Far East.

    Joseph looked at Bertier and continued:

    "Do you know,pared to Ennd, North Africa has an unparalleled advantage for our Spanish colonies¡ªthat is, it¡¯s very close to us? Marseille and Bizerte Port are separated by only a rtively narrow Mediterranean. Starting from Corsica, even the slower ships take only three days to reach Tunisia, which is even shorter than the journey from Lyon to Paris."

    "The British are destined to lose America because orders sent from London take more than forty days to reach Phdelphia. Simrly, by the time the British learn of any trouble over there, it would be a month and a halfter."

    "Mark my words, India will also break from Ennd in the future, because it¡¯s also a very distant ce."

    "But Tunisia is different. As long as we firmly establish ourselves here, nobody can separate it from France¡¯s embrace."

    In his mind, he added: unless there is an awakening of national consciousness here, leading to internal demands for independence. Therefore, while the storm of national awakening has not yet spread through Europe, it is imperative to quickly cultivate a sense of identity between France and Tunisia¡ªthen it will indeed be solid as a rock.

    Of course, apart from identifying with the notion of mon ancestry," encouraging more French people to relocate to Tunisia is the most reliable approach.

    After all, Tunisia currently has a poption of less than 1.8 million, of which several hundred thousand are of European descent. With the right immigration policies, it wouldn¡¯t take many years for the region to be physically synonymous withmon ancestry.

    Bertier had previously only known the Crown Prince for his exceptional military and strategic insight and his dazzling political acumen. He had not expected him to have such a profound understanding of international dynamics as well. The words "blessed by the gods" came once again to mind.

    Aside from that reason, he found himself at a loss to exin how a young Crown Prince could possess so many advanced perspectives and strategies.

    His thoughts were turbulent, but his hands didn¡¯t stop moving as he pushed the "pawn" forward several squares and softly said:

    "Your Highness, General."

    Joseph inspected the chessboard and said with a helpless smile:

    "It seems like a checkmate. Your chess skills are really amazing."

    "You are too kind," Bertier replied as he tidied up the chess pieces, and casually mentioned, "Speaking of chess, a Hungarian named Kemperlen invented a machine called ¡¯The Turk.¡¯ It¡¯s a machine that ys chess. I yed against it once and was beaten after only 14 moves."

    That amazing? Joseph¡¯s first thought was "AlphaGo," but he immediately dismissed the idea¡ªhow could there be artificial intelligence in an era when even the steam engine wasn¡¯t perfected?

    He then remembered seeing something about it on a forum. It was eventually exposed as a hoax¡ªsomeone was hiding inside the machine, controlling the chess pieces with mas.

    So he gave the Chief of Staff a knowing wink:

    "Lieutenant Colonel Bertier, I can tell you a secret to easily defeat that ¡¯Turk.¡¯"

    As they were speaking, Doctor Perna knocked on the door and entered, greeting each of them before nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress:

    "Your Highness, Commander, I¡¯ve heard that many soldiers in the legion have recentlye down with dysentery. Perhaps, I can be of assistance."

    In this era, female doctors were not at all epted. Perna was only able to serve beside the open-minded Joseph. Having been unable to help with anything in Tunisia and having been taken care of by His Highness due to seasickness on the way there, she now wanted to do something to prove her worth.

    Joseph nodded: "On behalf of the soldiers, I thank you, Doctor Perna. However, you will need to dress as a man first."

    "Yes! Thank you, Your Highness!"

    ...

    Paris.

    Royal Pce.

    The Duke of Orleans, basking in the sunlight by the window, was leisurely reading thetest issue of the "Paris News." The paper reported some events in Tunisia, although the specifics were unclear, it was said that the region had fallen into chaos, and fires of war were spreading everywhere.

    Obviously, the inexperienced Crown Prince had messed things up!

    He hummed a dance tune happily and nced up to see his son passing in front of the window.

    He felt something amiss with Philippe and quickly rubbed his eyes before calling his son over for a closer look.

    Under the bright sunlight, there wererge red bumps on his neck, and his left eye was also severely inmed.

    The Duke of Orleans immediately furrowed his brows and asked with concern:

    "Philippe, are you ill?"

    The Duke of Chartres replied with an unconcerned smile:

    "Nothing serious, just the disease of the god of love, dear father."

    Upon hearing this, the Duke of Orleans was struck as if by lightning, freezing in ce¡ªthe so-called "disease of the god of love" was a euphemism the nobility used for syphilis.

 Chapter 277 - 217: Battle Meeting

    In a tightly shut room on the second floor of the Royal Pce, Lady Sangbellon shrank in fear.

    Just over ten minutes ago she had been basking in the excitement of receiving an invitation from the Duke of Orleans, but now she was quivering anxiously, muttering, "Your Grace, I didn¡¯t... It was the Duke of Chartres who came to me on his own initiative... And truly, I didn¡¯t know I had contracted that kind of disease."

    Her skin was smooth, showing no difort, indeed she had yet to enter the second stage of syphilis¡ªmany people with robust constitutions don¡¯t develop noticeable symptoms until two years after bing infected.

    The Duke of Chartres tried tofort his own father, "Father, there¡¯s no shame in the disease of love, even the great Francis I had it..."

    "Shut up!"

    The Duke of Orleans interrupted him with a roar and then red fiercely at Lady Sangbellon, "Tell me exactly what happened."

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "It was... it was yourmand to hook... to find Crown Prince on that day, you know, I failed, he ignored me. Then, the Duke of Chartres suddenly burst in..."

    Half an hourter, the Duke of Orleans, angry, was pounding on the desk with his fist, and shards of teacups and incense burners littered the floor of the study.

    "It¡¯s all that damn Louis Joseph!" His eyes were bloodshot as he muttered through gritted teeth, "He must have learned of Sangbellon¡¯s wife¡¯s illness in advance and intentionally lured Philippe into that room!"

    "Yes, it must be so!"

    From that day on, the legitimate heir of the Duke of Orleans had at most twenty years left to live, or even just ten.

    Syphilis, in this era, was a terrifying, incurable disease.

    He grabbed the pen holder and threw it fiercely to the ground, uttering a beast-like growl, "I swear, I will not let you off, I will tear you all to pieces! To shreds! Even if I have to stake everything I have!"

    ...

    North Africa.

    Algiers, Mitidja.

    The British consul in Tunisia, Hollis, dejectedly signed the handover documents and then bowed dismissively to the consul in Algiers, Stuart, "The North African affairs are now yours, farewell Sir Stuart."

    The shocking news of the upheaval in Tunisia had reached London, and thereafter a special envoy of the Duke of Leeds, the Foreign Minister, rushed to Algiers and announced that Stuart would take over all Tunisian affairs.

    Hollis could onlyment his poor luck¡ªhe had done everything he could, who would have guessed the natives would suddenly revolt, showing extreme fondness for the French.

    At twilight, Hollis was alone in the hotel, packing his bags, ready to board the ship back to Ennd the next morning.

    "Retiring like this isn¡¯t too bad," he shook his head andughed self-deprecatingly, "I can enjoy fishing back in my Worcester hometown for the rest of my life."

    The sound of the door being pushed open came from behind. Thinking it was the servant, he turned his head and said, "Jamie, how many times have I told you, don¡¯t always ask me about the carriage..."

    He suddenly froze. The personing in wasn¡¯t Jamie, but a tall man in ck.

    "Who are you?"

    "Mr. Hollis, your handling of affairs has been quite terrible," the man in ck said in a low voice after closing the door.

    Hollis was startled, "What, what are you doing?"

    The man in ck, massaging his wrist, approached slowly, "Your own incitement of the Tunisian nobles to attack the French will cause much trouble for the government."

    "No, that was under the instructions of the Duke of Leeds..." Hollis trailed off, then froze, "Did he send you?"

    The man in ck didn¡¯t respond, only swiftly restrained him and looped a cord around his neck.

    The next morning, the innkeeper, after repeatedly reminding the Englishman it was time to board the ship and receiving no response, reluctantly opened the door, only to find the man hanging from the window frame.

    ...

    Stuart was utterly unaware that his former colleague had already passed on to the heavens. He had to fulfill his task of preventing France from gaining a foothold in Tunisia as much as possible.

    He was preparing to visit the Dey of Algiers¡ªthe ruler here¡ªwhen an envoy of the Ottoman Sultan, Mr. Said, made his way to the conste before him.

    In the reception room, therge middle-aged man with a standard Ottoman-era mustache and garb nodded at Stuart, "Respected Consul, I presume you are already aware of the terrible rebellion in Tunisia."

    Stuart immediately thought of something, hurriedly asked the servant to bring coffee, and invited the Ottoman man to sit, "Indeed, s, it was a tragedy. I heard the Tunisians are publicly advocating to break away from the Ottoman Empire."

    Said nodded, "I believe our two nations have amon interest concerning the situation in Tunisia.

    "Clearly, should France acquire Tunisian ports, Britain¡¯s trade in the Mediterranean would be immediately disadvantaged."

    Stuart stirred his coffee with a silver spoon, calmly inquiring, "And what is your opinion?

    "We could jointly suggest that Algiers send troops to suppress the rebellion in Tunisia, perhaps restoring order."

    Said leaned in, "I¡¯ve heard that Britain has hired a force of Albanian mercenaries to assist Algiers against the French.

    "If the Algiers Guard also dispatches a troop, they could quickly defeat the French forces in Tunisia. There should only be about 3,000 Frenchmen there."

    Stuart remainedposed, "Firstly, your intelligence is outdated. Tunisia has 6,000 French soldiers.

    "Secondly, what can you and your Empire offer for this suppression effort?"

    Said immediately revealed a smile,

    "I can request on behalf of the Sultan that Dey of Algiers deploy troops. As you know, this would greatly diminish the opposition from the members of the Algiers Council."

 Chapter 278 - 217: Battle Meeting_2

    Algiers, unlike Tunis where the Imperial Guard has centralized power, is home to three political forces: the natives, the navy, and the Imperial Guard. They all seek the support of the Ottoman Empire, so they are quite attentive to the Sultan¡¯s stance.

    Said continued, "Once Tunis¡¯ order is restored, I believe the great Sultan will surely consider granting the British the monopoly on trade there."

    The British consul¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, "In fact, I¡¯m very interested in your proposal."

    Said rotated his wrist in an arc, his face showing difficulty, "It¡¯s just that, I¡¯m afraid this uprising suppression might still require some funds..."

    Stuart immediately said:

    "I can offer some assistance in this regard. 300,000 British Pounds, enough to finish this war."

    Said was overjoyed and bowed slightly, "I believe our two countries can be the guardians of order in Tunisia."

    The two then detailed their collusion and afterward proceeded together to the residence of the Dey of Algiers.

    Three dayster, the "Divan" of Algiers, which is the Congress, held a plenary session.

    The Algiers Guard was very sympathetic to the plight of their patriots" in Tunis who suffered in the native uprising, so they immediately mored to send troops to Tunisia to crush the rebellion and save the Imperial Guard.

    In fact, ever since Hussein led the Imperial Guard to take control of Tunisia, they have actively participated in every political change in Tunisia, enjoying tremendous benefits from it.

    The navy immediately expressed agreement.

    Previously, after the Combined Fleet had sunk their ships and captured the sailors, they had been plotting revenge.

    Now, with France obtaining ports in Tunisia, the threat to them had be much more severe, so they naturally wanted to attack Tunisia as soon as possible.

    Only the native forces of Algiers were reluctant to get involved in this war.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    However, they were already the weakest in the "Divan," and after receiving guidance from the special emissary of the Ottoman Sultan, as well as the promise of several hundred thousand British Pounds for military support from Ennd, they also fell silent.

    Eventually, Dey Sukhray Ali Tuwus of Algiers, after obtainingmand over the Albanian mercenaries and tacit approval from the British for piging Tunisia, dered that 11,000 troops from the Imperial Guard would be dispatched, along with 12,000 mercenaries, to suppress the uprising in Tunisia and restore the Imperial Guard¡¯s rule there.

    ...

    Paris.

    Pce of Versailles, Petit Trianon Pce.

    Queen Mary asked her maid anxiously, "Has Baron Weymorel set off?"

    Countess Debreninac bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. He left before dawn, and he should already be close to Provins by now."

    "Good, that¡¯s good."

    The Queen caressed her chest, but her heart was still racing.

    Last week, good news came from Tunisia, stating that the Crown Prince had ousted the Tunisian Guard hostile to France, and Tunisia had once again be a paradise for France.

    Overjoyed, she had even agreed to her son¡¯s request tond in Tunisia to see its unique scenery.

    However,st night another warning arrived from Algiers, stating that the "Divan" of Algiers had decided to dispatch an army of 23,000 to intervene in the Tunisian situation.

    Sick with worry about her precious son potentially being caught in the crossfire, she wrote a personal letter overnight and dispatched themander of the Imperial Guard to rush to Tunisia and bring back the Crown Prince.

    The door opened, and the Minister of War, the Navy Minister, and Chief Minister Brian entered in quick session.

    The Queen didn¡¯t wait for the men to perform their bows but immediately said anxiously, "Have you heard about the situation in Tunisia? I need to ensure the Crown Prince¡¯s safety now!"

    As she spoke, she also murmured softly, "I should never have let him go there. Oh God, the ce is full of savages..."

    Marquis Saint Priest and the Navy Minister exchanged a nce, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, if the troops in Tunisia immediately cover His Highness¡¯s retreat, there should be no danger.

    "However, most of the 6,000 men sent there are newly formed corps. In case, I mean just in case, they are slow to act and get blocked by Algiers¡¯ forces in Tunisia, I fear..."

    Queen Mary said anxiously, "What should be done? Oh, you must dispatch troops to Tunisia to support the Crown Prince immediately!"

    "Your wish is mymand," Marquis Saint Priest bowed and then tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, what about the funding?"

    "No matter the cost, let Archbishop Brienne allocate the funds to you. I want you to deploy the troops immediately!"

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    ...

    Tunisia.

    Joseph sat in a tent on the beach, eating freshly grilled seafood, while discussing the document in hand with Joan, "Do you know how many white ves the natives of Tunisia have?"

    "The exact figures have not beenpiled yet, Your Highness. However, the wealth of Tunisia is concentrated in the hands of the Guard, and it¡¯s rare for the Berbers and Arab descendants to afford white ves. I estimate there are at most a few hundred," Joan replied.

    "That¡¯s good," Joseph nodded, "then have the Tunisian government pay to redeem them. As for the white ves previously owned by the Guard, they will be granted freedom directly."

    ording to earlier estimates, there were tens of thousands of white ves in Tunisia, which meant Europeans who had been kidnapped by pirates. Most of these people were Christians who, after many years away from home, were unlikely to return to Europe, naturally bing a strong immigrant backbone for France in Tunisia.

    Joan promptly noted down on thest page of the "White ve Survival Bill", "This may cost hundreds of thousands of livres, Your Highness."

    "It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s worth it," Joseph then asked, "By the way, how is the preparation for the official examination going?"

    "It is being systematically prepared. Mr. Xda said that the examination could start at the beginning of next month at thetest."

    Joseph nodded. The bureaucratic system of the Tunisian Guard had beenpletely destroyed, and Tunisia needed a new regime.

    Joseph saw this as an opportunity to test a model of bureaucratic examination and recruitment. It was somewhat akin to the civil service examination ofter generations.

    Of course, in addition to subjects like humanities, management, and science, there were nearly half the questions on general knowledge about France and content rted to "Roman identity."

    The sybus for the examination had been announced, and now it was time for "to strive for virtue and knowledge to serve."

    Once there was enough experience with the civil service exam here, it would be an important reference for his implementation of bureaucratic reform in France.

    While Joseph and Joan were speaking, Isaac arrived in a hurry with a special agent from the Police Affairs Department.

    Several soldiers of the Swiss Guard immediately intercepted them and began a thorough search.

    Joseph waved to the Swiss men with a smile, "That¡¯s unnecessary, let them through."

    Coming forward, Isaac bowed and said urgently, "Your Highness, this is Weili, who has just arrived from Algiers. He has brought intelligence that Daye Tuwus of Algiers has amassed an army of 23,000, preparing to invade Bizerte from Annaba."

    "Oh?!" Joseph abruptly stood up, frowning as he asked, "When did this happen?"

    "About six days ago, Your Highness."

    Considering themunication speed of the era, for intelligence from Mitidja to arrive in Tunis City in less than a week was exceptionally efficient.

    "Inform the senior officers of the Guard Corps and Murat¡¯s Corps to immediately convene a war council. Oh, and have them bring along a few officers from the Tunisian Guard as well."

    As Joseph was about to leave, Isaac added, "Your Highness, speaking of the Tunisian Guard, the confessions obtained from the imprisoned Guard officers these past few days indicate that the British were the ones stirring them up to attack the French. The British also provided substantial funds as payment for the assault."

    Joseph narrowed his eyes slightly; he had long suspected that the agitators were to me, and now it had been confirmed.

    He instructed Isaac, "Write a detailed report on this matter and have it sent back to the Pce of Versailles."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Two hourster, in a vi not far from Ksar Hel Pce, Bertier, Andre, and over a dozen other officers stood erect beside the wide conference table, taking off their hats to salute the Crown Prince with due respect.

    Joseph returned the salute and then turned to look at the conference table, which was clearly newly made ¡ª Tunisians did not use such tables ¡ª and asked Eman, "Would you mind removing this table and recing it with one that can amodate a sand table?"

 Chapter 279 - 218: Swift Resolution

    The officers looked at the luxurious conference table being moved away with perplexity, reced by an ordinary small wooden table.

    Joseph pointed to the room they were in, with its pirs and ceiling adorned withplex geometric patterns and tapestries hanging on the walls, and said to the crowd:

    "I hope that from now on, ourbat meetings will all be held in the army¡¯s tents. Please remember, our task is to fight wars, and to win wars. Thus, every action we take and everything around us must be rted tobat. Pleasure and disy can wait until after the war is won, and we talk about it back in Paris."

    At present, the officers throughout the European army were full of aristocratic airs, such as hosting wine parties and banquets amidst the smoke of the battlefield, and there were even those whomanded battles with mistresses in tow.

    The Crown Prince¡¯s Guard Corps had been quite restrained in this aspect, but still retained some of the old habits. Joseph had to remind them in daily minutiae to eradicate this bad practicepletely.

    This was not just about focusing an officer¡¯s mind more onbat, but also about eliminating as much as possible the barrier between soldiers and officers, so that they fully trust and admire their officers.

    The officers from the Paris Police Academy were not at all surprised by the Crown Prince¡¯s demands¡ªthey were used to training like this.

    The ones least ustomed, of course, were from Murat¡¯s Corps, but they still followed Bertier and the Police Academy officers, bowing and responding loudly, "Yes, Your Highness."

    Subsequently, over ten high-ranking officers brought over ordinary wooden chairs and sat around the sand table in the middle of the room.

    The sand table was personally supervised by the top European cartographer Bertier, very detailed and precise.

    Joseph nodded to Bertier and took the seat furthest to the side¡ªhe was well aware of his own level, having cram-studied military courses at the Paris Police Academy for less than a year.

    When it came to specificmand inbat, he still had to rely on real experts like Bertier¡ªthe main significance of his being here was to boost morale and to maintain unity among officers of different backgrounds.

    Bertier took to the front, reiterated the situation in Algiers, and then said:

    "ording to intelligence, it¡¯s clear that the British and Ottomans are behind this incident. So their goal is not merely to restore the rule of the Imperial Guard, but also to take advantage of our unstable foothold in Tunisia to drive us out from here." He looked around at the officers with a serious expression, "Looking at the overall situation, it is very unfavorable to us.

    First of all, the People of Algiers began preparing for war at least six days ago, and in this regard, we are significantly behind them.

    "Furthermore, theirbat forces have 23,000 men, while we only have over 7,000 soldiers here. Even if we include Zemir¡¯s native corps, at most we can muster 12,000 men. We are still at a disadvantage in terms of manpower. And, as I believe everyone is aware, thebat effectiveness of native soldiers is not to be relied upon."

    All the officers nodded slightly upon hearing this. After the Rebel Army took Tunis City, many troops disbanded on the spot, especially the native tribal soldiers. They were, after all, just peasants who followed along to loot the Imperial Guard¡¯s wealth, but once the fighting was over, they had to return home to tend their fields.

