《Life of Being a Crown Prince in France》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Introduction In the early winter of 1787, in the east wing of the Palace of Versailles. Joseph sat in a room adorned with rococo gold trimmings and large 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 a lace cravat sighed and with disappointment flashing 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 courses 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 mathematicsLagrange. 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 with laced collar and with slightly droopy eyes showed a disdainful expression and loudly said, Crown Prince, I remember you still have two years to complete the basic courses. He nodded to the old man, Mr. Lagrange often says that one must climb the ladder 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 were laid out in front of Joseph. He quickly scanned them and found that the difficulty had increased several times compared to the previous one, but most of it was still high school level from later generations, involving a limited amount of calculus contentit really wasnt difficult for him. Yes, just over half a month ago, he was still in the 21st century, studying for his masters degree. That day, he went to France with his tutor to work on a wind turbine project, accidentally fell from the top of a tower, and when he woke up, he found himself reincarnated as Louis XVIs eldest sonLouis 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 Lagranges scrutinizing gaze, his mind wandered to Frances historical trajectory: the French Revolution would erupt next year, the royal family would be executed, and as the Crown Prince, he wouldnt 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 income of only 500 million. Due to financial collapse, 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 Cabinet had no choice but to levy heavy taxes, sucking the common 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 Frances fiscal deficit; two, secure enough food to prevent starvation; three, deal with treacherous nobles; and lastly, 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 couldnt solve the problem. He immediately sneered with disdain: What an idiot, actually coming here claiming 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, soon completing the first page of the exam. He flipped through the pages with some impatience, for once he had passed Lagranges subject, he could consider his studies at the University of Paris complete! 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 success. 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 delayed his timemany truths widely accepted in that era were actually errors. Lagrange, watching the Crown Princes pen fly across the paper, had stopped paying attention to the other students, his eyes growing wider and wider. This was work meant to be completed 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! Lagranges heart shook violentlycould it be that another Leibniz had been born? Suddenly, Lagrange glanced at his assistant, his eyes narrowing slightly, wondering if Andrei had leaked the exam questions to the Crown Prince. After all, the Crown Princes 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; just complete these few questions and Ill 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 doesnt know how? What a fool clinging to the royal family! I must find a way to let everyone see the Crown Princes exam paper later, to let him properly embarrass himself. Joseph looked at the paper in surprisethere 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 Rolles Theorem. This he knew very well, without a second thought, he wrote on the blank space: Rolles 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) Joseph completed the proof quickly but then felt Lagranges 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 shouldnt 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 didnt I think of it? He then turned his fervent gaze back to Joseph: Your Highness, how did you come to think of this? Ah? Isnt 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 nineteenth 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, Im going to do the last two questions now. Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Favored Son of God Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Favored Son of God ` No, no need to continue! Lagrange gripped Josephs 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 mathematicians 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 classroom 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 Josephs retreating figure, bitterly saying, No, he must have cheated! Andrei glanced at him expressionlessly, placing the problem Lagrange had posed before him: The question was made up on the spot by the professor, and the Crown Princes 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 formulas he couldnt 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 couldnt even comprehend the written proof Could it be that Josephs previous incompetence 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 or later! Joseph, of course, couldnt hear the others conversation, but even if he had, he wouldnt have caredjust 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 Princes proof, muttering to himself: What if, f(a) isnt 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)f(b), then thats your Lagranges Mean Value Theorem. Good luck with proving it a few years early. Once the old mathematicians 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 healedthe original owners physique was very weak, and the pneumonia had lasted for over a month with no signs of recovery. He waved to Eman, who had come closer, to indicate that he was fine, then after meandering for over a hundred meters, he finally saw the door to the Queens 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 a complicated 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 herit 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 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 Princes studies and confirmed that, aside from mathematics, he had passed all subjects with excellent grades, meaning, at this moment, he had completed the University of Pariss curriculum! She looked at her son with a complex 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 explain 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 collar adorned with sapphires furrowed his brow and whispered to the minister beside him: Bishop Brienne, did the Crown Prince just say he has completed university mathematics? The latter nodded, It seems so. How is that possible? I am also very shocked. Behind them, Queen Marys trusted Clerk softly added: Its not just mathematics. His Highness has completed 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, isnt the Crown Prince just thirteen years old?! Its 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 flattery and eagerly pulled away from Queen Marys hand, saying to her: Your Majesty the Queen, according 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 slaughtering 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 Frances core problem at the moment was financethe collapse of administration, the inability to provide relief during disasters, the nobles dissenting hearts, and so on, were all triggered by the financial collapse. 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. Frances 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 in command in financial matters. Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Heading to Paris (Please Bookmark) Chapter 3: 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 he completes his university courses, he can participate in the nations affairs. The Duke of Orleanss gaze sharpened as he thought to himself: The Crown Prince has always been mediocre, so why has he suddenly become 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 manipulation 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 publics confidence in the Royal Family. This was very unfavorable to his plans; he had to find a way to hold him back! With this thought flashing through his mind, he immediately spoke loudly, Your Majesty the Queen, the Crown Prince is still young and lacks 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 glanced at the Duke of Orleans. As a transmigrator, he was well aware of the mans backgroundLouis Philippe, a relative 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 fathers time. After the success 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 didnt 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, cant I? The Cabinet 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 the latter. The Duke of Orleans certainly did not expect Joseph to be so dismissive. Stunned for a long while before regaining his composure, 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 finally compromised: 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 Cabinet 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 cabinet meeting, and gained a deeper understanding of Frances dire financial situationthe conversation was ninety 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 XVIs footsteps. Upon his arrival at the Kings Bedroom, he was informed that Louis XVI was busy with a project of the ages, having spent the last three days eating and sleeping in the lock-making workshop without coming 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 speculated 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; well go directly to Paris City Hall. Yes, Your Highness. As Joseph stepped out of the main entrance of the Palace 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 couldnt help but shake his head with his hand on his forehead. He recognized most of these people; they were the Crown Princes personal attendants, including beauticians, chefs, tailors, and moreall seemingly prepared to accompany 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, wouldnt it? Then, he glanced 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 moments thought, he turned and boarded an ordinary carriage used by attendantstraveling in a royal carriage would mean there would be no peace along the way. Soon, three gray-black carriages left Versailles Palace Square and sped eastward. The Palace 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 any commoner could compare 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 Halls subordinate departments, there was, indeed, the Police Department. He eagerly continued reading and confirmed that the Paris Police were entirely under City Halls jurisdiction, his eyes lighting up at the discovery. It appeared that taking a position at City Hall wouldnt be a waste of time; at the very least, he could reorganize the Paris police force. For the lower classes of France, lawlessness 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; law enforcement relied on the communitys self-defense, and solving crimes was hardly feasible. Crime was rampant, and the general populace 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 peoples 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 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4: There is only one truth! 真実はいつもひとつ! Chapter 4: Chapter 4: There is only one truth! gϤĤҤȤ! 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 Palace of Versailles. This was his first glimpse at the face of Paris. Completely unlike the most prosperous metropolis in Europe that he had imaginedthe buildings were dirty and old, the streets were full of mud and sewage, and even excrement. The stench originated from there. Occasionally, 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 a common 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 city lacked 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 Palace 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, composed of numerous columns and arched floor-to-ceiling windows, like a huge castle presiding over the center of Paris, declaring the supreme power of the feudal class. The city hall had already received news of the Crown Princes 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 wasnt until three grey-black carriages stopped in front of the city halls main entrance, and Eman emerged from the carriage, that Paris Municipal Commissioner Levebelle twitched his eyelid and hurriedly beckoned those around him: Quick! Its the Crown Prince! Levebelle pressed his black 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 play 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 glance 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 become 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 replaced with new ones. Laughter and chatter flowed amidst the clinking of cups; Joseph responded to the endless flattery from the officials, but his thoughts were preoccupied 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 a compensating 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 of complaints, Good Lord, you were just supposed to be here for a touch of gold, but please dont take it so seriously. If the police system is thrown into chaos, wont 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 womans high-pitched voice came from outside the town hall: No! Lenot couldnt 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 he commit suicide? The case cannot be closed! The murderer is still at large The chubby mayors face turned dark as he angrily said, Why has she come back again? Freselle immediately waved vigorously at the guard, Get her out of here! Dont you see whos here today?! He then turned to Joseph, with an apologetic smile, Ah, Your Highness, shes just a madwoman. Dont 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, committed 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. Shes been so disruptive that we had to bar her from entering the town hall, but every few days she comes back to shout outside. Joseph found it odd and remarked, Swallowing his sword to commit suicide? The thin man sitting to the right of Levebelle indicated his chest: Your Highness, its when one rests the hilt of the sword on the ground, places the tip in ones mouth, and then thrusts downward, driving the sword through the back of the neck. Its a common method of suicide.[Note1] Joseph remembered that the chubby mayor had just introduced himhe was Viscount Gizo, the Director of Police Services, the highest-ranking official in Paris law 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 masters death in his own bedroom. I sent people to investigate, and we found that he had committed 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-hand combat. 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 similar murder methods plenty of times in detective novels. Without signs or a note of suicide, only the untrained and isolated 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 a laugh, 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 mindsLenot, obediently opening his mouth at the dentists command, 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 Lenots 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 ones own throat, they often resorted to the method of swallowing their sword to die. Moreover, this way of taking ones life allowed the person to maintain a kneeling prayer posture after death, which made it even more favored by the nobility. Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5 The Duke of Orleanss Counterattack Chapter 5: Chapter 5 The Duke of Orleanss 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 Lenots house, his servant should know. But the servants testimony didnt 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 Lenots fiance 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, accompanied 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. The latters eyes lit up. He turned to Joseph, placed a hand over his chest in a gesture of respect, and proclaimed in a lofty voice, Your Highness, as you had surmised, Lenots servant confessed shortly after his arrest. He said that indeed, a dentist had visited Lenots 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 dentists 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 accidentally 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 exclaimed loudly in praise, Thank heavens for the Crown Princes 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 villa. The city hall was too far from the Palace of Versailles, and he did not want to commute 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, contemplating that if he still could not persuade them tomorrow, he would write to Queen Mary, asking her to place him in the Police Department. Outside the room, Eman knocked lightly on the door: Your Highness, have you gone to bed yet? Not yet, come in. Eman entered, presenting a letter respectfully to Joseph, Your Highness, this was delivered by the Police Department, it appears to be from Miss Lenots fiance. 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 Palace 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 accumulation, possessed wealth comparable to the Royal Family. The current Duke of Orleans had continued to expand his influence since his fathers time, using this as a basis. Though he held no official position, he was able to attend Cabinet meetings and held substantial authority. Additionally, being a skillful actor and not stingy with his money, he was a welcomed guest in various political circles and maintained great prestige among the nobility. A luxurious carriage entered the Royal Palace 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 glance 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 Palace had become a secret base against the Royal Family, where future core members of the Feuillants, 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 umbrella. 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 black tea when I was in a bad mood! And its so hot! What has upset you so much? That Joseph! Philippe clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, He must have cheated! Theres no way he could have studied university-level courses! The Duke of Orleans asked about the details and frowned. He hadnt expected the Crown Prince to impress a university scholar like Lagrange so much. After such difficulty with Louis XVI, who lacked intelligence, why was his son so outstanding? He needed to suppress the Crown Princes 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 Levebelles 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 hes 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 place 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 Orleans laughed and nodded, Since Joseph is so confident, lets 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 Pariss major districts. There were only six Police Commissioners in all of Paris. Yes, Your Grace. After Levebelles confidant had left, the Duke of Orleans instructed the butler, Ensure Paris News and The Citizens 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 Palace Gardens in the night, a smirk forming on his lips: Once the Saint Antoine District turns into chaos, lets see how the Austrian wench defends her son. Crown Prince? Hmph, soon youll 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 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Start as a Minor Official (Seeking Recommendations) Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Start as a Minor Official (Seeking Recommendations) 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 exclaimed with emotion, The Crown Princes 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 didnt you mention it was that place? Its too chaotic there; if the Crown Prince The Municipal Commissioner interrupted him softly, The Crown Prince wont be patrolling; there wont 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 accepted the offer, Alright, I accept the position. He had learned the day before that the Police Commissioner oversaw all police operations in a large district, with only the Director of Police Services above him. And it would be unlikely for the City Hall to allow him to become the Director of Police Services, considering his age. Levebelle immediately laid on the praise thickly, accompanying 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 dilapidated. 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 semblance 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 accustomed 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 place in France where the Revolutionary unrest started. Anyone living here for years amidst such extreme poverty would definitely accumulate a deep resentment, and once unleashed, the destructive power would be astonishing. He sighed deeply. It seemed that he had, after all, come to the right place by coming to Saint Antoine District. Another half-hour passed, and the carriage stopped in front of a small yard, surrounded by uneven wooden planks. Inside was a decrepit building with no sign in sight. Gizo made a courteous gesture outside the carriage, Your Highness, weve 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. Moments later, 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 declared 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 displayed 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 figure come to our humble place? But isnt the Crown Prince only 13 years old? Lord, hes going to be a Police Commissioner? The police station will probably be thrown into complete 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 place! Acting on behalf of everyone here, I, assistant commissioner Bono, sincerely welcome you. He then turned to introduce the others, Your Highness, this is Magone, the second squads security supervisor, and this is the third squads 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 in command at the police station, while the security supervisors were responsible for commanding police officers to respond to emergencies and patrol, usually with more than a dozen subordinates, and were part of the police stations middle layer. 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 hadnt 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 Commissioners office. He looked around the room and sat down at the large oak desk. With a smiling face, Bono offered, Your Highness, would you like tea or hot chocolate? 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 related to cases and personnel. Bono was somewhat surprised; he had thought the Crown Prince was just coming to play for a few days but didnt expect him to be serious! The files were quickly brought over. Joseph only flipped through a few pages before his brow furrowed just last month, the Saint Antoine District had seen 28 murders, 63 robberies, and 220 thefts And the districts population 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 most common activity for Paris Police officers nowadays was extortion! From vendors to criminals to victims, they shook down anyone they could. As for fighting crime? Theyd 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 order largely depended on the civilian patrol squads, but they were volunteers without law 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 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Reorganizing the Police Force (Seeking Investment) Chapter 7: 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 salaries were supposed to come 20% from the city hall and the remaining 80% from the chamber of commerce. 