    Currently, only about 15,500 remained, and many of these were needed to maintainw and order throughout various locations in Tunis.

    "As for thebat capabilities of the enemy forces," Bertier continued, "Albanian mercenaries are a core force highly regarded within the Ottoman army. Although those who came to Algiers might notpare with the Ottoman elite forces, and are mixed with some Bosnians, they are clearly not to be underestimated."

    He gestured towards the guards at the door: "Regarding the strength of the Algiers Guard, these men from the Tunisian Guard probably know it best. Please bring them in."

    The soldiers immediately escorted three Tunisian Guard officers into the meeting room.

    Bertier looked at them and asked, "In your view, how does thebat effectiveness of the Algiers Guardpare with yours?"

    An older Guard officer looked around nervously before cautiously answering, "Pasha, they are far stronger than us. They often recruit soldiers from Anatolia[Note 1] and maintain drills five days a week."

    Another Guard officer added, "Some of their weapons are even better than those of the Sultan¡¯s army."

    The French officers seemed to grow more somber upon hearing this, it was clear that their opponent would not be as easy to defeat as the Tunisian Guard had been.

    Joseph, however, was not surprised¡ªAlgiers was a muchrger country than Tunisia and was contested by three different powers. If their Guard had not been progressive, they would have long been devoured by the other two forces.

    "So, this could very well be a tough battle."

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Murat¡¯s Corps Commander Andre motioned for the three Guard officers to be taken away, then pointed to the Oued Medjerda river on the map, northwest of Tunis City:

    "In the face of inferior troop strength, it¡¯s best that we rely on river defenses. The enemy¡¯s target is definitely Tunis City, and as long as we hold this line, they can never im victory."

    The Oued Medjerda river runs from northeast to southwest across the entirety of Tunisia. To the south lies the highest peak of the As Mountains, Tunis Mountain. To take Tunis City, crossing this river is a necessity.

    Setting up a defense along this river is indeed the most prudent strategy.

    No sooner had Andre finished speaking than several officers nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 280 - 218: Swift Resolution_2

    Bertier frowned slightly, "But both Bizerte and Kairouan, on the north side, are on the northern shore of the Oued Medjerda. If we arrange our defenses along this river, we will essentially be handing these ces over to the enemy."

    The officers immediately turned their heads to look at him: "What is your suggestion, then?"

    Bertier tapped the western side of Bizerte with his finger: "To enter Tunis from Annaba, one must pass through here¡ªFerrieres, between Lake Ichkeul and Lake Bizerte. Here, we can ambush the People of Algiers!"

    Andre frowned, "But, Lieutenant Colonel, that¡¯s a in. If we choose this ce, we will have to face an enemy many times our own number head-on."

    In his words, he had already automatically ignored Zemir¡¯s indigenous forces.

    An officer from the police academy immediately said, "But it¡¯s the only way to save Bizerte."

    The officer next to him nodded in agreement: "Losing Bizerte will encourage the remnants of the Tunisian Guard and bring us more trouble."

    Someone who opposed raised their voice: "Have you considered that, by deciding the battle on the in, we will have no chance to retreat if the situation turns against us?"

    The officer from the police academy was unyielding:

    "The enemy sweeping through Bizerte will cause severe damage there. If we can¡¯t demonstrate our ability to protect Tunis, the prestige we¡¯ve just established among the locals will bepletely destroyed."

    "Perhaps we should ask Paris to allocate more troops."

    "That could take one or two months, or even longer. Who knows what changes will ur in the battle situation during that time."

    "And the finances may not allow for furtherrge-scale troop deployments either."

    "So defending along the Oued Medjerda is still the most feasible option."

    "I think we can definitely give Ferrieres a try!"

    The two sides holding different opinions argued more and more fiercely. For a time, no one could persuade the other.

    Just at this moment, Joseph suddenly stood up, interrupting the incessantly arguing sides: "I want to know where our logistical support ising from?"

    Bertier immediately said, "Your Highness, it is mainly orchestrated by Mister Agadon and the chamber ofmerce, and a small part is carried by our fleet from Corsica."

    "And the transportation to the front lines?"

    "We can leave that to the local forces. We¡¯ll send a battalion to oversee."

    Joseph immediately frowned: "Gentlemen, forgive my bluntness, but we probably only have one choice, and that is a quick resolution.

    "Right now, Tunis doesn¡¯t even have an effective government in operation. The collection of food and supplies may encounter problems at any time. Moreover, the Imperial Guard will do everything in their power to disrupt our logistical transportation.

    "As soon as we get stuck in a stalemate, logistics will be the death of us!"

    Upon hearing this, Bertier¡¯s face lit up with joy: "Your Highness¡¯s concern is absolutely necessary. Then, we shall confirm our position in Ferrieres."

    Joseph, however, fell into contemtion: "If I am not mistaken, the People of Algiers will also be ready to fight us there."

    "That is very likely, Your Highness."

    "Then the numerical disadvantage would cause us significant losses." Joseph shook his head slightly. The Guard Corps was his painstakingly built foundation, and he couldn¡¯t afford to squander it in North Africa.

    Andre hesitated, "Your Highness, it seems that you agree with my opinion?"

    "No." Joseph waved his hand, then stared at the intersection of Algiers and Tunis on the map for a while, suddenly revealing a smile, "We need to surprise the enemy. For instance, by resolving them in Annaba!"

    Annaba was the easternmost province of Algiers. The officers in the conference room looked at each other in surprise.

    ...

    Paris.

    Petit Trianon Pce.

    Queen Mary nearly forgot her decorum, her hands clenched into fists as she said loudly to Brian in front of her, "Does this mean that the troops heading to North Africa haven¡¯t set off yet?"

    "That, I¡¯m afraid, is the case, Your Majesty," Brian said with his head lowered, "You know the current financial situation. The 4 million livres needed by Marquis de Saint-Veran can¡¯t be disbursed immediately..."

    He hurriedly added, "The funds are ready, but due to therge sum, the Bank of France Reserve wants to pay with banknotes, and the military insists on silver coins. The exchange will take some time."

    The Queen took a deep breath, obviously suppressing her anger, "It has been 5 days, and he still hasn¡¯t left the camp. The People of Algiers could harm Joseph at any moment!"

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Brian carefully said, "Your Majesty, arge-scale troop mobilization requires considerable preparation time. The People of Algiers are likely the same; they probably haven¡¯t left the country either."

    Queen Mary practically spat the words through her teeth, "Go tell Marquis Saint Priest that Marquis de Saint-Veran¡¯s army must arrive in Tunisia before the People of Algiers. I will sincerely thank him for his hard work."

    ...

    Algiers.

    East of Annaba.

    A fully-equipped Ottoman army of over ten thousand was advancing slowly.

    In the middle of the column, Commander Caheller of the interfering army of Algiers looked at the intelligence report that he had just received, a smug smile on his face, and tossed the piece of paper to an Aide-de-camp beside him, his deputy:

    "The British have clearly overestimated the French Army. They were still resupplying in Tunis City 4 days ago and are estimated to set off only in the next few days."

    This was sent by the remnants of the Tunisian Guard within Tunisia. The content was very reliable.

    Thetter looked over the intel and turned to say:

    "General, judging by their deployment, they are likely positioning their defenses around the Oued Medjerda river area."

    "Are you saying it¡¯s difficult to attack there?" Caheller snorted, "Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter how long we fight since the British are paying. Bizerte is very wealthy. In the meantime, we can transport all its riches back to Mitidja."

    However, the tall military officer on the other side said solemnly:

    "General, based on the scouting from the day before yesterday, it seems the Tunisians are preparing to cross the Oued Medjerda river from the north of Kairouan. This might be a preparation to engage with our forces near Bizerte."

    The attendant scoffed dismissively, "That rabble of despicable mobs doesn¡¯t know how to fight. On the ins of Bizerte, we can easily tear them to shreds. Those Tunisian Guards are useless, to be defeated by such riffraff."

    But Caheller instructed:

    "We also need to be cautious of Tunisian ambushes. Pass the order, double our scouts, and find the main force of the Tunisian rebels as quickly as possible."

    The tall officer looked back with some puzzlement:

    "General, I¡¯m curious why those rebels don¡¯t join forces with the French? It clearly weakens them both, making them unable to confront us head-on."

    Caheller corrected, "Evenbined, they don¡¯t have the capability to confront us. Those rebels were still farming a few months ago; they probably can¡¯t even form ranks properly. I suspect the French don¡¯t want to expend too much fighting us, so they choose to defend along the river."

    The tall officer again said, "Are the French waiting for reinforcements?"

    "The British say that the financial situation in France doesn¡¯t allow them to reinforce on arge scale. Moreover, they¡¯ve promised that if France sends reinforcements, they will provide us with even more support."

    As Caheller was speaking, a scout came riding quickly, reining in his horse at a distance, and called out:

    "Report, General, the Albanians have sent a message that their scouts discovered Tunisian traces near Naivesey. Awaiting your orders!"

    Naivesey was almost at the easternmost point of Annaba, nearly leaving the territory of Algiers. The Albanian mercenaries, serving as the advance party, had already reached there.

    Caheller narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, then decided:

    "It must be the tribal militiamen of Bizerteing to scout our movements. Tell Semiz to strengthen the reconnaissance and continue advancing."

    Semiz was the Guard officer in charge ofmanding the Albanian mercenaries.

    [Note 1] Anatolia generally refers to the territory of the Ottoman Empire south of the ck Sea, which is part of Asia Minor. It can be considered the most "authentic" Turkish ethnicity.

 Chapter 281 - 219: The Crown Princeâ€™s First Battle

    Naivesey Mountain Area.

    Semiz said to the orderly officer beside him, "General Caheller has requested that we double the number of reconnaissance soldiers. Eliminate all the Tunisian scum nearby."

    "Yes, Commander!"

    Just as the orderly officer departed, a courier galloped along the endless line of Albanian mercenaries and handed intelligence to Semiz¡¯s Aide-de-camp.

    After reading it, the Aide-de-camp bowed slightly to Semiz and signaled, "Commander, the Bey of Tunisia issued a statement a few days ago opposing our interference in Tunisia¡¯s affairs, and he is very angry with our suppression operation. Moreover, he also mentioned a request for help from ¡¯French brothers¡¯ to thwart our forces."

    "Ignore it." Semiz smirked with disdain, "The Tunisian scum have be brothers with Europeans? They are a disgrace to the Imic world!"

    The Aide-de-camp tucked the intelligence away, "Pasha, the Tunisians have been doing business with Europeans for years, and there are a lot of French people within the country. It¡¯s no surprise they might be influenced."

    "Right, I¡¯ve heard that those Tunisian scum have actually started calling themselves ¡¯Roman Descendants.¡¯ How ludicrous."

    "That¡¯s even better. It¡¯ll excite me even more when I¡¯m killing them." Semiz snapped his riding crop forward, "Issue the order, elerate the marching speed. I want those scum to regret their rebellious actions!"

    ...

    "Look! That¡¯s His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!"

    Within the ranks of the military cadets dressed in white uniforms, wearing ck tricorn hats, and carrying thetest model Auguste-style Caplock Gun, someone pointed and shouted not far off.

    Suddenly, the orderly march was thrown into chaos as soldiers looked afar, following the excitement and shouting, "It¡¯s really His Highness! He¡¯se to fight alongside us!"

    "I see him too! Long live the Crown Prince!"

    "Long live the Principal!"

    "His Highness will lead us to victory!"

    "Look, His Highness is marching on foot just like us!"

    It took the officers running back and forth shoutingmands for the ranks to realign and continue advancing.

    Upon hearing this, Joseph waved to the soldiers, immediately sparking another round of tremendous cheers.

    He nced back at the troops stretching up the hillside, feeling a surge of pride. This was his Guard Corps, and he was going to fight alongside them on the battlefield for the first time.

    Perhaps, he would lead them across all of Europe in the future, leaving a glorious chapter in history.

    "Your Highness, you really don¡¯t need to engage in battle with the troops," Bertier whispered to Joseph, ncing at the excited soldiers, "The enemy outnumbers us threefold. It¡¯s far too dangerous."

    "You see, your presence has greatly boosted morale. Even if you were to stay in a safe ce now, the soldiers would still feel your presence with them," he said.

    He looked northward and added cautiously, "In fact, if you agree, we could now head towards the coast and arrive at naval warships in less than three days."

    "Hm? Warships?" Joseph was surprised, "Aren¡¯t the nearest warships supposed to be at Bizerte Port? Why would they appear here?"

    Bertier bowed his head, "Lieutenant Colonel Andre and I both think that you shouldn¡¯t take risks by joining the battle, so we contacted the Combined Fleet, and they sent ships to follow us..."

    Joseph chuckled and shook his head wryly, "I appreciate your concern, Colonel Bertier, but really, there¡¯s no need."

    He gestured toward the advancing white formation, "This is my legion. I¡¯ll often lead them in battle in the future. It¡¯s just a beginning now."

    Joseph knew well that in this era where wars determined the right to survival, one had to be adept at warfare ¡ª only kings who could wield armies could bring prosperity and strength to their country.

    At the moment, although he couldn¡¯tmand a battle, he needed to be with the troops to let them know their Crown Prince wasn¡¯t just enjoying himself in the Pce of Versailles, but was sharing life and death with them. Such troops would be his personal army, his support.

    Furthermore, while he didn¡¯t know how to fight, he had plenty of modern ideas and military cases to refer to and could make beneficial suggestions for operational nning.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    For instance, the tactic of preemptive attack he proposed could greatly reduce troop losses and win the strategic initiative. He would set the general direction, and the specifics ofbat could be left to military geniuses like Bertier. He could also follow them and learn how to fight.

    After Bertier advised him for a while longer and saw that the Crown Prince remained unmoved, he had to give up.

    He made onest effort, "Your Highness, at the very least, please return to the carriage."

    Joseph looked toward the particr geography of the As Mountains ¡ª the gentle hillocks were scattered with yellowish hard soil, and there were hardly any nts taller than 20 centimeters. The sparse weeds were sparsely dotting the ground, making it look incredibly vast and deste.

    In the army, there weren¡¯t any "gemstone"-type carriages with high-end shock absorption. Riding a carriage on this kind of terrain would be a torture.

    He had tried riding a horse, but due to theck of training, he had chafedrge blisters on his inner thighs after only a day and was forced to proceed on foot.

    Yet unexpectedly, this greatly boosted morale, making it a fortuitous misstep.

    As dusk fell, the drumming in the Guard Corps¡¯ formation changed beat and eventually came to a stop along with the bugle calls.

    Officers from eachpany began directing soldiers to the designated resting ces ¡ª the scouts had already explored ahead on horseback, marking suitable areas for overnight stay.

 Chapter 282 - 219 The First Battle of the Crown Prince_2

    The soldiers had a simple dinner and then rxed for half an hour with songs and wine¡ªa necessary military supply, of which each person¡¯s ration was not enough to get them drunk¡ªbefore spreading their nkets on the ground and lying down to sleep in the open air.

    There was about half a meter of space between each person, creating a neat array of small squares that formed a unique "carpet" over the As Mountains.

    Inside the officers¡¯ tents, Joseph sipped his vegetable beef soup while watching Bertier and the others gathered around a map discussing battle deployments.

    "Since the day before yesterday, we¡¯ve been encountering more and more Algerian scouts. It seems they can¡¯t be far from here," said the Cavalry Camp Commander.

    Bertier pointed to the west side of Naivesey, "We should be able to reach here by tomorrow. Be ready for a skirmish at any time."

    Next to him, a Majorughed, "The People of Algiers must think we are still in Tunis City. Little do they know we¡¯ve already rushed right under their noses."

    Bertier nodded with a smile, "His Highness¡¯s tactics will surely catch the enemy off guard. I¡¯m very much looking forward to the shocked expressions on their faces when they encounter our forces."

    Indeed, Joseph¡¯s n was to attack as the best form of defense. Utilizing the Guard Corps¡¯ ability to march rapidly, they had covered 110 kilometers in three and a half days, straight from Tunis City to the border between Algiers and Tunisia.

    After that, they would choose their own battlefield to take the advancing Algiers Army by surprise.

    The Algiers Army, having left a week earlier than the Guard Corps, had only just arrived east of Annaba, covering a little over 170 kilometers.

    Bertier suddenly remembered something and turned to ask one of the staff officers, "Where is Murat¡¯s Corps now?"

    "Here," the staff officer pointed to the west side of Bizerte on the map, "It¡¯s a day¡¯s march from us."

    Bertier frowned, then looked at Joseph, "The Algiers Army is very close to us and may discover us at any moment. Perhaps Colonel Andre¡¯s infantry won¡¯t be able to join the first battle."

    Murat¡¯s Corps was considered quite excellent among the old-style French Army, but it fell far behind the Guard Corps in terms of marching speed. Therefore, only a little more than 400 of their cavalry had managed to keep up with the Guard Corps, while the infantrygged far behind.

    Joseph did not express much, as after all, as a novice officer he had little say when it really came to fighting.

    "This is within your prerogative, respected Commander Sir."

    Although Bertier¡¯smand skills might not match up with those of "first-rate yers" like Lannes, Sault, and Massena, he would still be considered mid-tier among Napoleon¡¯s marshals, and he should have no difficulty dealing with the Algiers Guards.

    "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

    Bertier bowed to Joseph, then looked at the map, "The terrain slopes upward towards the northwest from Naivesey, and I believe nearby would be the most advantageous ce to have a decisive battle."

    Joseph looked at the contour lines on the map¡ªthe Tunis Mountains were on the south side of Annaba, meaning that from Algiers to Tunisia it was mostly a high ground overlooking the area, except for a small section from Naivesey to Bizerte, which encountered some intermittent hills and thus had slightly lower terrain.

    The Guard officer, Ledleon, who was also nearby, nodded in agreement, "The terrain here is indeed favorable. It¡¯s just that our scouts haven¡¯t located the main forces of the People of Algiers..."

    As he was speaking, they heard the urgent sound of galloping, and then a reconnaissance cavalryman stepped quickly into the tent, eximing, "Your Highness, Lieutenant Colonel, we have spotted arge enemy force, numbering over 10,000 men. Judging from their clothing and weapons, it seems to be Albanian mercenaries."

    "How are there only a little over ten thousand?" Bertier asked perplexed.

    "We¡¯re not sure yet, Lieutenant Colonel. But the number shouldn¡¯t be too far off," replied the cavalryman.

    What he didn¡¯t know was that the Albanian mercenaries, eager to reach Tunisia ahead of the rest to plunder, relied on their slightly faster marching speed and left the Algiers Guards behind by over ten kilometers.

    And Semiz, considering his troops were still within Algiers territory, just let them go.

    Bertier inquired about the specific location of the enemy forces from the reconnaissance soldier, quickly measured the distance on the map, and then turned to the tent¡¯s senior officers, saying, "They¡¯re just over 20 kilometers away from us, it looks like we might encounter them as soon as tomorrow noon.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "If the enemy forces are disjointed, indeed, it¡¯s a rare opportunity for us!"

    ...

    In the desert of the As Mountains, five cavalrymen dressed in Ottoman-style light yellow robes with baggy breeches and upturned boots were racing westward along the northern hillside.

    Suddenly, the leading cavalry raised a hand and gestured, whispering in French, "Enemy sighted!"

    The other four immediately looked into the distance and indeed spotted three or four Algerian scout cavalrymen.

    The opposition, apparently also having seen them and with disdain for the "lowly Tunisians," let out a howl, drew their scimitars, and charged in a line.

    The "lowly Tunisians" reacted quickly, pivoting uniformly to the right front while taking short-barreled carbines from their saddle racks.

    As the distance between them rapidly closed, the "lowly Tunisians" chose the nearest moment to aim and fire a volley at the opposition.

    One of the Algerian cavalrymen immediately flew sideways out of the saddle, but his foot got caught in the stirrup and was dragged several hundred meters by his warhorse.

    The "lowly Tunisians" skillfully reholstered their guns and drew their sabers, making an arc under the leadership of theirmander and turning their horses to rush towards the rear of the Algerians.

    Thetter were taken aback and hastily pulled on the left reins, trying to chase after the enemy.

    It was at this moment that the "lowly Tunisians" suddenly made a sharp turn to the right, and both sides were now in an "eight"-shaped charging pattern.

    The Algerians were visibly panicked; in the moment their warhorses ran abreast, two of them were struck down by the "lowly Tunisians," leaving one in terror, who turned his horse and fled.

    Cavalrybat hinges on courage; the one who flees first essentially bes fish on a chopping board¡ªothers vigorously chopping forward effortlessly, while trying to twist and strike behind is nigh on impossible.

    The "lowly Tunisians" pursued closely and after running four to five hundred meters, they brought him down from his horse with a single sh.

    The five victorious cavalrymen wore expressions of excitement, turning back to clear the battlefield: "They actually charged at us, we are truly thankful for that!"

    "Sergeant Obin, are these four fellows enough for us to be promoted?"

    "Hmm, nche just took down two, definitely enough for a promotion to sergeant. As for you, seems like you didn¡¯t snag any, so don¡¯t even think about it."

    "Damn! Let¡¯s keep moving forward; we should encounter more of the enemy¡¯s scouts."

    The five cavalrymen, dressed as Tunisians from the Guard Corps, quickly mounted and continued along the edge of the predetermined battlefield to clear out the enemy¡¯s scout cavalry.

    Simr scenarios were unfolding nearby, with Bertier dispatching half of his cavalry dressed in Tunisian attire to eliminate the enemy¡¯s scouts. With 400 of Murat¡¯s cavalry at his disposal, he was not at all concerned about the cavalry¡¯s stamina.

    It was so, that the Albanian mercenaries, although sensing something amiss, still believed they were merely being harassed by Tunisian tribal forces.

    It wasn¡¯t until they were less than 5 kilometers away from the Guard Corps that Semiz truly realized they were facing arge army of several thousand¡ªon the bare ins of the As Mountains, with no obstructions, this distance was close enough to directly spot therge enemy force with telescopes.

    The Albanian mercenaries were previously on the march when Semiz, in a flurry, ordered the switch tobat formation. With officers rying themand, the Albanians were immediately in uproar with shouting and horse neighing.

    Contrary to the scenes depicted in movies and television, real battles were never a matter of an officer giving an order and soldiers immediately lining up neatly like machines, menacingly drawing their weapons forbat.

    With 18th-centurymunication capabilities, simply conveying the "switch tobat formation"mand to each soldier took more than 20 minutes for the 13,000 mercenaries.

    When it came time to line up, it was even more chaotic. You blocked my way, I took his spot, some soldiers even couldn¡¯t find their own officers.

    Meanwhile, the Guard Corps was already ready, with infantry halting about 2 kilometers from the enemy, the front line stopping, and the rear keeping file and spreading to both sides.

    Within just over ten minutes, they formed an array of over 30 rows at the front, each row nearly a hundred columns wide.

    Then, the sound of drums rose in unison as dozens of drummers advanced with big steps, followed quickly by the infantry battalions.

    After another ten or so minutes, just when the Albanian mercenaries¡¯ marching column had barely managed to gather together, the Guard Corps was already within 500 meters of them.

    On the hillside to the side and rear, Bertier put down his binocrs and signaled to the orderly officer, "Give the order, let the infantry spread out intobat formation. Artillery, begin firing."

 Chapter 283 - 220 The Fierce Crown Princeâ€™s Guard Corps

    Surrounded by arge number of red-d Swiss Guards, the French Army¡¯s battlefieldmand post.

    Joseph silently noted down a series ofmands from Bertier, perhaps before long, he himself would have to give simr orders.

    Seeing the orderly officer hasten away, Joseph picked up his previous battlefield notes,pared them, confirmed the positions of the artillery, and lifted his binocrs to look over.

    Through the lens of the binocrs, there appeared two breastworks about ten meters wide on a small hill a kilometer away. At this moment, five 8-pound cannonsy silently behind them, the gun crews apparently not yet ordered to action.

    ording to the "Grand Battery" tactics brought by Joseph, all of the heavy artillery brought by the Guard Corps were now concentrated at this artillery position.

    At this time, European armiesmonly integrated cannons into infantry battalions for use. The gun carriages were positioned near the infantry emcements. Duringbat, a cannon would be ced every few hundred meters. Although this allowed the infliction of casualties over a wider area, it nheless only served as a support for the infantry.

    Napoleon¡¯s "Grand Battery" tactic, however, was to concentrate all cannons together, under themand of the Corps Commander, to bombard a single target with maximum firepower in order to quickly crush it.

    Better to break one of his fingers than to wound his ten. Once the enemy position subjected to the focused bombardment copsed, it would be the breach through which the French could tear open their lines. The effect was far better than the slow attrition of the enemy¡¯s front.

    About half a minuteter, Joseph finally saw the captain of the artillerypany receive themand, gging the signal gs for ready to fire.

    The target location had already been determined. Each cannon¡¯s gun captain loudly urged the soldiers, and soon one after another, they hadpleted their preparations for firing, standing erect beside the cannon waiting for the order.

    The battery captain turned his head and said something, the gman immediately flying the g signal for free-fire. Several cannons immediately spewed forth raging mes, the barrels recoiling sharply. The artillery position was instantly enshrouded in thick smoke.

    After a few seconds, the thunderous sound of the cannon fire finally reached Joseph¡¯s ears from afar.

    As he adjusted his binocrs, he saw on the opposite side, at a lower position, the Albanian mercenaries¡¯ formation northward seemed like a wheat field trampled by wild buffalo, suddenly ttening a small section, faint bloodstains visible on the ground.

    That was a scene from two or three kilometers away, and a "small section" in a military formation often meant as many as twenty to thirty people.

    Mainly, the mercenaries, who were busy forming ranks, stood too densely, and the Guard¡¯s artillery was fortunate, as their initial ranging shot had hit the target directly, causing significant casualties.

    Bertier, standing by his side, had obviously seen this effect as well and murmured softly, "Nice shooting."

    Less than a minuteter, five cannons roared again.

    This was far from the scene of simultaneous fire from countless cannons often depicted in movies and dramas. The Guard Corps, which contained more than 4,000 men, only brought six cannons, one of which was a four-pounder from the reserve.

    Given the logistical capability for field operations at the time, this was the highest proportion of cannons that could be carried by a unit while ensuring firepower. In fact, the most important factor affecting artillery firepower was the amount of ammunition.

    As long as continuous output from the cannons could be maintained, the damage inflicted by five 8-pound cannons would already be quite terrifying. And even if more cannons were brought, if the ammunition was swiftly exhausted, then the cannons would be nothing more than iron lumps.

    With the carrying capacity for one additional cannon, it would still be better to bring an extra hundred or so rounds of ammunition.

    The 8-pound iron balls whistled through the air and plowed into the Albanian troops, carving out several long gashes of blood.

    The mercenaries still forming ranks nearby immediately fell into chaos¡ªno matter how the officers shouted and cursed, the soldiers either just ran around in all directions or stood frozen in ce with fear. The left wing of the whole Albanian Army was suddenly missing a chunk.

    Suddenly, Joseph heard the sound of bagpipes, organs, and violins that had been ying continuously near his ear fade a little¡ªsuch was the field of battle in this era. From the start of the fight, music from around the battlefield had never stopped, like being in a grand yet somewhat rudimentary concert.

    Suddenly, the drum sounds became clearer, and the fast-moving columns of infantry came to an abrupt halt in their tracks, spreading out to both sides.

    From eachpany, two officers stepped out to pull a rope twenty to thirty meters long as straight as possible. The soldiers then aligned themselves behind this rope. Instantly, the entire line straightened out.

    A few minutester, a three-rank deep infantry line spanning seven to eight hundred meters appeared in front of the Albanian mercenaries¡¯ position. From Joseph¡¯s perspective, it looked as if a giant had scored a white sh across the pale yellow wastnd.

    At the same time, two infantrypanies appeared on the north side, taking up skirmish formation and closely watching the gap sted open by the artillery in the enemy¡¯s line, beginning to slowly advance.

    The Albanianmander, Semiz, watching through his binocrs the impably dressed white uniforms, tight breeches, and three-cornered hats, was already covered in cold sweat, murmuring incessantly, "The French, how could this be? This is impossible..."

    ording to intelligence he had received, the French Army was still in Tunis City three days ago. This intel had been repeatedly confirmed by Albanian spies and remnants of the Tunisian Guard; there could be no mistake.

    But where had these French soldierse from before him?

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    It couldn¡¯t possibly be that they had marched from Tunis City to Annaba in just three days, could it?!

    In his understanding, that was indeed impossible, but for the Guard, which trained daily in weighted cross-country, it was still far from the limit.

 Chapter 284 - 220 The Fierce Crown Princeâ€™s Guard Corps_2

    Another round of cannon fire from the distance made Semiz shudder; he saw that the French Army¡¯s line formations were already fully deployed, while his own side was still in disarray, assembling their ranks. His heart immediately tightened.

    The Guard Corps were inherently superior in military disciplinepared to the Albanians, and they had been prepared for the assault since dawn, so their speed in forming up was naturally much faster than the mercenaries who were still on the march. In the era of flintlock guns, whoever finished forming up first essentially held an absolute advantage.

    At that moment, the scouts that Semiz had sent out finally returned¡ªhe was a seasoned veteran on the battlefield, capable of executing basic maneuvers like dispatching cavalry to scout at the first encounter with the enemy.

    The leading cavalryman, still at a distance, reported loudly to him, "Pasha, the enemy numbers around 4,000, with possibly a few hundred more in reserve."

    Semiz¡¯s mind steadied somewhat; although the enemy had seized the advantage with their surprise attack, he still held an absolute numerical superiority.

    In other words, as long as he could stabilize his ranks and drag the battle into a frontal confrontation, victory would still be his!

    His thoughts raced, and he turned to look at his own side¡¯s most chaotic left nk, yelling at his aide-de-camp, "Tell Nishani to lead the cavalry to attack the enemy¡¯s right nk. At least hold the enemy for half an hour!"

    The French Army¡¯s right nk was the Albanian Army¡¯s left nk.

    The aide-de-camp hesitated, "Pasha, all the cavalry?"

    Semiz gritted his teeth and nodded, "Yes! All the cavalry!"

    He was well aware that he could not afford to hesitate about using the cavalry at this time.

    Although the cavalry were still in disarray, not havingpletely formed up, a harassing fight would allow each cavalry squadron to attack at will, and should be able to hold the enemy off for a significant amount of time before all 1,600 cavalrymen were expended.

    After that, he could use his numerical advantage to engage the French in positional warfare. Even if he couldn¡¯t win, General Caheller¡¯srge force would arrive the next day, and with numbers several times greater, they would surely be able to quickly overwhelm the French Army!

    As another barrage from the Guard Corps¡¯ artillery thoroughly scattered the Albanians¡¯ left nk, trumpet calls rang out within their ranks and more than a dozen orderly officers ran back and forth, rallying the cavalry.

    And 300 meters behind the breach in the Albanian Army, a reserve unit began forming up, ready to fill the gap in an orderly column.

    As the drummers of the Guard Corps started to beat a rhythmic cadence and the "bands" resumed ying, preparing tounch a frontal assault, arge number of bow-carrying cavalry surged out of the Albanians¡¯ left nk, like a tide.

    Joseph, upon hearing a hint from a staff officer beside him, quickly used his telescope to look in that direction, his brow furrowed. How could the Albanians respond so quickly? Cavalry formation was much more difficult than infantry; how could they immediatelyunch a cavalry attack?

    But he quickly noticed something amiss and said to Bertier beside him, "Are they on a suicide mission?"

    Cavalry without formation were no different from wild horses running on the ins. In their high-speed movement, they could not attend to other units, and would easily be scattered or form a long, thin line. If the enemy¡¯s cavalry attacked in formation, it would be a simple matter of reaping military achievements.

    "Your Highness, they are probably trying to buy time," said Bertier, "We do not have as many cavalry as they do; it will take a significant amount of time topletely wipe them out. In the meantime, they will send a portion of their cavalry to attack our infantry line."

    In the age of flintlock guns, the greatest strength of an infantry line was the frontal attack, and a thin line would leave the nks very vulnerable.

    Thus, typically, both sides would use cavalry to protect the nks of their infantry.

    Joseph nodded, waiting quietly for Bertier¡¯s response.

    After a moment of thought, Bertier gave his orders to an orderly officer, "Have the cavalry immediately support the right nk. Recall the skirmishers to assist the infantry on the right, and switch to a hollow square defense. Also, hand over the reserve¡¯s artillery to them."

    "Yes!"

    The hollow square was another advanced tactic that Joseph had brought to the Guard Corps. Of course, the hollow square had already appeared in the early 18th century, but it was only used as an emergency measure when the infantry was cut off and surrounded by cavalry, preparing to fight desperately to the end.

    Joseph knew how Napoleon had used them against the Mamluk Cavalry.

    The infantry took the initiative to form multiple supporting squares, staggered over a wide area to slow down the Cavalry¡¯s charge speed, and constantly wore them down, thus bing an offensive formation.

    Themand was ryed to the right wing of the infantry line within a minute; 2 riflepanies and 8 infantrypanies began to move. At the same time, an officer from the right wing sent a messenger to report that they would face a cavalry raid from the enemy.

    When the Albanian Cavalry forefront chaotically surged towards the French Army¡¯s right wing, more than 500 cavalrymen from the Guard Corps and Murat¡¯s Corps hadpleted their lineup, sweeping across the scattered Albanian Cavalry in five rows of formation.

    Thetter barely managed a charge with just over a hundred men, and were almost immediately dispersed; most were cut down from their horses by sabers, while a few were shot by riflemen providing nking coverage to the infantry.

    The French cavalry didn¡¯t linger; they drew an arch in the distance, turned around, and reformed their ranks.

    Meanwhile, the two riflepanies had already taken position at the side of the infantry line, forming a T-shape.

    Soon, more Albanian Cavalry galloped in. A barrage of musket fire erupted from the French skirmish lines, taking down twenty to thirty of the foremost riders¡ªamong these skirmishers were many Joseph was preparing to shape into riflemen, or marksmen, with excellent shooting skills. Had the enemy charge not been so disordered, their losses would have been even greater.

    The Albanians were somewhat dazed by their defeat¡ªfacing infantry that seemed utterly fearless, standing stiffly and aiming their shots. For a moment, the cavalrymen behind reined in their horses, preparing to sweep around the side.

    Not far away, the French Cavalry swiftlypleted their reformation and charged with a howl into the enemy¡¯s cavalier ranks from an oblique angle.

    Chaos ensued among the Cavalry, who stood no chance against the neatly lined-up cavalry, especially when struck on the nks. The Albanian Cavalry immediately broke and were ughtered by the French.

    In no more than ten minutes, the Albanian Cavalry had lost nearly 400 men. A multitude of masterless horses stood idle on the battlefield, inadvertently serving as a barricade for the French infantry.

    A French skirmisherpany captain named Lefevre, looking out at the enemy corpses strewn about and then at his soldiers who were virtually unharmed, licked his dry lips and shouted to the orderly beside him, "I think we can hold off the enemy cavalry without needing a hollow square."

    The orderly, taken aback, quickly signaled his statement with g signals.

    Lefevre hastily objected, "I was just saying, I didn¡¯t mean for you to... "

    However, Bertier, watching from a distance through his binocrs, saw the g signals and smiled, nodding: "He¡¯s got a sense of adventure. All right, do as he suggests."

    He turned to his staff and said, "Keep 4panies for defense on the right nk, bring two more from the reserve. The rest of the infantry continue the frontal assault in line formation!"

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    Joseph saw the Guard Corps move like a slow-reacting giant; "brain"mands took a minute to reach the limbs, and the right hand, which had just opened in preparation for defense, clenched back into a fist.

    A four-pound cannon from the reserves was also dragged to the right nk. The cannon master, following the drill manual, ordered the gunners to stuff grapeshot into the barrel.

    Minutester, rhythmic drumming again rose from the Guard Corps¡¯ infantry line. The drummers, stepping forward first, led the entire infantry line toward the Albanian positions.

    The fierce battle on the right nk continued. Albanian Cavalry repeatedly charged the French infantry of only five to six hundred men but were met with recurring sniper fire from muskets and four-pound cannons.

    This was actually a contest of willpower.

    If these cavalrymen, undaunted by death, could withstand two to three volleys, break into the infantry ranks, it would result in a one-sided massacre. Even if French Cavalry came to their aid, because of the surrounding infantry, their formation advantage would be greatly reduced.

    Then it would be very likely that they would breach the French Army¡¯s right nk defenses.

    However, it was the French infantry who showed no fear of death. They watched the enemy cavalry approach within thirty meters, and still, they managed to aim and fire their shots, shattering the morale of the Albanians who were nearly within arm¡¯s reach.

 Chapter 285 - 221: Winning with Fewer Numbers

    The Albanian Army Commander Semiz saw the French infantry line begin to move, and then nced at his own disorganized infantry mass, his face instantly turning ashen.

    What were the cavalry doing?! In annoyance, he raised his telescope and looked toward the north side of the battlefield, only to see hundreds of Albanian Cavalry charging toward the thin ranks of the French infantry.

    The French stood their ground like a rock and unleashed a volley. The leading two or three dozen cavalrymen immediately tumbled to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

    Then there was a faint sound of a cannon firing. Semiz couldn¡¯t locate where the cannon was, but he saw something that appeared to be an arm with a shoulder attached to it flying into the air amidst a spray of fresh blood.

    Since the Albanian Cavalry had not formed ranks, the charge was stretched out over more than two hundred meters, with those further from the French seemingly frozen by the cannon¡¯s roar and theirrades¡¯ screams, promptly turning their horses to flee to the sides.

    Semiz saw some dead horses, driven by inertia, crash into the defensive lines of the French nk, causing some disarray. A few riders who couldn¡¯t control their mounts also charged in, but were immediately impaled by French infantry bays.

    No more cavalry followed, and the French ranks quickly closed again.

    Semiz cursed under his breath, "These cowardly Albanians! If they had charged 50 more steps, the French main force would have had to fall back to support the right nk!"

    However, morale is influenced by many factors, and once it copses, unless one can exit the battlefield for regrouping, it is extremely difficult to recover.

    Immediately after, the French Cavalrypleted their formation and came thundering down the gentle slope from the north.

    Seeing this, the Albanian Cavalry fled even more quickly. That four-pounder cannon switched to solid shot and kept firing at their retreating forms, sting up cloud after cloud of bloody mist.

    On the main battlefield, the line of the Guard Corps infantry continued its steady advance, maintaining an almost perfectly straight line nearly a kilometer long, radiating an unstoppable and awe-inspiring pressure.

    By this time, the Albanian left nk, after dozens of rounds of furious bombardment by the French artillery, was nothing but shredded flesh and spilled blood, already ruptured with a vast gap.

    Apany of skirmishers from the Guard Corps broke from the ranks, checked their weapons ording to the manual, and then three drummers struck up the drums, marching forward with heads held high.

    Hundreds of soldiers immediately followed in sparse formation.

    On the right nk, Lefevre led a volley with his men aimed at the enemy cavalry¡¯s rear and, realizing the enemy had fled too far to be pursued, turned his head to see that a general attack had already begun in front of him.

    He immediately ordered his troops to form up and, after requesting instructions from his own captain, led his skirmisherpany into the battle at the front.

    The soldiers on the Albanian side watched the approaching French with horror and gave up trying to form ranks, beginning to fire their weapons in a panicked attempt to shoot the enemy across from them.

    However, with the uracy of flintlock guns, unless firing in a concentrated volley, hitting the target was a matter of faith.

    The line of the Guard Corps infantry kept advancing until they were about 70 steps from the enemy, then halted on the officer¡¯smand and quickly reorganized their formation.

    Then thepanymanders crisply issued orders: "Ready!"

    "Aim!"

    "Fire!"

    A perfectly synchronized sh of gunfire erupted from the infantry line, and nearly a thousand bullets tore into the Albanian mercenaries¡¯ ranks.

    "Reload! Second rank, step forward three paces!"

    "Ready!"

    "Aim..."

    The long line of the Guard Corps functioned like a well-oiled machine; one rank of soldiers stepped forward three paces, fired a volley, then reloaded on the spot.

    The rank behind stepped forward and repeated the process, then reloaded.

    And so on...

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    In this way, under the intense pressure of concentrated fire, the infantry line swiftly closed the distance to less than 50 steps from the mercenaries.

    The dreadful power of the caplock gun was fully disyed ¡ª each volley from the infantry line imed nearly a hundred mercenaries.

    The enormous casualties caused continuous desertions in the front ranks of the Albanian Army, and the already unformed lines became even more pockmarked.

    The most stubborn hundred-man units still resisted on the spot, while the majority of the soldiers, under the pressure of gunfire, began to retreat backward, and some had already run to the rear, wrestling with the enforcers.

    The whole formation hadpletely turned into a tattered rag strewn across the As Mountains.

    At the gap in the Albanian left nk, apany of French skirmishers spread out over forty meters wide, crept forward with bended knees, and asionally stopped to take potshots.

    Just as they had advanced thirty to forty paces,ughter boomed from behind: "Anatole, you¡¯re too by-the-book. There¡¯s hardly any enemy opposite us; we should cut through at the fastest speed!"

    Captain Anatole turned and saw Lefevre¡¯s skirmishers form into five columns and quickly passed by him, hurtling toward the Albanian positions.

    "You guys... we are skirmishers..."

    Lefevre left him with, "The only creed of a skirmisher is to be flexible. See you!"

    Watching as Lefevre¡¯s men reached the breaches first, Anatole straightened up and shouted to his ownpany, "Close into columns! Advance swiftly!"

    Lefevre¡¯spany almost bumped noses with the Albanians before he ordered them to deploy on the spot. In the process, more than ten ferocious mercenaries wielding spears charged at them, several of whom were shot down by a lieutenant in charge of cover, who then pushed back the rest with bays.

 Chapter 286 - 221 Overcoming the Odds with a Small Force_2

    Two minutester, Lefevre¡¯spany had formed a line, though not a very neat one.

    "Aim!"

    "Fire!"

    Following Lefevre¡¯s loudmand, more than 30 caplock guns fired a volley.

    Seven or eight Albanian mercenaries, being close in distance, suddenly fell backward as if struck by an invisible fist, groaning. The others scrambled to turn and flee.

    Lefevre directed hispany to advance several dozen meters deeper into the enemy¡¯s position, then ordered the line to turn southward, towards the edge of the left nk of the Albanian positions, beginning to fire andpress inward.

    At this time, Anatole¡¯spany also caught up, deploying into line formation and joining the battle behind and to the side of Lefevre¡¯s men.

    The Albanian Army, already reeling in the main battlefield, now faced added disaster, as nearly ten thousand mercenaries were being soundly defeated by three thousand members of the Guard Corps, continuously shrinking back towards the southwest.

    This was due to not only thetter¡¯s more reasonable tactical deployment but also the vast difference in soldier quality and armament.

    The artillery of the Guard Corps also began to shell the center of the Albanian positions under Bertier¡¯smand. With nearly ten thousand men sprawled across the empty wastnd, aiming was hardly necessary to ensure a kill with each cannon shot.

    Soon, Semiz saw his left nk copsepletely; the French Army had formed a two-pronged attack, squeezing arge number of soldiers into the center of the battlefield, which was exactly where the French cannons were violently bombarding.

    His face ashen, Semiz said to his aide-de-camp, "Send Fatese to hold the line. Order a full retreat!"

    Fatese¡¯s unit was the main reserve force of the Albanian Army, numbering around 1,200 men. They had been waiting behind the main battlefield but had already formed up by then and began to move forward in an orderly fashion.

    However, Bertier had no intention of giving them the chance to leave in peace.

    Seeing the enemy¡¯s disarray through his binocrs, he said to the orderly officer, "Call the cavalry back, prepare to pursue the fleeing enemy.

    "Order the infantry lines to start a bay charge."

    "Yes, Commander!"

    Joseph, observing the battle through his telescope, nodded in approval at the twopanies that had cut into the enemy¡¯s left nk, "Whomands the units to the north?"

    Bertier replied, "Your Highness, the gunsmoke is too thick to make out the gs."

    Joseph considered the situation on the battlefield and offered his opinion, "The enemy seems to be retreating. Perhaps those twopanies could push deeper behind the enemy lines to cut off their retreat."

    Bertier hesitated, considering that there were only twopanies, a mere two hundred men or so.

    "Your Highness, circumventing to the rear could very well lead to a sh with the enemy¡¯s reserves, and they are too few in number."

    Joseph nodded, "I was just speaking off the top of my head, don¡¯t let me interfere with your judgement."

    On the main battlefield, the infantry lines of the Guard Corps fired onest volley when they were within thirty paces of the enemy before fixing bays onto their muskets.

    As the beat of the drums became unprecedentedly rapid, the officers at the front waved their swords towards the enemy, shouting loudly, "Charge! For His Majesty the King!"

    "For His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

    "Charge!"

    The white lines of infantry immediately surged toward the Albanian mercenaries like a tumultuous wave. The mercenaries were already in disarray,cking the courage to fight back¡ªand even if they had the courage, their loose and uneven formation wouldn¡¯t allow it.

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    The mercenaries at the front were quickly taken down by bays, cries of agony rising and falling. Those who were already retreating became even more terrified and went from a slow retreat to turning around and running wildly.

    On Lefevre¡¯s side, hispany, which had been advancing with orderly shots, suddenly found the enemy giving up resistance and starting to flee quickly to the west.

    He was momentarily stunned, then turned to thepanymander not far away and said, "Anatole, it looks like the enemy is running!"

    "Then let¡¯s chase them down!"

    Lefevre looked west and shook his head, "We are the deepest into enemy territory, now we should try to cut off their retreat route."

    "Huh?"

    "Do you want toe with me?"

    "What are you going to do?"

    Lefevre smiled and turned to the orderly officer, "Order the wholepany to gather immediately into columns, do not entangle with the enemy. We¡¯ll move west at top speed!"

    On the side of the Albanian Army, the reserves led by Fatese formed a neat line, allowing several "Orcs," that is, battalion soldiers, to pass before they saw the white-uniformed Guard Corps charging with bays drawn.

    "Aim! Fire!"

    Fatese didn¡¯t care that there were still many of his own men in front, and he hastily gave the order to fire.

    A series of sts rang out, thick gunsmoke billowed into the air, and dozens of Albanian mercenaries and Guard Corps soldiers fell to the ground.

    The charge of the Guard Corps was momentarily slowed.

    The frontline battalionmanders, upon seeing the Albanians somehow organizing a structured resistance, frowned slightly.

    Just as he was about to regroup his troops for a volley fire exchange with the enemy, shouts came from the south side, "Don¡¯t be afraid! They can only fire twice at most! In the name of the Crown Prince, follow me!"

    The battalionmander stood up in his stirrups, peered through the smoke, and saw apany charging at the Albanians¡¯ defense line like wild oxen without slowing down.

    "Dawu?" He saw thepany¡¯s g and immediately gripped his crop tightly, "That reckless fellow! If the enemy..."

    Before he could finish his thought, he heard a responding shout from the right nk, "Let them see the might of the cadets! Charge with me!"

    The battalionmander turned his head and saw that four or fivepanies were following Dawu, rushing toward the enemy lines with bays ready.

    He hurriedly waved vigorously at the orderly officer, "Signal them, cover fire for their charge!"

    The Albanian mercenaries, worthy of being one of the Ottoman Empire¡¯s mostbat-effective corps, were shocked by the overwhelming momentum of the Guard Corps, but they still gritted their teeth, reloaded, and raised their guns again.

    Fatese shouted desperately, "Fire! Shoot quickly!"

    A flurry of shes passed in an instant.

    As he ran, Dawu heard something with a "whoosh" sound fly past his ear. On instinct, he turned his head only to see that half of his sergeant¡¯s face was missing, his body spun in ce from the impact of the bullet and fell into a clump of weeds.

    The mercenaries¡¯ fire caused more than thirty casualties. This wasn¡¯t much for the thousands-strong Guard Corps, but it had a substantial psychological impact on the soldiers.

    Dawu, with bloodshot eyes and undiminished speed in his step, shouted, "They won¡¯t have time to reload, advance! Avenge our brothers!"

    In reality, they were still more than fifty paces from the enemy, who might have managed another volley. But Dawu knew that if they retreated now, they would sustain even greater losses.

    They had to take the initiative!

    The soldiers who had been fearful heard Dawu¡¯s words and immediately followed his footsteps. The nearby police academy students, upon seeing their fallenrades, charged even more fiercely than before.

    The Albanian reserve troops began to fumble with their reloading, but when they saw the white uniforms of the enemy just twenty paces away, they could no longer keep theirposure.

    Some prepared to resist with bays, and others turned to call for the pikemen¡ªyes, the Ottoman forces still had this closebat unit in their ranks. Yet many more were trembling as they retreated.

    Fatese personally killed two deserters, but he waspletely unable to curb the tide of the rout.

    Before Dawu¡¯s bay could touch an enemy, the rear-guard of the Albanian Army had already thrown down their weapons and were fleeing in panic.

    "Don¡¯t let them escape!" the young Dawu waved energetically to those behind him, while he himself targeted Fatese on horseback, drawing his pistol and firing at him.

    After dispersing the Albanian Cavalry, the Guard Corps¡¯ cavalry made minor adjustments¡ªmainly to allow the horses to recover their strength¡ªand then the troops set off in pursuit of the fleeing enemy soldiers.

    In a pursuit battle, the cavalry were always the main force.

    With these few hundred cavalry joining the chase, the Albanian mercenaries were quickly overtaken inrge numbers, and many knelt and surrendered.

    Thergest group of fleeing mercenaries, numbering three battalions¡¯ worth, had retreated nearly a mile and could barely hear the shouts of their pursuers.

    Just as they were about to breathe a sigh of relief, they suddenly saw a white "line" on the hill ahead.

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    That was Lefevre and Anatole¡¯s twopanies, who had set up in a line formation there.

 Chapter 287 - 222: The Worldâ€™s Earliest Battlefield Hospital

    Before the thin and elongated line of infantry, Lieutenant Lefebvre wiped the sweat from his palms on the hem of his uniform as he watched the swarms of Albanian mercenaries in their earthy yellow short robes slowly approach like ants in the distance, his nerves on edge.

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    The second toonmander whispered beside him, "Lieutenant, there appear to be three to four thousand of them..."

    "I see them," Lefebvre replied with a calm face, already beginning to regret his actions. He had indeed managed to get behind the enemy lines, but his side only had 220 men.

    Behind him, there was a gap of 1.5 meters between each infantryman, where normally it should only be 0.5 to 0.7 meters. There were only two ranks in front and behind. If the enemyunched a fierce attack, it would easily break through their line.

    "Steady!" he nced behind him and called out loudly to boost morale, "Grip your rifles. The enemy is nothing to be scared of!" In truth, his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

    Soon, the earthy yellow "ant swarm" reached close proximity to the infantry line.

    As Lefebvre shouted "Fire," the first rank of soldiers deployed their weapons, and bursts of me and smoke erupted together.

    Because the distance was somewhat great, only seven or eight Albanian mercenaries were felled by gunfire. However, the Albanians reacted as if stung by scorpions, instantly parting to the sides as if the slender French line of defense was a solid stone wall.

    "Fire!"

    When the second rank of French soldiers fired, the thousands of mercenaries who had originally surged forth began to panic, turning their heads in retreat.

    Their morale had been utterly shattered. Like startled birds at the sound of gunfire, they had a knee-jerk reaction without even raising their heads to see the number of their foes.

    Surprise flickered in Lefebvre¡¯s eyes as he called out louder, "Reload!"

    "..."

    "Fire!"

    As the soldiers of the Guard Corps continued to fire, the Albanian forces grew even more chaotic, leading to a considerable amount of trampling.

    A few thousand men were held back for nearly 20 minutes by just 200 soldiers; only a portion of the mercenaries managed to escape from the two nks of the infantry line¡ªLefebvre had too few men, and the line¡¯s width was only enough to block one quarter of the t road.

    Finally, the first echelon of the police academy cadets appeared behind the Albanian army, who promptly shifted from sporadic fleeing to throwing down their weapons and begging for mercy on their knees.

    Four hourster.

    Joseph, Bertier, and other officers walked through the epicenter of the former battlefield, watching the soldiers carefully carry away the wounded or loudly berate groups of Albanian mercenary prisoners passing by.

    The battle had proceeded much more smoothly than Joseph had anticipated¡ªthe Guard Corps and the police academy students had all disyed high morale and excellentbat skills. Of course, a major reason was that the enemy¡¯s forces were disjointed.

    Otherwise, Bertier could only have waited for Murat¡¯s Corps to arrive and engage in a direct, forceful battle with the more than 20,000-strong army from Algiers.

    Every now and then, soldiers saw them and "snap" stood to attention to salute, while Joseph frequently nodded in acknowledgment to the troops.

    Bertier received a note from the staff officer, scanned it briefly, and turned to smile at Joseph, "Your Highness, we just received a message that we¡¯ve captured over 3,000 more enemy troops on the western side. Among them seem to be several high-ranking officers."

    "Oh? They actually caught up?"

    Joseph was somewhat surprised. After the enemy routed, some fled north, while others retreated to the west. Bertier had ordered the cavalry to pursue north, thinking that the enemies on the west might escape.

    "Two volunteerpanies swiftly cut off to the west side of the enemy lines and blocked their retreat," Bertier remarked.

    The staff officer by the side promptly outlined the course of the blocking battle on the west.

    "Francois Lefebvre?" Joseph thought the name sounded familiar. He suddenly pped his forehead¡ªwasn¡¯t that the Duke of Danzig?

    One of Napoleon¡¯s marshals, he had participated in major battles like those of Fleurus and Jena and had apanied Napoleon on the Russian campaign, with distinguished service.

    Joseph instantly remembered that Lefebvre came from amoner background, having served in the French Guards. It seemed that during thest recruitment, Bertier had him join his ranks.

    No wonder he fought so fiercely, holding back more than three thousand Albanian mercenaries with just twopanies. Had he inadvertently stumbled upon a treasure?

    He looked at Bertier, "Lieutenant Colonel, what do you intend to award Lieutenant Lefebvre for his actions?"

    Thetter pondered, "He fought bravely and possessesmendablemand ability; he has performed exceptionally well during previous drills.

    "Your Highness, he can receive the Medal for Bravery and be promoted to captain."

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    ording to the system of war merits set up by Joseph, the awards were ranked as follows: the Golden Irish Medal, the Medal for Bravery, and the Medal for Bravery for lower aplishments. These required specific acts of valor, such as the Golden Irish, which required a major role in a particr battle, influencing the oue.

    The Medal for Bravery was awarded for significant influence on the results of the battle, and even the Medal for Bravery required significant contributions to parts of a battle.

    This system was far ahead of its time!

    In the armies of Europe at the time, even if there were medals, they would only be awarded to noble lords. But in the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard, even if you came from a beggar¡¯s background, even if you were just a menial soldier, as long as you contributed to the war, you would receive the corresponding military honors.

    At the same time, each level of honor came with specific rewards and privileges. Acts of valor were immediately rewarded: money was given, promotions were made, even families could benefit.

    Under such a merit system, which soldier wouldn¡¯t fight actively? How could morale not be high?

 Chapter 288 - 222: The Earliest Field Hospital in the World_2

    Joseph pondered for a moment and then said, "I think Lefevre can be exceptionally promoted to major. The Guard Corps is now short of talent, and we need to give more opportunities to officers with potential."

    What he said was also the truth. Because the Guard Corps initially restricted its recruitment tomoners and lesser nobles, there was a notable shortage of mid-to-high ranking officers¡ªduring this era in France, only the wealthier nobility could afford the military academy education which led to high-ranking officer positions.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Without money or connections, even if one entered the military academy, they could only study less popr courses like surveying or engineering, where promotion would be extremely slow.

    For this reason, in the Guard Corps, many lieutenants had to serve aspanymanders, simply due to a severe shortage of captains.

    Most importantly, Joseph was certain that Lefevre was absolutely capable of fulfilling the position of a major. He was a marshal personally tested through a series of wars by Napoleon himself!

    Bertier immediately nodded with a smile, "I shall follow Your Highness¡¯s orders."

    In the Guard Corps, the Crown Prince¡¯s orders held absolute authority, without question. Of course, Joseph would never presumptuously givemands, as this was the foundation of his position and livelihood.

    A staff officer by the side said with a smile, "Now Captain Dawu¡¯s brilliance might be overshadowed."

    Bertier also revealed a smile, "He is still young. Having someone outperform him might inspire him to grow even faster."

    The future Marshal Dawu had just turned 18 years old, less than half a year out of the military academy. He first distinguished himself in maneuvers, was promoted to lieutenant and became an infantrypanymander.

    Today in battle, he bravely took the lead, charging at the forefront against the enemy¡¯s concentrated fire, spearheading the bay charge that scattered the enemy¡¯s formation, and was promoted to captain.

    Joseph sighed internally, those marshals under Napoleon were indeed formidable, providing them with the slightest opportunity was all it took for them to shine.

    In the afternoon, the Guard Corps had mostly finished clearing the battlefield, and Joseph personally presided over the funeral rites for the fallen soldiers. Of course, the specific religious procedures were conducted by the apanying priest.

    The Guard Corps and the cadets sacrificed a total of 89 men and had 70 seriously wounded.

    Although this number of casualties was notrge, it was certainly possible to reduce it even further, given the one-sided nature of today¡¯s battle.

    Of course, this was their first time in actualbat. Joseph believed that as theirbat experience umted, they would perform better and better in the future.

    Watching the careful handling of the bodies and the Crown Prince paying his respects to each, a new sentiment arose in the hearts of the soldiers of the Guard Corps.

    Previously, their feelings towards the Crown Prince were more gratitude and reliance, but after his joining them on the battlefield and fighting shoulder to shoulder, they now held love and reverence.

    At 5 p.m. the next day, the Guard Corps, which had been resting in ce, finally awaited the bted arrival of Murat¡¯s Corps.

    They were half a dayter than the scheduled time.

    In the officers¡¯ tent, Andre apologized to Joseph with a look of self-reproach, "Your Highness, I am truly sorry for beingte."

    Joseph gestured for him to sit down and asked, "Did you encounter some trouble?"

    Andre nodded awkwardly, "Your Highness, after leaving Tunis City, our wine supplies were not brought in. Dysentery broke out on arge scale the next day."

    He nced outside the tent, "In fact, only about 2,600 members of Murat¡¯s Corps arrived. The rest remained on the road due to serious illness."

    Murat¡¯s Corps, which came to Tunisia, numbered 3,000 men; thus, within four to five days, they had decreased by 13% due to dysentery!

    Joseph frowned slightly; he knew that most of the poption in Tunisia practiced Im and did not usually consume alcohol, making wine hard to procure. This also confirmed his suspicions about the logistical support capabilities provided by the Tunisians.

    Wine was an important militarymodity at the time, one of the main reasons being that it killed most harmful bacteria during fermentation, making it the safest way for troops to replenish fluids.

    After leaving Tunis City, without wine, Murat¡¯s Corps had to drink water at random in the wild. This was likely the cause of their widespread outbreak of dysentery.

    Joseph consoled Andre for a while and instructed him to settle his troops first, as they might engage in battle tomorrow¡ªording to the confessions of the captured Albanian mercenaries, the main force of the Algiers Guard was following them, just a dozen kilometers away, about a day¡¯s journey.

    After Andre had left, Joseph suddenly thought of an issue and looked towards Bertier, "The wine supply for the Guard Corps hasn¡¯t been disrupted, has it?"

    "No, Your Highness, just like Murat¡¯s Corps, after leaving Tunis City, we ran out of wine,"

    "Oh? Then why hasn¡¯t the Guard Corps had an outbreak of dysentery?"

    A staff officer beside them hurriedly replied with admiration, "Your Highness, this is all thanks to Doctor Pernelle. Previously, the corps suffered severe dysentery, but after he insisted on the soldiers drinking boiled water, things started to improve. He even saved this campaign."

    Joseph blinked and asked, "Pernelle?"

    Bertier quietly said, "That¡¯s Doctor Perna¡¯s male name."

    Your journey continues on empire

    "Her?"

    A short whileter, Perna, d in white military attire with her long hair bundled up under a tricorne, entered the officers¡¯ tent and paid her respects to Joseph and the others with a standard male salute.

    Joseph lifted his hat slightly and curiously asked her, "How did youe up with the idea of having the Guard Corps drink hot water?"

    Perna seriously responded, "Your Highness, it was you who taught me that."

    "Me?"

    "You once told my father that illness is caused by germs entering the human body. Later, in Bordeaux, you said to Mr. Venio that germs would die if left in hot water for half an hour."

    The young female doctor took a deep breath and continued, "Previously, when some soldiers in the corps were afflicted with dysentery, I remembered this during their treatment, so I had them boil the water for half an hour before drinking it. Many gradually recovered their health, while those who disobeyed continued to suffer for over a month."

    "Therefore, I was convinced your method was effective and insisted that all soldiers drink hot water."

    Joseph, while appreciating the doctor¡¯s ability to extrapte from his advice, couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly¡ªyou only needed to boil the water, not continue to heat it for half an hour.

    However, he had to admit that she had done a great service. If 13% of the Guard Corps soldiers had contracted dysentery, the battle against the Albanian mercenaries would have been much tougher.

    At the same time, Joseph felt some self-reproach; he should have disseminated such basic knowledge throughout the army in advance. s, it is often hardest to see what is right under one¡¯s nose.

    He nodded to Perna in acknowledgment, "You¡¯ve done very well, I think you even deserve a medal for this."

    Perna quickly waved her hands in refusal, "I merely did what a doctor should do, Your Highness, you don¡¯t need to reward me like this. In fact, I am already very happy to be able to treat the soldiers in the corps."

    Only then did Joseph remember that Perna was usually scorned by patients when treating them, with some even believing that a female doctor would bring bad luck.

    The soldiers of the Guard Corps had not failed to notice her disguise, but since there were few army doctors to begin with and even fewer who could cure their diseases, they all pretended not to know. And just this was enough to make her exceedingly happy.

    Suddenly, Joseph had an idea, "Doctor Perna, I would like to ask for your help in setting up a field hospital for the Guard Corps."

    One must know that in this era, the vast majority of soldiers didn¡¯t die on the battlefield but rather due to the poor medical conditions after being wounded.

    Though antibiotics had not yet been developed, having a clean and tidy medical environment and frequent sterilization of medical instruments could at least halve the chance of infection for the wounded soldiers.

    And Perna, skilled in medicine, diligent, and eager to learn, was the best person for the job.

    Moreover, she could then fully devote herself to her beloved medical career without having to be overly concerned about her gender.

    "A field hospital?" Perna waspletely unfamiliar with this new term.

    "Yes!" Joseph nodded enthusiastically, "And the nursing profession, you can start that up as well."

 Chapter 289 - 223: Angel in White

    Today, Joseph witnessed firsthand the appalling medical and rescue conditions of the Guard Corps - the medics were actually washing the bandages with river water; the scalpel was scraped on the trousers before being used on a wound; and with hands stained with the blood of Patient A, they would proceed to treat Patient B¡¯s injuries - it was then that he thought of establishing something like a field hospital.

    He looked at the female doctor¡¯s questioning, light green eyes and grabbed a chair nearby for her to sit down, "First of all, as you already know, many diseases, including wound infections, are caused by bacteria."

    He spread his hands and gestured towards the air, "Bacteria are everywhere in our surroundings, in bedding, clothes, hands, bandages, and more. Normally, skin acts as a barrier to bacteria, preventing them from entering the body, but once an injury urs, the barrier disappears.

    "At that moment, if a wounded person is allowed to lie on the ground, their wound may rub against the ground or clothes, leading to arge number of bacteria entering the wound. Even the bandages used to dress their wounds will bring a lot of bacteria."

    "Next, as you usually see, the wound bes ulcerated and the patient develops a fever. Eventually, except for a few individuals with very strong constitutions, most will die."

    Captured by the call of her medical duties, Perna grabbed the paper and pen from the adjutant¡¯s hand, ignoring his astonished look, and quickly bent her head to jot down notes, "Bacteria... wounds... Right, Your Highness, how should we avoid this situation then?"

    "We should try to prevent the wounded from being contaminated with bacteria as much as possible," Joseph reassured the adjutant with a gesture and continued to advise Perna, "For instance, use strong alcohol to clean the wounds. Oh, alcohol with a 75% concentration works best. Alcohol is very efficient at killing bacteria."

    Perna nodded subconsciously, "75%... That requires repeated distition to achieve."

    "The cost might be rtively high, but the amount needed isn¡¯t much, and it¡¯s definitely worth it," Joseph continued, "Also, everything used in the medical process must be disinfected, including the doctor¡¯s hands, as well as the operating table, scalpel, bandages, etc.

    "Doctors must wash their hands repeatedly before performing surgery, using water that has been boiled and then cooled. Everything else must be steamed and boiled to kill the bacteria on them."

    "After such treatment, wound ulceration should significantly decrease."

    "And to achieve all this, we need specialized equipment and to prevent people who have not been disinfected from getting close."

    "Hence, we need a hospital. Here, things can be disinfected at any time, and various medications and medical equipment can be provided. Doctors would concentrate here to perform surgeries on the wounded, and unrted persons would not be allowed to enter at will."

    "Usually, the contents of the field hospital are loaded onto wagons and move with the troops. After a battle urs, tents are immediately erected in the camp, and hospital tools are brought in and disinfected. After that, treatment of the injured can begin."

    Perna¡¯s eyes lit up as she listened. She imagined herself busy in such a hospital, where the wounded, one by one, avoided death through her treatment and smiled gratefully at her...

    "Your Highness, I will build this field hospital as quickly as possible!"

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She held the paper and pen firmly, dering very seriously and in a loud voice.

    "That will be tough work for you," Joseph went on to exin some more about disinfection and then said, "You also need topile these procedures into a manual to teach the other military doctors. As for the necessary expenses, give me an estimate and I will allocate it to you immediately."

    Perna, who was trained under Doctor Lamark and possessed superb medical skills, was highly respected by the medics of the Guard Corps.

    Perna nodded and then asked, "Your Highness, did you also mention ¡¯nurses¡¯ earlier?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s an important profession," Joseph thought for a moment and exined, "Actually, many medical operations that are notplicated, such as stopping bleeding, bandaging wounds, administering medication, disinfecting, and transporting the injured, can in fact be mastered after simple training.

    "It would be a waste of their significant energy for doctors to perform these menial tasks."

    "Therefore, we need a profession akin to ¡¯doctor¡¯s assistant,¡¯ which I call nurses."

    He silently apologized to Nightingale in his heart and continued, "This way, doctors can concentrate onplex surgeries or analyzing medical conditions."

    "Of course, even if nurse training is simple, someone still has to do it."

    Perna immediately volunteered, "Leave it to me, Your Highness. I guarantee to train nurses that will satisfy you!"

    "Then I¡¯m counting on you," Joseph stood up, ced a hand on his chest, and bowed to her, "Our angel in white."

    If Perna truly could establish a sanitary system for the Guard Corps, it would certainly be a contribution worthy of the Golden Irish Medal.

    Consider, after all, that just the modern nursing system established by Nightingale over half a centuryter reduced the death rate of British Army wounded in the Crimean War to less than one tenth!

    And the wounded who recovered and returned to their units could basically be considered veterans.

    This was no small improvement to the military¡¯sbat effectiveness.

    Perna only heard the words "angel in white" and felt her cheeks flush with color.

    Ah, His Highness praised me as an angel!

    A holy angel!!

    Could His Highness be hinting at something...

    She didn¡¯t dare let her thoughts wander any further, blushing, she emerged from the officer¡¯s tent in a daze, taking deep breaths for a long while before calming down.

    After thinking it over, she didn¡¯t rush to sort out the field hospital but instead gathered the medics and had them set up a row of pots, boiling all the bandages and the sheets from the stretchers.

 Chapter 290 - 223: Angel in White_2

    ```

    Then, she procured some spirits¡ªthere were always officers who privately kept some of this stuff¡ªthough certainly not 75% concentration, it should still have some antisepsis effect. Indeed, the method of cleaning wounds with alcohol dates back hundreds of years, but no one has ever been able to exin the principle behind it.

    Subsequently, the wounded of the Guard Corps became the first in the world to enjoy sterile medical care. Well, to round it off, it almost counted as sterile...

    Perna could never have imagined that what the Crown Prince had asked her to do that day would turn her into a legend in the history of medicine.

    ...

    The next day.

    At the crack of dawn, the reconnaissance Cavalry of the Guard Corps galloped like the wind to the Commander¡¯s tent and announced loudly, "Report! The Algiers Imperial Guard has arrived 10 kilometers west. Preliminary estimates put their numbers at about 13,000."

    Upon hearing this, Joseph immediately rolled up from the ground and quickly donned his coat¡ªall officers slept on the ground just like the soldiers. Only senior officers had tents, after all, military deployments, maps, and documents needed some cover against the elements.

    Bertier¡¯s aide opened the tent to let in the scout, who immediately pointed out several positions on the spread-out map: "The main force is here. These two spots have covering forces of over a thousand men each. Cavalry on the rear nk."

    Soon, the senior officers gathered inside the tent, listening to Bertier¡¯s analysis of the situation: "Clearly, the enemy has also learned of our location."

    Although Lefevre hadpleted a splendid intercept battle, the numbers of the Guard Corps were fewer after all, and some thousands of Albanian mercenaries escaped.

    These men would definitely report yesterday¡¯s battle situation to the Algiers Imperial Guard. Thetter immediately sent out arge number of troops for reconnaissance.

    Andre nodded, "The People of Algiers will surely choose high ground to deploy their formations; we will have a direct confrontation ahead."

    Police officer Ledleon chuckled, "Today, we have Murat¡¯s Corps on our side, so if a battle does erupt, it should be easier than yesterday."

    However, Bertier¡¯s expression was serious: "You cannot afford suchcency, Major. The Albanian mercenaries weren¡¯t aware of our army¡¯s proximity yesterday, which is why we managed to execute a surprise attack. Today¡¯s enemy will be fully prepared."

    "You are absolutely right," Ledleon nodded and looked towards the sandbox, "Let¡¯s adjust our deployment ording to the enemy¡¯s movements as soon as possible."

    Andre said loudly, "If it¡¯s a head-on sh they want, we¡¯re ready for it!"

    As all officers were surrounding the sandbox, Lefevre, who was standing in a corner, suddenly coughed and said, "Perhaps we don¡¯t have to sh head-on."

    He had recently been promoted to Major and had just gained the privilege to attend high-level military meetings, but his epaulette still bore the red square of a Lieutenant¡ªhe hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to get the new epaulettesst night.

    Everyone turned to look at him, "Do you have a suggestion?"

    "The People of Algiers will soon be deployed in the west; I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no opportunity for a surprise attack."

    Lefevre approached the map nervously and pointed northwest: "We can pretend to besiege Annaba City or make it appear as if we are going to attack Constantine to the south. The Algiers Imperial Guard cannot afford to ignore this."

    Constantine is an ancient city, the southeastern gateway to Algiers, unrted to Constantinople.

    Joseph¡¯s eyes brightened at the words: "Encircle to strike help? Good strategy!"

    He thought to himself: It wasn¡¯t in vain that I promoted you to Major against the norms, you really have some tricks up your sleeve.

    But Bertier slightly frowned: "Your Highness, if we head north or south, that would open up the way to Tunisia. If the People of Algiers attack Tunisia..."

    Josephughed, "We need to disy an attitude that we are French people; what do I care if you attack Tunisia?"

    Andre pondered and said, "I also think it¡¯s worth trying. If the enemyes to save Annaba City, we can turn and strike them hard."

    ```

    "Even if they don¡¯t fall for it, the worst that will happen is we¡¯ll just go back to a head-on confrontation."

    Eventually, Bertier also agreed to the "encirclement and rescue" strategy. The officers discussed the specifics of the deployment and immediately left the military tent, each leading their troops to their positions.

    Half an hourter, the Guard Corps was already assembled and began to advance northward. As for breakfast, a few bites of dried meat and bread on the march were enough to suffice.

    Murat¡¯s Corps also followed closely behind¡ªthey didn¡¯t even take off their coats to sleep the previous night in order to improve their response speed.

    The Algiers Imperial Guardmander, General Caheller, quickly received news from the scouts, which immediately caused his brows to furrow.

    ording to the Albanian mercenaries who had retreated the day before, the French were extremely powerful inbat and had to be engaged with caution.

    He had already ordered his troops to deploy early, preparing to use their numerical advantage to fight a frontal battle with the French Army in the open field, but to his surprise, the enemy turned north instead.

    An aide-de-camp said, "General, the French might be going to plunder Annaba City."

    Caheller remained silent.

    He could have acted as if he had not seen anything and headed directly east to Bizerte. However, if Annaba City was truly looted by the French Army, the Dey would certainly me him for the loss.

    After much hesitation, he finally gave the order: "The entire army turn north, to save Annaba City."

    The Algiers Army finally caught sight of the French Army at noon on the third day, spotting the rear guard of Murat¡¯s Corps.

    Upon learning that the French forces numbered only about three thousand, General Caheller immediately ordered an attack¡ªthis was more or less consistent with the enemy strength reported by the Albanian survivors, and he could definitely use his superior numbers tounch a strong assault.

    As expected, when his massive forces and the infantry lines formed by Murat¡¯s Corps engaged, the Guard Corps¡¯ cannons roared from the rear side of the Algiers Army.

    Then, two regiments of the Guard Corps appeared on the barren ins to the south.

    The Algiers Guard was instantly thrown into a panic. General Caheller personally led the reserves and some artillery to turn around while concentrating all his forces to assault the Murat¡¯s Corps to the north, aiming to hold back the French forces behind him, quickly open a passage to the north, and avoid being caught in a pincer attack.

    On the hill to the north, Andre himself came to the front of the infantry lines to direct the soldiers inbat. On their nks, an additional regiment of Guard Corps infantry assisted in the battle.

    Soon, the Algiers Guard charged forward like madmen¡ªthe order Caheller gave them was to resolve the French forces to the north within half an hour.

    Behind a not-so-wide trench, the soldiers of Murat¡¯s Corps began to fire volleys in an orderly manner, loading, and firing again...

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Although theirbat effectiveness was not as good as that of the Guard Corps, after Andre¡¯s serious training over the past year, they were definitely considered very good in the context of a traditional army, with quick loading and stable shooting. Over 2,000 Charleville 1763 muskets poured out a formidable firepower.

    The People of Algiers¡¯ first charge stalled over sixty paces away from Murat¡¯s Corps, unable to withstand the casualties, and retreated dejectedly. In fact, they left behind only about a hundred bodies, but this was already the limit of their morale.

    The Algiers officermanding the frontal assault, after beheading several soldiers who led the retreat, was about to regroup for another charge when he faintly heard a noise of chaotic shouting and gunfireing from behind.

    He hastily picked up his telescope to look south and saw that the more than 3,500 men personally directed by General Caheller had been broken and were chaotically fleeing in his direction. Behind them was a line of white infantry.

    His heart lurched. It had been only a little over ten minutes since Caheller organized the defense, and just as his own side hadunched an attack, the French had breached the defenses!

    When he looked at his men who had not yet finished regrouping, he suddenly stripped off his military uniform, waved to his attendants to flee toward the mountains to the west.

    Andre waited for a while but didn¡¯t see a second attack from the People of Algiers. Instead, the sound of cannons from the south seemed to be getting closer.

    He sent out cavalry for another confirmation and decisively ordered the infantry lines to advance forward.

 Chapter 291 - 224: The New Province of France

    Tunis City.

    A squad of Berbers, dressed in white robes lined with a dark grey studded waistcoat and their heads wrapped in white turbans, slowly walked between the beige, square houses on both sides of the street, escorting hundreds of captives from the Algiers Guard, their scimitars in hand.

    Arge crowd of Tunisians followed behind, loudly cursing the Algerian invaders, asionally throwing various kinds of trash at the heads of the captives.

    The ambush at Annaba was a great sess. Caught between two French forces, the Algiers Guard surrendered in less than an hour.

    Joseph had carefully selected some of the captives to hand over to the locals, to be "exhibited" in major cities like Tunis, Sousse, and others.

    The official propaganda was that "Tunisia¡¯s closest French friends, with the help of the Rebel Army, had struck a painful blow to the Algerian invaders."

    Indeed, Zemir led the rebel forces in supplying logistics to the Guard Corps and Murat¡¯s Corps, even exerting some effort in escorting the captives¡ªit was indeed help.

    Ever since Hussein became Bey of Tunisia, Algiers had frequently sent troops to meddle in Tunisian internal affairs, and atrocities such as killing and looting along the way weremonce. Coupled with the heavy tributes Tunisia had to pay Algiers, this increased the burden on the lower sses of Tunisian society, resulting in a deep-seated hatred towards Algiers.

    When Algiers announced they would send troops to suppress the Tunisian Rebel Forces, iming to support their Ottoman kin in restoring rule, the Tunisian public was even more outraged.

    What they didn¡¯t expect was that before the Algerian army even entered Tunisian territory, their French brothers had already dealt with them and captured many prisoners.

    When the news spread, all of Tunisia was shaken!

    Having just overthrown the oppression of the Guard and now defeating foreign invaders, people were bursting with pride and self-esteem, celebrating victory in every household.

    And both victories were inseparable from the help of their beloved "French brothers."

    Joseph seized this opportunity, having Elder Aly assist with the propaganda. At this point, in the mouths of the Tunisian people, the French Army had indeed be Tunisia¡¯s closest kin and protectors.

    More than 200 captives from the Algiers Guard, after being "exhibited" for a week, finally arrived at the square in front of the Great Mosque at the center of the city.

    The newly appointed Tunis City Chief Justice, a mere month into his post, along with several officials from the judicial system, nonchntly sat behind a wooden table, motioned for the captives to kneel in order, and then began to consult a "work guide" to learn onsite how to deal with the current situation.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Yes, after two nationwide "civil service" exams, Tunisia¡¯s administrative and judicial systems had been established following the French model¡ªfrom the management structure to the habit of using tables and chairs, nearly everything was copied.

    Joan brought with her more than a hundred French administrative officials to guide these inexperienced native Tunisians in managing their country, hand in hand.

    Fortunately, the rural tribes of Tunisia had their own traditional management models and didn¡¯t require much interference; only themercially developed big cities truly needed officials. Thus, at least the administrative management of central and northern Tunisia had barely started after a month.

    Joan had "policy manuals" drafted for officials of various positions, and it was one of these manuals that the chief justice was currently browsing through.

    It took the judge a full 20 minutes to figure out what to do first. The nearly thousand Tunisians around him patiently endured the zing sun for those 20 minutes.

    Finally, the judge began to awkwardly proceed with the trial.

    An hourter, no one understood exactly what he had done, but all heard his verdict¡ª"All invaders are sentenced to be hanged!"

    In this era, the concept of human rights was non-existent, especially in North Africa, where in the face of public anger, ideas like defense and appeal didn¡¯t even bear thinking about.

    Instantly, the za erupted in cheer. People wildly chanted the judge¡¯s name, praising the French brothers, extolling the grand victory, and then then gathered around the captives and escorted them to the execution grounds.

    The next morning, while Haji Bey was having breakfast, he heard a series of shoutsing from outside Ksar Hel Pce.

    He turned to his new bride with confusion:

    "Are there more Algerian captives to be judged today?"

    Hafsa shook her head:

    "It doesn¡¯t sound like it. And escorting captives shouldn¡¯t take them past Ksar Hel Pce..."

    While they spoke, a servant hurried in, bowing at the entrance toward Haji:

    "Great Bey, there are thousands of people petitioning outside the pce."

    "Petitioning?" Haji asked anxiously, "What for?"

    "This, I am not sure," the servant said with his head lowered, "but it seems that the leader is the domestic official Xda Pasha."

    Xda was the schr who had previously posed" the "Analysis on the Origin of Tunisia." In the recent "civil service examinations," he sessfully secured a position as a domestic official in Tunis City.

    At the moment, Tunisia¡¯s national revenue, finance, and personnel matters were still under "military control," and officials for this level had yet to be selected; hence the mayor of the capital was essentially the highest-ranking official in Tunisia.

    Haji approached the gates of Ksar Hel Pce with trepidation until he saw the agents from the Police Affairs Department acting as his "guard." It was the French brothers who had stopped the rebel forces wanting to kill himst time and had saved his position as Bey.

    The French guard opened the pce gates, and Haji immediately heard the deafening shouts of the crowd:

 Chapter 292 - 224: The New Province of France_2

    "The glorious province of Tunis..."

    "To be a province of France..."

    "To return to the embrace of our Roman kin..."

    "We want to be with our kin..."

    Xda saw Bey appear and hurriedly gestured for the petitioning crowd to quiet down, then respectfully approached Haji, saluted, and presented him with arge piece of sheepskin paper.

    "What, what is this?" Haji dared not reach out¡ª the scene fromst time when the Rebel Army stormed into the Ksar Hel Pce and nearly captured him had left a huge psychological shadow over him.

    "It is a petition, Your Excellency Bey."

    Xda helped him unfold the sheepskin paper, and at the top, written in Arabic, was "Tunis Petition to Join the Kingdom of France."

    Below were densely packed handprints of the petitioners, seemingly numbering in the thousands.

    "Join France?" Haji asked, trembling, "How to join?"

    An official next to Xda, who was also a schr and had previously discussed "origin analysis" with him, stepped forward and said loudly:

    "Tunis used to be a province of the Ottoman Empire, and now that we have separated from the Ottomans, we can be a great province of France!"

    Another person chimed in: "Yes! To be forever together with our Roman brothers!"

    "Powerful France is the only one that can bring prosperity and strength to Tunis!"

    The petitioning crowd immediately started chanting:

    "Province of Tunis!"

    "Join France!"

    Haji stepped back in fright, and Hafsa behind him shouted:

    "If Tunis bes a province, what will happen to the Bey?"

    Xda immediately said, "Regarding this matter, I¡¯ve already had Joan, the consul, inquire with the French Crown Prince.

    "His Royal Highness has expressed that he will petition for you to be granted the title of ¡¯Duke of Tunis,¡¯ retain the Ksar Hel Pce, and receive a substantial annual pension. Just like those noble dukes of France."

    The excited schr next to him added, "Compared to the declining position of a Pasha in the Ottoman Empire, bing a Duke in the great France will be more glorious for you!"

    These Tunisian literati had always been the most proficient in French matters, and they acquired arge number of positions during the recent "public civil service exam" with their cultural knowledge.

    Therefore, whether due to their proficiency in French matters or for the stability of their positions, they were all extremely eager for Tunis to be a province of France.

    After the Tunisian Rebel Forces entered Tunis City, Joan merely gave Xda a slight hint, and thetter immediately led the literati ss to fully promote the opinion of "bing a French province."

    And the lower sses of Tunis were also very pleased with this development.

    During the overthrow of the Imperial Guard¡¯s rule, they looted a great amount of wealth from the Imperial Guard¡¯s homes. And now with Algiers sending twenty thousand troops to Tunis to "quell the rebellion" and restore the Imperial Guard¡¯s rule, this was something they could not ept¡ªhow could they spit out the meat that was already in their mouths?

    Therefore, they urgently needed powerful France to protect the wealth they had obtained. Whether they became a province of whom made no difference to them. Their dear "Roman brothers" seemed much more amiable than the Ottoman Empire.

    As for the Tunisian military, they needed someone to endorse their previous actions of exterminating the Imperial Guard. Moreover, the highest leader of the Rebel Army was Isaac from the Police Affairs Department, who naturally supported joining France with all his might.

    Regarding the religious aspect, since the Ottoman Empire had always practiced a policy of religious coexistence, Christianity and Im had always coexisted peacefully within its realms. Even Haji¡¯s grandfather, Hussein, before bing Bey, had been a Catholic.

    Tunisians, influenced by this concept for over a century, naturally had no objections to joining a Catholic country.

    Haji carefully took the petition, turning to look back at Hafsa.

    She nced at the vast crowd of petitioners and whispered:

    "If you stand to gain nothing but benefits from the conditions offered by the French Crown Prince, and with the title of Duke of France, you will no longer need to fear the mob daring to harm you."

    Haji nodded and turned to Xda, saying:

    "Please draft a request on my behalf, asking His Majesty the Great King of France to ept Tunisia bing a province of France."

    ...

    While the throngs of petitioners surrounded Ksar Hel Pce, thousands of soldiers from the Guard Corps were standing in formation at the garrison in Bizerte, participating in the award ceremony for the heroes who had distinguished themselves in the battle of Annaba.

    Amid the solemn and inspiring strains of "Glory and Victory," dressed in his white military uniform and with a sword at his side, Joseph strode onto the wooden tform at the head of the column. He scanned the neatly arranged several dozen squares of troops before him and said loudly,

    "Today, we witness those who have, with supreme courage, wisdom and belief, written a legend worthy of respect and obtained the highest glory! They will receive medalsmensurate with their honor! Let us salute them!"

    With a "whoosh," the soldiers raised their rifles in a tidy salute to the dozen or so people on the stage waiting to be decorated.

    Afterward, Joseph took the medals from the staff officer and first conferred them on soldiers who had fallen in battle, represented by others.

    Then he came to Lefevre, who had been awarded the Silver Iris Medal, and pinned the finely crafted Silver Iris to his chest, then solemnly saluted him with his hat.

    At this, a wave-like cheer burst forth from the soldiers present.

    You have to understand that Lefevre was ofmon birth. In other regiments of France, someone like him could at most be a second lieutenant, and even that would require a considerable sum of money for influence.

    But now, he had not only received the Silver Iris Medal but had also swiftly risen to the rank of Major, able tomand a battalion of soldiers.

    This was all earned by his valor in battle.

    Origin mattered no more!

    Almost every soldier¡¯s heart was filled with hope because they knew that if they fought bravely on the battlefield, they could earn the same distinction and perhaps even be a General one day!

    And this hope alone was enough to crush the morale of all the armies in Europe at that time.

    Joseph then approached Dawu and pinned the Bronze Iris to his chest, saluting him with his hat as well.

    He looked at Marshal Dawu, standing at attention in response to him, and nced at Bertier and Lefevre beside him, thinking to himself with a silent sigh: Napoleon, I¡¯ve found three of your marshals, but where on earth have you gone?

    In fact, a few months ago Joseph had started asking the Minister of War to look for a soldier named Napoleon Bonaparte for him.

    ording to his memory, Napoleon should have already graduated from the Artillery School and been serving in a regiment by now.

    However, the Marquis de Saint Priest told him there was no active soldier by that name.

    Initially, Joseph wasn¡¯t surprised, since in that era information was extremely limited and armies were the private property of nobles--it was like trying to inspect someone else¡¯s bank statement--secrecy was to be expected.

    Therefore, he asked Fouche to take charge of the matter, but to this day, Napoleon¡¯s whereabouts remained elusive.

    He shook his head slightly, telling himself not to rush, for Napoleon was still only a 19-year-old young man, and as long as they kept searching, they were sure to find him sooner orter!

    ...

    The Pce of Versailles.

    Queen Mary, having skimmed the report on the situation in Tunisia, was overwhelmed with joy, giving the head of the royal household who delivered the news an embrace: "That¡¯s wonderful, Joseph is safe and sound!"

    She stepped back and made the sign of the cross in front of her chest: "Thank you, Almighty God, for your protection over Joseph!"

    She read the report carefully again, excitedly pacing back and forth in the room, and finally stopped in front of herdy-in-waiting, saying, "Please help me arrange a weing ceremony, my Joseph will be back soon!

    "By the way, does His Majesty the King know this wonderful news?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty, a copy of the same document has also been sent to the King," replied the attendant.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Good, good! Then, go get two strawberry cakes, covered with cocoa sauce. I want to celebrate properly!"

    At the same time, the Marquis de Saint-Veran, who had just led his troops to the Port of Toulon, received the news from Tunisia but seemed somewhat deted.

    He had not expected the 6,000 troops to solve the problem of the Algiers army. Now that the Crown Prince was safe, there was no longer an opportunity for him to secure additional funds.

    He suddenly regretted his recent hesitation; had he known this oue, he would not have dallied over the funding. Perhaps the credit for defeating the Algerians and protecting the Crown Prince could have been his.

 Chapter 293 - 225 A Tale of Mixed Fortunes

    December 10, 1788.

    The whole of Paris shivered under the biting cold wind, especially as news of insufficient grain supply from other provinces arrived from time to time, making this winter seem exceptionally cold.

    Only the news of victory in North Africa brought some good spirits to people during this difficult winter.

    At the eve of national awakening, the French people could now empathize with the achievements and glory of their country, and the topic heatedly filled the streets and alleys.

    When the Guard Corps returned to their Paris quarters, the area outside the barracks was already surrounded by people, greeting them with cheers and warm smiles.

    Meanwhile, the Pce of Versailles was also hosting a grand victory celebration.

    Joseph, somewhat exhausted, stepped down from the rail carriage and was immediately greeted by a tsunami of cheers; looking up, he saw thousands of nobles thronging the sides of the road in the Versailles Pce Square, all the way to the pce gates.

    Summoning his energy, he waved to the crowd, again sparking fervent cheering.

    To be honest, he had traveled for more than half a month from Tunisia to Paris, and at this moment, what he desired most was to sleep soundly on a soft bed for an entire day.

    However, Joseph also knew that one often cannot control one¡¯s own circumstances, and he still needed to face the necessary ceremonies.

    He nced back at the carriage; Bertier, Joan, and a few agents from the Police Affairs Department, along with the representative from Tunisia, Xda, got down from the carriage one after another.

    The group was clearly unustomed to such a grand scene, standing in ce for several seconds before being prodded awake by the Ceremonial Officer¡¯s whisper and quickly stepped forward to follow behind the Crown Prince.

    The party, escorting Joseph, walked through the dense crowd, apanied by the sound of the court orchestra ying nearby, followed by the booming salute of the cannons.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The young noblewomen of Versailles Pce were more passionate and infatuated with the Crown Prince than ever before. His recent experiences in distant North Africa had darkened hisplexion slightly, giving him a more masculine air, along with an added sense of mystery that nearly made the young maidens swoon.

    And the high-ranking nobles, at this time, looked upon Joseph with a gaze that was evidently different from before.

    Before the Crown Prince went to Tunisia, the ce was a mess, with attacks on the French left, right, and center, and the Cab was even prepared to drop this hot potato. However, after the Crown Prince¡¯s arrival, the situation in Tunisia quickly stabilized. By the time he returned to Paris, he even brought back a new province for France!

    No one would think this was a mere coincidence.

    Clearly, the young Crown Prince possessed talents and capabilities far beyond his years.

    Of course, all this might also have been directed by Queen Mary herself, but that the Crown Prince managed to implement it without fault was equally remarkable.

    Regardless of whether it was Queen Mary or the Crown Prince¡¯s maneuver in Tunisia, the prestige of the Royal Family was notably elevated. At least, no one regarded the royal house as aughing matter anymore; on the contrary, those who praised and respected the Royal Family were bing increasingly numerous.

    Moreover, nobles who frequented the Royal Pce were undergoing intense inner struggle at this moment.

    They had watched the Duke of Orleans falter step by step, losing the High Court, media control, and the reins of banking.

    So should they continue to align with the Duke of Orleans, or should they make overtures to the Royal Family early, to secure a retreat for themselves...

    On the steps in front of the main entrance to the Pce of Versailles, Queen Mary looked eagerly at her son approaching, but suppressed the impulse to rush forward and embrace him due to the presence of the Tunisian envoys, merely exchanging customary greetings with him.

    Xda stepped forward from behind, respectfully bowed to the King and Queen, and then presented the application signed by Haji Bey to join France to Louis XVI.

    The addition of Tunisia as a French province was a matter settled ten days ago; this was just a formality now.

    Louis XVI took a deep breath, mustering all his strength before resoundingly proiming, "I ept the loyalty of Tunisia, and in the name of the King of France, I will forever protect Tunisia, granting you peace and prosperity."

    The crowd at Versailles Pce Square erupted into thunderous cheers: "Long live the King!"

    "May our King¡¯s glory shine upon Tunisia forever."

    "Praise the Lord! Praise our King!"

    However, these ever-rising waves of cheers made the socially anxious Louis XVI extremely nervous, until the Ceremonial Officer came close to remind him, and then he raised his hand to signal for silence before inviting the Tunisian delegates and others into the Pce of Versailles.

    Afterward, Queen Mary presided over the ceremony of France¡¯s eptance of the four provinces of North Africa in the Hall of Mirrors.

    This was a suggestion made by Joseph to the Queen on his way back to Paris, splitting Tunisia into four provinces ¨C the Province of Bizerte, Sousse Province, Kairouan Province, and Sfax Province.

    Tunis City was incorporated into Sousse Province. The more barren areas to the south were part of Sfax Province, and from then on, the name Tunisia would only appear as a geographic concept.

    Joseph also broke his heart over this arrangement for the future long-term stability and order of Tunisia.

    Dividing Tunisia into four provinces could, first of all, dilute the sense of a unified Tunisia, to prevent someone from promoting separatism in the future.

    Secondly, the four Governors could check and bnce each other, overseeing each other¡¯s actions, preventing the emergence of independent vassals overseas. After all, the lesson of the Ottoman Empire was still there; as soon as Imperial power weakened, the Imperial Guard immediately began to rule the roost in Tunisia.

 Chapter 294 - 225 Several Happy and Several Sad_2

    Finally, in this era,munication and management capabilities were very limited, and it was difficult for a governor to effectively manage the entire territory. It is important to realize that Tunisia covers 160,000 square kilometers, more than a quarter of France¡¯s total area!

    However, although Tunisia is vast in size, its poption is rtively small, so appointing four governors was basically enough to manage it.

    The ceremony of receiving the new province was over, and next was the ceremony where the King and Queen awarded those who had distinguished themselves in North Africa.

    Joseph stood somewhat awkwardly in the first ce, with Bertier, Joan, Isaac, and others to his right.

    Queen Mary ced a gand on her son¡¯s head, looked him up and down, and finally couldn¡¯t help but pull him into her arms, saying with concern in a low voice, "My dear, I¡¯m so proud of you! Tell me, have you been injured? Are you sick? Did you get used to the food in Africa..."

    Joseph patted the Queen¡¯s back, nodding repeatedly, "Don¡¯t worry, everything is fine with me. After all, I am a grown man, and I¡¯ll be traveling around the world more often, so you don¡¯t always have to worry about me."

    "Good, good..." Queen Mary¡¯s eyes were a bit wet, but the corners of her mouth curled upward, "My Joseph will surely soar through the expansive skies like a mighty eagle. And I, will always be here waiting for you toe home."

    Louis XVI also came over and said softly, "Mmm, me too."

    The Court Ceremonial Officer nced at his watch and coughed helplessly.

    Queen Mary quickly let go of her son, forcefully held back her tears, and took the gand from the Ceremonial Officer, walking towards Bertier: "Your exceptional performance in North Africa has astonished everyone, please ept our respect, Lieutenant Colonel."

    At that moment, Joseph appropriately turned his head and whispered, "Mother, it should be Major General now."

    The Queen nodded, "Yes, that¡¯s right, I¡¯ve heard about that battle, and your contributions are enough to earn you a promotion to Major General."

    A smile shed across Joseph¡¯s face. ording to tradition, Bertier was supposed to be promoted to Colonel this time, but an exceptional promotion to Major General wasn¡¯t out of the question. It was a good opportunity to secure his military rank while the Queen was pleased, which would greatly benefit the Guard Corps¡¯ future development.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After all, as a Major General, he couldmand an entire local garrison, which would make it much more convenient to increase the numbers of the Guard Corps or recruit officers in the future.

    After the Queen had ced gands on thest person and made a brief speech, it was time for lunch.

    Queen Mary walked towards the dining room, arm in arm with Joseph, showering him with care and concern along the way, which made Clementine, who was eager to hear stories of the North African campaign from her cousin, scratch her head in frustration, as she couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to interject.

    The Imperial Chef had specially prepared a North African-style "Tajine Pot" as the first course for the banquet. In fact, he had struggled for a long time over whether this North African dish should be considered a soup or an appetizer, ultimately deciding to categorize it as an appetizer because the soup portion was somewhat small.

    Joseph, having eaten Tajine Pot every other day while in Tunisia, was very familiar with it.

    This was a dish stewed in a y pot, using a plethora of spices and sauces, with additions such as beef, fish, tomatoes, and various vegetables¡ªsomewhat akin to the Eastern hot pot, and quite delicious nheless.

    When the French chef¡¯s Tajine Pot was served, and the servants lifted the pointed lid on the y pot, a rich aroma immediately greeted everyone.

    Joseph speared a piece of fish with his fork and put it into his mouth, where the saucy vor enveloped the fish, releasing its seafood sweetness upon his pte, and he swallowed it after just a few chews.

    It was much tastier than what the Tunisians made.

    The French chefs truly lived up to their reputation!

    An idea suddenly popped into Joseph¡¯s head: he could promote this dish in France to facilitate the French people¡¯s eptance of the Tunisians.

    However, when he looked up, he realized that aside from himself, everyone else was staring at the Tajine Pot without moving.

    Could it be that this dish didn¡¯t suit the French pte?

    As Joseph pondered, he saw the Court Ceremonial Officer whispering something to the Queen, who then awkwardly picked up a fork and reached into the y pot.

    The nobles below imitated the Queen and began to eat as well.

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help but facepalm, having forgotten that at the Pce of Versailles, there were strict etiquette rules about what utensils to use and in what order, and which part of the meal to eat first.

    So, faced with a North African dish they had never eaten before, everyone was at a loss about where to begin...

    After the banquet, the celebration continued with a dance party¡ªa Tunis-themed ball.

    The nobles, dressed in North African-style attire, yed exotic music and began to dance gracefully.

    Joseph, following tradition, stood in a corner, watching those who had integrated into Tunisian fashion, quietly estimating how much the Parisian fashion designers had earned this time.

    While some reveled in joy, others were fraught with worry. As everyone merrily celebrated, the military nobility appeared deeply troubled.

    "Who saidst time that Bertier¡¯s troops couldn¡¯t even enter Tunis City?" a middle-aged officerined in a low voice, "In the end, not only did he stabilize the situation in Tunisia, but he even defeated the People of Algiers!"

    "I didn¡¯t expect those People of Algiers to be so useless. If we had known it would be like this, we should¡¯ve gone to Tunisia ourselves!"

    General Astou frowned, "Now Bertier¡¯s prestige has greatly increased. You know, he is one of the Royal Family¡¯s men, and at this rate, the Royal Family¡¯s influence in the army will grow stronger and stronger!"

    "Exactly, didn¡¯t Murat¡¯s Corps throw in their lot with the Royal Family?" the middle-aged officer said, "It was the Queen¡¯s direct order, without involving the Minister of War, that Duke Vr¡¯s troops went to North Africa!"

    Marquis de Saint-Veran, who had just returned to Paris yesterday, immediately added with resentment, "We cannot allow this trend to continue! The moment the Royal Family no longer relies on our military, they will discard us like a worn-out boot!"

    Someone muttered softly, "But what can we do? We simply have no means to control that Bertier."

    Another voiced even more quietly, "Actually, coborating with the Royal Family isn¡¯t entirely off the table..."

    The other officers immediately red fiercely at the speaker. This unspoken matter was theirs alone; monopolizing the military meant they could squander France¡¯s military funds at will.

    If the militarymand were given to the Royal Family, then the annual embezzlements of tens or even hundreds of thousands of livres, kickbacks from equipment purchases, and the extra funds for campaigning would all vanish.

    More importantly, their descendants might not be able to inherit their high military ranks.

    Their families might no longer carry prestigious names.

    This was utterly uneptable!

    General Astou sternly stated, "We must unite. That Bertier is not invincible.

    "Have you forgotten? His troops were originally a part of the French Guard, and another part now has be the Merit Corps. We could work on reinstating the old structure of the French Guard, merge these two corps back into the French Guard, and establish a High Commander for the Guard.

    "This way, if the Royal Family wants to dispatch Bertier¡¯s Corps, they would have to issue orders through his superior High Commander."

    "That¡¯s very feasible!" Marquis de Saint-Veran immediately agreed, "As for Murat¡¯s Corps, I remember they were previouslymanded by Major General Vr, only for Duchess Marie Emilie to suddenly take it back."

    The Major General Vr he mentioned was Duchess Marie Emilie¡¯s uncle.

    "We need to use our influence to support Major General Vir. His niece, who is only sixteen or seventeen, is not a concern."

    "We also have to create a situation where Bertier faces an enemy he can¡¯t handle, making the Royal Familypromise with us."

    "You¡¯re absolutely right, but something like the situation with Algiers definitely won¡¯t work..."

    ...

    Constantinople.

    While Tunisia¡¯s decision to break away from the Ottoman Empire did not cause substantial damage to the Empire, it nevertheless caused an uproar in the Ottoman Empire.

    This news became the final straw that broke the confidence of the Empire¡¯s public, especially under the extremely unfavorable circumstances of the war with the Russians.

    Pedestrians whispered about the defeats on both the northern and southern fronts, with a sense of pessimism quickly spreading everywhere.

 Chapter 295 - 226: The Wind Rises in the European Continent

    Topkapi Pce.

    Sultan Hamid I, seated on his spacious square chair, saw Yusuf stride through the door and tried to lean on the cushion to sit up straighter, but the weakness in his muscles made him abandon the attempt.

    His 43 years of confinement had left him in very poor health, and now at the age of 64, he already showed signs that his life was burning out.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He raised his hand to the Grand Vizier, who was bowing before him, and asked in a clearly breathless voice, "Is there news from the Maghreb?"

    "Maghreb" means nd of the setting sun" in Arabic, a term used by the Arabs who first reached North Africa to refer to the central and western regions of North Africa.

    The Grand Vizier Yusuf nodded with a worried look, "Your Majesty, the Algiers Guard did indeed march on Said¡¯s instigation... he even used your name."

    Hamid I sighed, "Where is the man?"

    "His servant returned to Constantinoplest night, saying he had jumped into the Mediterranean half a month ago."

    "He preserved the dignity of an imperial envoy."

    Yusuf bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, regarding the incorporation of Tunisia into France, what do you think of... "

    Hamid I stared at the patterns on the carpet, waving his hand again, "Send someone to France to express the Empire¡¯s position. But let¡¯s not be too harsh in our words. We need to focus our efforts on the Russians."

    Just a few days ago, the Russian Army¡¯smander Potemkinunched an attack on the fortress of Ochakov with six divisions, and within a few hours, upied this key position at the northwest of the ck Sea.

    In that battle, Potemkin wiped out and captured more than 13,000 Ottoman troops, with his forces pointing directly at the Danube River.

    "Speaking of Russia," Hamid I nced at Yusuf, "how do you n to respond?"

    Although the Grand Vizier was not directly responsible for military affairs, as the "Chancellor" of the Ottoman Empire, he was very clear about the deployment of forces.

    "The situation is not very optimistic..." Yusuf hesitated for a moment before adding, "Austria and Russia are both reinforcing their troops. The generals believe that we must stop a Russian-Austrian rendezvous at all costs.

    "The preliminary n is to gather 150,000 troops to reach the Danube River area by next summer, sessively capture Binj and Arzhu, sever the Russian-Austrian connection, and then retake Ochakov."

    "150,000 men," Hamid I nodded, "how confident are you that we can defeat the Russians?"

    "Well, we have the advantage in terms of military strength, so we should be able to win."

    The Sultan gestured to Yusuf toe closer and leaned forward, whispering, "If we still can¡¯t win this time, try to make peace with Russia. Give up the north shore of the ck Sea for peace..."

    Joseph could not have imagined that his actions in North Africa would elerate the disintegration of Ottoman morale. The Ottoman Empire, which was originally determined to fight to thest soldier and was only set to give up the north shore of the ck Sea after three years due to exhaustion, had already lost its will to fight to the death against Russia.

    ...

    London.

    10 Downing Street.

    The young Prime Minister of Ennd, William Pitt Junior, pushed the resignation letter back across the table and looked up at the Duke of Leeds, "You needn¡¯t do this. North Africa was never within our sphere of influence, and this time luck happened to be on the French¡¯s side. Your strategy was actually not wed. I¡¯m confident I can preserve your position in Congress."

    "Hollis acted on my instructions, and now he¡¯s dead," the Duke of Leeds shook his head calmly, "Someone must be held ountable for this, and that person cannot be you."

    William Pitt Junior fell silent.

    Hollis was a Whig, the opposition party to his own. Now, to quell the diplomatic disaster of "instigating Tunisia to attack the French people," he had mitted suicide."

    At the same time, the Duke of Leeds had spent nearly 700,000 British Pounds, a huge sum, and yet failed to prevent France from obtaining Tunisia, marking a significant defeat.

    The Whig Party would definitely seize on this series of events to cause trouble in Congress. His position as Prime Minister was already unstable, and if this scandal escted, it could lead to impeachment by Congress.

    He slowly lifted his fingers off the resignation letter, sighed, and asked, "So, who do you think should take over as Foreign Minister?"

    "The Marquess of Wellesley." The Duke of Leeds was clearly prepared, "He is as young and gifted as you, full of strategy and decisiveness. Although his political experience is shallow, I will use my influence to fully support him."

    William Pitt Junior nodded silently. The Marquess of Wellesley was a trusted ally, indeedpetent, and he had always been keen on promoting him.

    He paused, then looked again at the Duke of Leeds, "Then, what do you think our next steps should be to counter the advantage the French have gained in North Africa?"

    But the Duke of Leeds immediately shook his head, "Prime Minister, France is too close to Tunisia, and now they have already established a stronghold. If we continue to sh with them there, we will suffer greatly."

    "You mean to say we should just ept defeat?"

    "No! Quite the opposite, we must do all we can to bring France to its knees and press them firmly into the mud. That is the only path to the prosperity of Ennd!"

    The Duke of Leeds showed a sly fox-like smile, "North Africa is just a piece of fat, not worth too much fuss. The Low Countries are the real throat to aim for! By putting our efforts there, we can strike a painful blow to France."

    The so-called Low Countries are the northwest coastal nations of Europe, namely the Nethends, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

    The Duke of Leeds then detailed his strategy for the Low Countries to the Prime Minister, and added, "Moreover, the ambitions of Russia and Prussia are excellent weapons too, and you must find ways to utilize their power."

 Chapter 296 - 226 Wind Rises in the European Continent_2

    William Pitt the Younger nodded thoughtfully, "Prussia has always been closely rted to us. However, Russia seems to have grown quite close to France recently."

    "Interests," said the Duke of Leeds, raising his index finger and wagging it, "Russia¡¯s current greatest interest lies in Pnd. If you merely figure out a way to feed Pnd to Russia, then this great bear would be willing to destroy everything."

    The Duke of Leeds spoke as if he were discussing his "political will": "As for Austria, don¡¯t be misled by the fact that they married a woman off to the King of France, but in reality, the conflict between Austria and France is the most severe on the entire European continent!

    "Don¡¯t forget, they have been arch-enemies for centuries."

    William Pitt the Younger nodded, "You are absolutely right, they have serious conflicts of interest in both the Rhine region and Italy."

    The Duke of Leeds gave him an approving look, "It¡¯s just that the rise of the Prussians was too rapid, catching Austria¡¯s attention. If you can broker some sort of understanding between Prussia and Austria, then Austria would immediately expand west and south, thus colliding fiercely with France!"

    ...

    Austria, Vienna.

    Schonbrunn Pce.

    The Holy Roman Emperor and also the Archduke of Austria, Joseph II, after hearing the diplomat¡¯s report on the situation in Tunisia, couldn¡¯t help but smile, "My dear sister has timed this perfectly."

    He looked towards an elder with a long face and arge nose beside him, "The strong pressure from the Russians and us has made the Ottoman People unable to attend to other matters, and my sister has taken the opportunity to pluck the fruit that is Tunisia. The Ottoman Sultan could only watch helplessly."

    The elder, with a serious demeanor, nodded and said, "Her Royal Highness¡¯s political skills are getting more and more sophisticated. This time even the British have nothing to say, after all, it would offend Russia, and even include offending us."

    The "Her Royal Highness" he mentioned was Joseph II¡¯s sister, the current Queen of France, Marie Antote. He was an old minister from the era of Maria Theresa, who had held the future Queen Mary as a child, and his form of address naturally carried a sense of affection.

    Joseph II, clearly in a good mood, rarely gestured for a servant to pour him a ss of wine, and shared one with the elder, "Does this mean that France¡¯s strategic direction has now turned towards the southern coast of the Mediterranean?"

    "We cannot exclude this possibility, Your Majesty."

    "Then we should seize this opportune moment to congratte my dear sister and discuss matters concerning Italy with her. Prince Litanberg, since you have good rtions with the political circles of France, perhaps you would be willing to visit the Pce of Versailles for me?"

    The elder was none other than the Austrian Minister of State, or what is equivalent to a Chancellor, Kaunitz-Litanberg. He was the outstanding politician who had ended the century-long hostility between France and Austria, oversaw the marriage of Queen Mary to Louis XVI, and ultimately facilitated the "Triple Petticoat" alliance between Austria, France, and Russia.

    Although Joseph II had taken back a substantial amount of power from him after he became the sole ruler, he remained the most influential minister in Austria.

    Kaunitz immediately stood up, saying very seriously, "Your Majesty, pardon my frankness, but Austria¡¯s national policy should be firmly directed at the German region and always keep a close watch on Prussia.

    "Now, to divert our attention to Italy would only give the Prussians a chance to expand their influence in Germany."

    "No, this will not take up too much of our effort," Joseph II, stubborn and self-willed, found it hard to ept differing opinions, "What you have to do is discuss the division of influence in Italy with France, not to monopolize it.

    "Oh, right, including their proposal to establish the ¡¯United East India Company¡¯ with the Dutch, I¡¯m very interested. You can discuss the matter of bing a shareholder as well."

    "Your Majesty, I would be d to make a trip to France," Kaunitz bowed slightly, yet his tone was firm, "but I still wish to remind you that Prussia is our true worry at heart."

    "Yes, Prussia, you are correct. So, when do you n to leave?"

    "I can leave tomorrow, Your Majesty."

    "Very well. I look forward to your return with good news."

    ...

    Saint Petersburg.

    Winter Pce.

    Count Alexei Bobrinski bowed to his mother with some nervousness. For some reason, every time he saw her, he felt a bit tense, although she was smiling kindly at him.

    Catherine II gestured for him to sit beside her and smiled, "Alyosha, I must admit that your recent contact with the Crown Prince of France was very timely."

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Russians like to use diminutive nicknames when addressing someone they are close to. Alyosha is the nickname for Alexei.

    "Especially the ¡¯Gemini Trading Company¡¯ that you established. Now that France has obtained ports in North Africa, your trading costs in the Mediterranean will be significantly reducedpared to before. Perhaps yourpany might even acquire some exclusive trading privileges in Tunisia."

    Alexei nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty, His Highness Joseph has written to me, expressing his intention to double thepany¡¯s trade volume."

    "That much?"

    "They not only acquired the Tunisian colony but also eliminated the Tunisian pirates. A good portion of the nearly one hundred captured pirate ships will be thepany¡¯s assets, evening with many skilled sailors."

    In reality, Joseph had captured nearly 160 ships in the Port of Tunis, although only half of them were suited for long voyages. As for the sailors, many Tunisians had previously served in the navy, and after exterminating the Tunisian pirate hierarchy, these Berbers could be well trusted after a thorough vetting process.

    This directly increased the tonnage capacity of the Gemini Trading Company¡¯s fleet by 150%. That¡¯s why Joseph dared to state the goal of doubling the trade volume.

    And for every increase in Franco-Russian trade, there would be one less in Anglo-Russian trade. This was greatly beneficial to weakening the close trade rtions between Ennd and Russia.

    "Oh, that¡¯s truly wonderful," Catherine II gestured towards the west, "I think you should personally congratte your Crown Prince friend face to face."

    "Moreover, you could also suggest to him that, taking advantage of their great victory, they should directly seize Algiers. I remember, those foolish people of Algiers evenunched an attack on them."

    She was very pleased to see France continuing to reap the Ottoman provinces in North Africa. Although the Ottomans didn¡¯t have much real control over those regions, the loss of overseas territories dealt a severe psychological blow to them.

    This would make Russia¡¯s war against the Ottomans much easier.

    And who knows, France¡¯s progress might be smooth enough that they could even directly attack the Ottoman homnd from the south.

    After all, dealing with an empire as vast as the Ottomans wasn¡¯t a matter of ending a war in three or five years. In the prolonged conflict, it was not impossible for France to reach the Ottomans¡¯ southern shores.

    "Yes, Your Majesty. Actually, I was also thinking of visiting Paris soon," Alexei said, his focus might be on managing the Gemini Trading Company, but the morous life of Paris was always alluring to him.

    As if remembering something important, Catherine II added, "By the way, take Sasha with you. She has always been mentioning how she wants to y in Paris. Just make sure to keep an eye on her studies during the trip."

    Sasha is the nickname for Alexandra.

    If this had been in the past, Catherine would not have trusted her beloved granddaughter to her spendthrift younger son. However, over the past year, Alexei had evidently matured and be more dependable, so there should be no issues with him looking after Sasha.

    ...

    Paris.

    In the Pce of Versailles, the celebrations for the North Africa campaign continued for three days before finallying to an end.

    Joan, Xda, Isaac, and others immediately returned to Tunisia, as there was a multitude of matters waiting for them to attend to.

    In King Louis XVI¡¯s drawing room,ughter and cheerful voices could be heard.

    Queen Mary held a ceramic pot painted with beautiful colorful geometric patterns, admiring it from every angle.

    This was a "souvenir" brought back from North Africa by Joseph for her, a rare masterpiece created by a Tunisian pottery master hundreds of years ago.

    Beside her, Louis XVI was fiddling with the hunting bag made of camel and crocodile leather that his son had gifted him.

    The leathercraft of Tunisia was highly skilled, and works of top artisans were hard toe by in Europe.

    But the happiest of all was Charles, Joseph¡¯s young brother, who was at the moment blissfully ying with a multicolored parrot.

 Chapter 297 - 227: Busy with Countless Affairs (Vote for Monthly Pass)

    Clementine also received a gift from her cousin. It was arge jar of Tunisian-style candies, made by binding cashews, Moran nuts, and crushed dates with honey and sugar to form short sticks, with an exceptionally sweet and delicious taste.

    She was utterly unable to resist the temptation of the candies, and as soon as she smelled their sweet aroma, her eyes lit up, and she forgot all about being reserved, reaching into the jar to pinch off a piece of candy and popping it into her mouth.

    "Mmm¡ª"

    The crispness of the nuts mixed with the sweetness of the honey made the little girl so happy that she squinted her eyes in delight.

    "Thank you so much for the gift, my dearest cousin!" She wanted to curtsy to Joseph again, but found her fingers were sticky with sugar and she couldn¡¯t pick up her skirt, so after a moment¡¯s thought, she simply grabbed a piece of candy and stuffed it into her cousin¡¯s mouth.

    Joseph was taken aback, wanting to say, "It seems you haven¡¯t washed your hands," but it was already toote. All he could do was silently tell himself, "It¡¯s not clean, but eating it won¡¯t make me sick," as he chewed reluctantly.

    "Dear cousin!" At the side, the parrot perched on Charles¡¯ arm imitated Clementine with aical voice.

    "Wow! It, it can talk!" Charles, nearly 4 years old, immediately widened his eyes and eximed in amazement.

    Louis XVI and Queen Mary were also drawn by the talking parrot and put down what they were holding to gather around.

    "What else can you say?" Charles pouted and looked at the parrot, "Sweetie pie!"

    "????????????????!" The parrot said an Arabic phrase, and even bowed its head toward Louis XVI.

    Everyone looked at each other and burst into cheerfulughter.

    "It knows quite a fewnguages."

    "It¡¯s really amusing!"

    "Joseph, do you know what it¡¯s saying?" Queen Mary asked her son.

    Joseph spread his hands:

    "I don¡¯t understand it either. But whatever you want it to say, teach it a few times and it will learn. Cape Parrots are very intelligent."

    "Cape Parrot! I love Mr. Cape Parrot!" Charles hugged the colorful parrot, as big as a pigeon, and joyfully spun around the room several times.

    Clementine shook her head to correct him from the side:

    "Cape Parrot is its species. You should give it a name."

    "Is that so, then what should I name it..."

    Charles bowed his head in deep thought, then suddenly caught a glint of something under the table eyeing this way. With a start, he grabbed the cashmere tricorn hat his father had casually ced on the table corner and thrust it forward with all his might.

    The next moment, a ck and white blur shed over and bumped right into the hat, letting out a disgruntled "meow."

    "Monsieur Mustache?" Clementine was immediately startled and hastily looked for her maid, "Rosalia, why is the cat..."

    What she¡¯d forgotten was that recently Princess Therese had gone to visit Spain, and Monsieur Mustache¡¯s "girlfriend" had gone with her, so he took the opportunity to slip out for a walk while the maid wasn¡¯t watching.

    And here he had discovered a plump "pigeon pastry."

    The cat¡¯s long-anticipated strike was blocked by Charles, who cast a greedy nce at the parrot and, with his body again drawn taut, leaped with a "meow."

    From a young age, Charles had been educated by Queen Mary about the "spirit of the knight," and though he was somewhat afraid, he still summoned up all his courage, lifting his little leg to kick at Monsieur Mustache.

    "Ow." The cat didn¡¯t seem to know if it was hit, but terrified, it let out a scream and soughtfort in Clementine¡¯s arms.

    The little girl soothed the cat, protesting to Charles:

    "Your Highness, you almost kicked Monsieur Mustache."

    Charles, clinging to the parrot, retaliated:

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "That bad cat, it wanted to eat Mr. Parrot!"

    "I apologize on its behalf, but you already ¡¯snagged¡¯ it with your hat, there was no need for an extra kick!"

    "I thought it necessary!"

    "It wasn¡¯t necessary!"

    "It started it first!"

    With her hands on her hips, the little girl said indignantly:

    "There is no doubt, your behavior just now was very rude!"

    The little boy could not win the argument, and suddenly noticing the Moran nuts on her candy, he recalled the as he had studied before. An idea struck him, and pointing at the nuts, he asked:

    "Do you know how those are harvested?"

    "Ah? Harvested?"

    Charles said with a smirk, "The locals will drive sheep up the trees to eat the green fruits, and the nuts in their droppings are these!"

    "Gross!" Joseph turned pale, feeling nauseous.

    Clementine looked at the delicious candy and then at Charles, suddenly bursting into tears and crying:

    "It¡¯s not like that, you¡¯re making it up..."

    The servants and maids quickly gathered around, embracing Charles and consoling the little girl, creating a mess of the scene.

    Louis XVI looked helplessly toward the royal biologist standing at the doorway.

    Thetter hurried over, bowed to everyone, and exined:

    "It¡¯s true that there is such a method of harvesting as His Highness described, but the edible part is the kernel inside the nut, separated by the shell, and it definitely won¡¯t be coated with sheep droppings. Moreover, such high-end candies are likely to be harvested by hand."

    Joseph finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the little girl¡¯s crying gradually subsided.

    Queen Mary, after soothing her younger son, diverted the little girl¡¯s attention by stroking her head:

    "That¡¯s right, Clementine, haven¡¯t you always wanted to hear your cousin¡¯s adventure stories in North Africa?"

    She looked towards Joseph, "Dear, why don¡¯t you tell them the story."

    Immediately upon hearing this, the two children stopped fussing and turned their attention.

    Joseph instinctively wanted to decline, but then he thought that he shouldn¡¯t always be treated like a child by the Queen.

    With the development of France, he would definitely be undertakingrger and deeper reforms, as well as dealing with more diplomatic affairs in the future. He needed to obtain greater authority to avoid being hampered in these endeavors.

 Chapter 298 - 227: Busy with Countless Affairs (Vote for Monthly Pass)_2

    Now was an opportunity to show the Queen his capabilities.

    So, he nodded, gestured for everyone to sit by the sofa, gathered his thoughts, and began:

    "A few months ago, an attack against the French urred in Tunisia, and I suspected that foreign powers were behind it. So I decided to go there and see..."

    He then went on to exin how he promoted "Roman identity," how he presented the Tunisian Guard as a "gift package" to the locals to gain their support, and how he made the local Rebel Army dependent on their arms and equipment.

    However, to avoid offending Louis XVI and Queen Mary, both devout Catholics, he omitted his trickery like the "stone figure with one eye" and simply said he found Elder Aly to "cooperate" with, which ultimately led to the expulsion of the Tunisian Guard who had attacked the French.

    Queen Mary listened with wide eyes, continuously praising:

    "You crumbled those who harbored ill will against France with almost no use of military force. My dear, how did youe up with such a brilliant idea?"

    This time, Brian hadn¡¯t apanied Joseph to Tunisia, so she would no longer mistake her son for just an attendant.

    Her heart swelled with excitement, and she made the sign of the cross on her chest, silently praying: My son has truly grown up, and he is exceptionally capable, with formidable strategy. Thanks be to God, thanks be to Holy Mary!

    Joseph then recounted how the Algiers Army intervened in Tunisia, his decision to strike first, and how he moved swiftly to Annaba to ambush the Algiers Army.

    Although Queen Mary had read the relevant reports before, they were nowhere as detailed as Joseph¡¯s narration.

    When she heard that her son had fought alongside 6,000 French soldiers against more than 20,000 People of Algiers, she became so anxious her palms started sweating, and she murmured continuously:

    "That¡¯s too risky, you shouldn¡¯t have joined the army..."

    It wasn¡¯t until Joseph mentioned encircling and defeating Caheller south of Annaba that the "audience" around him breathed a sigh of relief.

    Clementine was the first to start pping:

    "Cousin, you are truly amazing!"

    The King and Queen exchanged nces and joined the apuse, their faces filled with pride.

    Little Charles, full of admiration, shouted loudly:

    "Brother, take me with you to fight the heathens next time!"

    Joseph affectionately ruffled his hair andughed:

    "Then you must study hard and practice horse riding. When you¡¯ve grown up, we¡¯llmand the troops together."

    Queen Mary quickly waved her hands:

    "It¡¯s too early for horse riding... absolutely not..."

    After Joseph finished sharing his North African experience, Louis XVI¡¯s valet came to remind them that it was dinnertime, and the Royal Family¡¯s bonding time was drawing to an end.

    Queen Mary looked at the silhouette of her eldest son walking shoulder to shoulder with her husband, revealing a smile of relief¡ªher painstaking efforts had not been in vain, finally raising such an outstanding heir.

    But the thought of Joseph having been on the war-torn North African battlefield made her heart tense. If not for Marquis de Saint-Veran¡¯s troops¡¯ dallying, how could her son have faced such peril?!

    Thankfully, her son had performed excellently; otherwise, he might have been injured by the Algiers Army...

    She dared not think further, a vengeful cold light shing in her eyes, like a lioness protecting her cub, she growled lowly:

    "Moncalm, you must pay the price for your actions!"

    She immediately remembered the Minister of War who had rmended Marquis de Saint-Veran to her, and she promptly grew to detest him as well.

    ...

    The next morning, Joseph, having extricated himself from trivial matters, rushed directly to the Industrial nning Bureau at the Tuileries Pce.

    Upon entering the office, he immediately saw the thick stack of documents on his desk and couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. It seemed that his few months in North Africa had led to quite a build-up of work.

    Sitting down in his chair, Joseph asked Eman to make him a cup of coffee without any additives and then reached out to flip through the documents.

    As usual, the topmost one was a report on the grain issue.

    Just as he had predicted, despite the adoption of steam engine irrigation and the use of phosphate fertilizers imported from Nauru, crop yields this year still fell by a full 27% due to the onught of drought and harsh winter.

    Even more troubling was that after entering winter, the consumption rate of strategic grain reserves had greatly increased, leaving only about 18% of the stock from the beginning of the year.

    Moreover, because other countries also experienced grain shortfalls, international grain prices had soared, making it increasingly difficult to fill the deficit with imported grain.

    The documents in Joseph¡¯s hands showed that during his time in Tunisia, more than ten locations in France had experienced grain shortages. Fortunately, these were mostly addressed by urgently reallocating reserve grains. However, at the current rate of consumption, the reserves couldst at most until March of next year.

    The early wheat in Tunisia could mature by the end of April at the earliest, leaving a gap of over a month in between that needed to be bridged. On one hand, immigration to Tunisia needed to be elerated, and on the other, new sources of grain had to be found.

    The situation looked extremely thorny, but whenpared to the same period in history, it was already significantly better.

    One must remember that by the end of 1788, France had already plunged into widespread famine, and, additionally, due to the "Eden Treaty", it suffered mass unemployment and aplete financial breakdown. Louis XVI, with no solutions left, agreed to convene the Estates-General the following year.

    After that, the famine worsened in 1789, with frequent urrences of people starving to death across various locations. The Estates-General failed to resolve any issues, only bringing about a massive upheaval that swept across all of France like a flood.

    Joseph rubbed his temples. Thanks to his efforts over the past year, the grain dilemma was for the time being within controble bounds, and the Estates-General had not urred.

    Most importantly, Paris had never experienced a grain shortage. If all went as expected, the great revolution should be avoided.

    He took a sip of his coffee and continued to the next document, which mainly reported on the grain situation in various European countries in the second half of the year.

    After roughly reviewing it, he couldn¡¯t help but frown secretly. In summary, the situation in the entirety of Europe was quite bad.

    Affected by droughts, traditional grain-exporting countries such as Britain, Russia, and Prussia were all struggling, and other countries were generally experiencing famine.

    The most direct data was the number of civil disturbances¡ªmost of which were triggered by famines.

    Austria had over a hundred riots within a year. Russia, perennially the champion of European unrest, doesn¡¯t even need mentioning. Prussia and Britain also experienced sixty to seventy riots. Yes, even the mighty Britain was not exempt, though their situation was somewhat special because they were heavily engaged in the enclosure movement.

    The states of Italy fared slightly better as they had well-developed trade and a smaller poption. Even so, ces like Sardinia and the Two Sicilies had over thirty riots each.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Inparison, France had only experienced over ten riots in the year, which was practically exemry for Europe¡ªriots were inevitable in this feudal era, as just one foolish noble acting recklessly within their domain could incite peasant uprisings.

    Joseph was well aware that grain problems in European countries could very likely lead to war¡ªgoing to war could redirect domestic conflicts outward and was a time-honored method for states of this era to solve internal issues through piging money and grain.

    This required him to quickly deal with the disobedient military nobility at home and unify military power to effectively defend against foreign enemies.

    The excellent performance of the Guard Corps in Tunisia also gave him the confidence to tackle the military nobility. However, the operation still needed to be handled with the utmost caution. Matters of the state rted to sacrifices and the military. These guys wielded armies, and if not managed properly, could lead to a military coup.

    Joseph put away the report on the riots in various countries and continued to the next document.

    This was a report from Talleyrand on the results of France¡¯s formal protest to the British Government over "Britain¡¯s instigation of the Tunisian Guard¡¯s attack on French people."

 Chapter 299 - 228: Acts of Chivalry

    Joseph saw at the end of the report, "British Consul in Tunisia, Hollis,mitted suicide due to personal reasons," and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a smile.

    "This truly is an old tradition of Ennd, utterly ruthless to their own."

    Although France held arge number of Tunisian Guard prisoners that could testify, the British Government resolutely insisted that these were false usations, and since Hollis, the only person involved, had died, there was no proof to dispute their im.

    Joseph was indifferent to this; after all, France wasn¡¯t likely to dere war on Ennd at the moment, and he himself had made a fortune in Tunisia, so he let this minor interlude slide.

    He continued to read through the documents, which covered topics ranging from the promotion of scientificposting methods to the construction progress of the industrial development zone in Saint-Etienne. From the mileage of newlyid wooden rail tracks to the development progress of the high-pressure steam engine.

    From the Royal Armory¡¯s trials of percussion cap-fired cannons to the influx of cheap Russian x and American cotton into France, making the textile industry in Lyon begin to turn a profit...

    A myriad of matters kept him busy until the sun set in the west.

    Overall, the industry, agriculture, science, technology, and military of France had all entered the right track and were progressing into a period of development. Despite feeling exhausted from a day¡¯s work, Joseph felt quite pleased.

    He nced at thest few documents, intending to finish them all before going to dinner.

    Next up was an application submitted by the Paris Police Academy.

    Due to the good treatment of the students at the Police Academy and the enticing prospects after graduation, arge number ofmoners¡¯ children came to enroll, some even traveling from distant ces like Gascony, Lyon, and Brittany to Paris.

    Even though Frient had set the admission standards extremely high, the academy still gradually admitted over 800 more students, and now the number of students from two termsbined was already close to 5,000.

    This far exceeded the original design capacity of the academy, resulting in many students having to share a bed between two people.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Therefore, Frient submitted an application to select a new site for expansion or to open a branch school.

    Joseph smiled slightly, wrote down an address at the bottom of the application, and requested that Frient continue enrolling students. He then set the document aside to be sent back to the academy by the staff the next day.

    That was the address of a manor gifted to Joseph by Louis XVI and Queen Mary as a birthday present.

    Joseph¡¯s birthday was at the end of October, and at that time, he was in Tunisia, so he hadn¡¯t really celebrated it, but his parents still sent him a gift.

    The manor was of little use to him, located just in the suburbs of Paris, and was perfectly suited to be allocated to the Police Academy.

    The buildings in the manor were already constructed, and thend had long been leveled. With a little preparation from the students, they could start sses there.

    Once the current 5,000 students graduated andbined with the Guard Corps, Joseph would have at his disposal 8,000 elite soldiers. If the Mn Regiment were also considered, the total would reach 12,000.

    At present, the total number of military forces in All of France hovered between 110,000 to 120,000, and the quality of soldiers was far lower than Joseph¡¯s direct force. It could be said that by then, unless All of France¡¯s military forces rebelled at once, Joseph was confident he could ensure the absolute safety of the Royal Family.

    Around 7 o¡¯clock in the evening, Joseph yawned and picked up thest document on the desk.

    Somewhat unexpectedly, it was submitted by Denico, the manager of the "Paris Commercial News."

    He skimmed through it. The content consisted ofints about the recent problems with the auditing standards of the Bureau of News and Publishing.

    About a half month ago, news about the "Viscount Anboer arson case" from the newspaper had failed to pass the audit more than ten times, resulting in the case not being reported. After consulting with other newspapers, Denico discovered that their news about this matter had also been "killed."

    Denico believed that the case did not implicate the Royal Family, had no adverse effects, and had been tried in the High Court already. Therefore, the Bureau of News and Publishing shouldn¡¯t have prohibited it, so he took advantage of "Paris News" and the Crown Prince¡¯s rtionship and directly lodged aint to Joseph.

    Joseph couldn¡¯t help frowning; Mono was currently in charge of the Bureau of News and Publishing, and it seemed that the man had likely taken bribes again, helping the used silence the media.

    "This habitual embezzler..." Joseph shook his head, wrote a letter of reprimand to Mono, and chastised him to be more restrained or face an investigation by the Justice Investigation Department sooner orter.

    Rubbing his sore shoulders, he got up and headed to the dining room, but as soon he left the office, he heard Eman¡¯s voice from the stairwell, "Miss Frey, if you wish to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, please submit a reservation request first. If you are approved, someone will notify you..."

    Frey? Joseph conjured up the image of that chuunibyou girl in his mind. Wasn¡¯t that her surname? What was she doing here?

    Curious, he peered down the staircase and called out, "Eman, please send her up."

    "Oh, alright, Your Highness."

    Soleil, still in that navy blue floor-length gown, quickly climbed the stairs with long strides and curtsied to Joseph with slight anxiety, "Greetings to you, Your Highness, and thank you for agreeing to see me."

    Joseph bowed slightly in return and ushered her into his office, "It seems you have an urgent matter to discuss?"

    "Yes, Your Highness." Soleil looked somewhat ufortable, given she hadn¡¯t yetpensated for the incident that caused the Crown Prince to "lose 5,000 livres"st time, and yet she hade to ask for his help again.

    But she quickly bucked up internally: This was for fairness and justice; the Crown Prince would surely understand!

 Chapter 300 - 228: Acts of Chivalry_2

    So she took a deep breath and looked at Joseph, "Your Highness, please save those two heroes. I know it¡¯s abrupt of me to ask, but I really don¡¯t know who else to turn to."

    "Heroes? Who are you talking about?" Joseph waspletely puzzled.

    "The Maletude brothers."

    Joseph: "?"

    Soleil¡¯srge eyes flickered, "Haven¡¯t you heard about the arson case at Viscount Anboer¡¯s house? Oh right, the newspapers suppressed that news. Those despicable bureaucrats..."

    She suddenly realized that "those despicable bureaucrats" were appointed by the Royal Family and quickly changed the subject, "The thing is, Your Highness, there was a poor girl named Celine who had been harassed by the shameless Viscount Anboer for a long time.

    "Her father was just a coppersmith and didn¡¯t dare to fight back. So, I helped her in secret a few times.

    "Who knew,st month that despicable noble actually kidnapped her to his vi! I was nning to sneak into that mansion at night to find her but then, out of nowhere, the Maletude brothers appeared.

    "They bravely set fire to various parts of Viscount Anboer¡¯s house, and while everyone inside was busy trying to put out the fires, they rescued Celine. Sure enough, she was reunited with her family the next day."

    Joseph was surprised, "Set fire to rescue someone?"

    "Yes, Your Highness. They were only two people, and if they wanted to rescue someone, it was a good method."

    Soleil nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, then added urgently, "But they were arrested two dayster, and the High Court quickly sentenced them to beheading.

    "Your Highness, they are brave men who helped the poor and should not die like this. I beseech you to help them!"

    Joseph immediately remembered the news blockade about the arson case at Viscount Anboer¡¯s house, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He thought, could it be that Mono was doing a good deed this time, keeping the Maletude brothers from bing a media focus by not letting the news be reported?

    Perhaps the letter scolding him need not be sent.

    He asked the young girl, "How many people were killed or injured in the arson case?"

    "Viscount Anboer and his threeckeys died, and more than ten people were injured. But they got what they deserved!"

    Soleil stepped forward and knelt on one knee, "Your Highness, the Maletude brothers are locked up in the Bastille, and I¡¯ve heard they are to be executed next week. Please find a way to pardon them!"

    Joseph pulled her up to her feet, frowning, "This isst month¡¯s case, how can the execution be so soon?"

    ording to the current legal process, even if the evidence were conclusive, it generally takes at least three to five months from sentencing to execution. And the case had happened only half a month ago.

    Soleil said urgently, "I¡¯m not sure about that. I tried to rescue them twice, but failed both times..."

    Joseph¡¯s eye twitched, "Rescue? You mean, you tried to break into the Bastille?"

    "Yes, Your Highness." Soleil seemed to think nothing amiss, "I saw them twice, but, the locks on the cells simply can¡¯t be picked."

    Joseph nodded, "That¡¯s not surprising, because those locks were personally crafted by my father."

    Ever since the "Diamond Ne Affair" took ce the year beforest, where the main culprit Jeanne escaped from the Bastille, the enthusiastic Louis XVI had crafted a batch of new locks for the Bastille using his own invention of the double row pin technology, which was exceptionally resistant to picking.

    He signaled to Soleil, "Please go back for now, I will look into this matter."

    "Thank you so much! Your Highness."

    After sending the young girl away, Joseph ate a simple dinner and immediately sent someone to the Pce of Versailles overnight to inquire about the arson case with the Justice Minister.

    The next day, Baron Breti personally came to Joseph¡¯s office to report on the case.

    "Your Highness, those brotherse from a minor noble family; they did not have a reputation for acting heroically on an ordinary day." the Justice Minister said, "After their arrest this time, they quickly confessed to the arson without any reservation.

    "I guess, perhaps the High Court thought their actions were abhorrent, and Viscount Anboer was quite influential, so they decided to execute them ahead of schedule,"

    Joseph frowned and shook his head, feeling that there was something wrong here.

    Remembering he still had to visit the Paris Police Academy today, he took the Justice Minister with him in the carriage and took a detour to the High Court first.

    In the office of the President of the High Court, Dibor nervously bowed his head and cautiously said, "This really doesn¡¯t follow procedure, Your Highness. However, the evidence against those two arsonists is irrefutable, and they would have ended up on the guillotine sooner orter. I will review this case thoroughly and then submit a formal report to you."

    Joseph looked at him askance and smiled, "I need to know the inside story of this case, Your Excellency."

    Dibor gave a dryugh, "What... what inside story could there be?"

    "Fine, then I¡¯ll hand this case over to Danton to deal with. Or perhaps even the Royal Supreme Court could intervene."

    Dibor broke out in a cold sweat, urgently gesturing to an official at the door, "Have Judge Croixe here."

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Judge Croix was directly responsible for the arson case. When he saw that the Crown Prince hade in person and heard that the case might be brought before the Supreme Judicial Court, he immediately spilled everything about the inside story.

    A momentter, Joseph frowned at Croix, "Are you saying that it was Mono who had you rush the judgment and execute those two brothers immediately?"

    "I swear, Your Highness, I received 30,000 livres from Count Mono, but he is a Cab Minister, it was he who forced me to do this, I really don¡¯t dare to offend him!"

    Joseph was increasingly astonished; Mono was using his news review authority to block the news of the arson case, while also bribing judges to execute the culprits quickly.

    What exactly was this man up to?

    He left Dibor with an order, "Take Judge Croix into custody for an investigation immediately, and let none of this get out." Then he left the High Court.

    Afterward, Joseph summoned Fouche and asked him to quickly investigate the arson case, focusing on Mono.

    The efficiency of the Police Affairs Department was extremely high, and just three dayster, Fouche ced the investigation results on the Crown Prince¡¯s desk.

    "Your suspicions are spot on, Your Highness," the intelligence chief reported, "that woman named Celine and her family said they were going to Tunisia to open upnd seven days ago, but in fact, as soon as they left Paris, they were killed. Some farmers nearby reported the incident."

    "Was it Mono¡¯s doing?"

    "Although there is no direct evidence, it should be someone he sent," Fouche nodded, "In fact, we found out that Count Mono¡¯s illegitimate son, that kid named Antony who got the inheritance rights half a year ago, has beenpeting with Viscount Anboer for that woman, oh, that Celine."

    "This matter is easy to find out, many people in the nobility circle know about it, both of them had their eyes on that woman. They say Antony even raped her several times before."

    Joseph¡¯s expression turned cold, "Just give me the conclusion."

    "Alright, Your Highness. The Maletude Brothers were very close to Count Mono¡¯s son. It seems that Viscount Anboer and Antony fought over the woman unsessfully, leading to her kidnapping.

    "Antony, unable to contain his anger, sent his men to ¡¯punish¡¯ Viscount Anboer, and those two fools, for some reason, chose to set fire. Oh, maybe they couldn¡¯t find any other way to deal with Anboer."

    "So, after the Maletude Brothers were arrested, Mono feared that journalists would uncover the truth, so he locked down the news rted to it. Afterwards, he bribed the judges to threaten the two brothers not to implicate his son, and to execute them as quickly as possible. After that, it would turn into a case with no witnesses."

    "The scoundrel!" Joseph mmed his hand on the table and said sternly, "Have someone keep an eye on the Monroe Family to prevent that scoundrel from fleeing, but don¡¯t take any other action for now."

    "Yes, Your Highness," Fouche bowed and withdrew.

    Joseph looked at the investigation report before him and couldn¡¯t help frowning in thought. Mono¡¯s case must be dealt with severely, but the man was after all the Minister of the Interior, the third-highest official in the Cab; dealing with him directly would have too great an impact, so how should he proceed without causing a serious political earthquake?

    However, the development of the situation was beyond his expectations.

    The next day, nearly all the major newspapers¡¯ front-page headlines were the news, "The son of the Minister of the Interior is suspected of being involved in the arson case of Viscount Anboer¡¯s house, has been summoned."

    All of Paris was shaken.

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