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 a large district of 80,000 inhabitants and to be in salary 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 from later 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 glanced at the first item he had written, Restructure civilian patrol teams, and summoned the Police Commissioners assistant Bono, instructing: Please gather all the police and civilian patrol teams of the Saint Antoine District here tomorrow morning. The latter 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 platform in front of them, they were still filled with nervousness and shock. At nine oclock sharp, accompanied 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, becoming 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 become official police officers?! In Paris, while the reputation of the police was not very good, it was nonetheless a government position with status and standing! These folks who had organized themselves out of sheer necessity could never have dreamed of becoming 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 professional competency, etc. Based on the scores, police ranks will be grantedah, similar to military ranks, divided into Police officer, Inspector, and Chief, each with three grades. In the future, as ranks are promoted, salaries will also increase. Starting from trainee police officers, the monthly salary is 18 livres. The salaries for the first to third grade officers are 22, 25, and 30 livres respectively. The salary 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 months salary. From now on, salaries will be paid here in cash, with not a days delay. The crowd exploded again! 30 livres was nearly the income of a city hall official, and 22 livres was enough for modest comfort, with the salary being paid in cash! The previous salary 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 to compete 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 becoming anxious as they looked at their own figures. Third, Josephs voice interrupted everyones 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 of complaints, assessments will be conducted monthly. Good work will be rewarded with bonuses, and unsatisfactory performance will result in fines deducted from the salary. 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 be completed within ten days! Yes! an enormous roar immediately went up from below the platform. 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 become 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 Princes great kindness! Then, several of the Crown Princes guards ran over, each picked several tens of police officers, and led them off to start reorganizing into teams. Josephs measures may seem commonplace in later times, but in the eighteenth century, they were definitely seen as the most advanced conceptsstandardizing structure, detailed job roles, performance evaluations, and rewarding capability; all were revolutionary improvements. According to the original historical trajectory, it was not until decades later that the talented and mighty Napoleon initiated police reform, and his efforts, although less than half of those made by Joseph, had already become an example for all of Europe to learn from. Two days later, 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, labeled Police Complaint Box in bold letters painted on with oil, with a small note explaining 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 populated areas, a large number of wooden stands were being constructed. According 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 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Problems Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Problems Three days later. The Commissioners office. Sir, are you aware of the Crown Princes 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. Im worried Levebelle carefully selected a bottle from the wine cabinet and took out a bottle of wine, Relax, 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 Princes 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, Havent you heard? His Highness has completely transformed the police force, and its 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 funding lately. 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 Departments funds have to be allocated to the Saint Antoine District. How can this be? Gizo exclaimed loudly, He cant 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 glass of wine and handed it to Gizo, the corners of his eyes revealing a subtle smile, Well, its not like theres 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 would come? Levebelle passed another glass of wine to him and smiled, Although the Crown Prince has some skills, hes 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 explained, 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 promoted commoners to police officers, those who planned to buy the positions must have speculated 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? Thats the biggest source of income for those in the police force. The proud mayor swirled his glass, Ill just withhold some of the funding from City Hall for Gizo, they are bound to be driven mad. What do you think theyll do? Frouwas eyes lit up, They will do everything they can to stop the Crown Prince! Exactly. The sun set in the west. Police Director Gizos carriage finally arrived at the Saint Antoine District police station. In Josephs office, Gizo respectfully saluted and put on a forced smile, flattering, Your Highness, you are truly formidable, with such a reorganization, the police force has been completely rejuvenated! After blowing a bit of smoke, his expression turned to concern, However, those people from the civilian patrol youve enlisted into the police force, they hardly know how to use swords, let alone have experience with crossbows and firearms. Theyll need at least three to four months of training, or they wont 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 shouldnt take that long; I have a simplified training method that can be completed in about ten days. Borrowing police from other districts for a little over ten days shouldnt 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, theres another thing. Your sudden requisition of over two hundred police officers, the Police Headquarters simply doesnt have enough equipment to supply them You dont need to worry about the equipment; I will take care of it. Gizo hadnt 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. Its likely that there wouldnt be much of the municipal halls budget allocation left for him in the future In fact, he was overthinking it; Joseph hadnt set his sights on the meager funding of the Police Department at all, and the polices financial support relying on the private sectors chambers of commerce 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 planned to plug the 20 billion debt hole of France, and sustaining a police system was merely a trifling matter to him. In the carriage, Gizos 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 XVIs attendant alighted from the carriage, put on gold-rimmed glasses, frowned as he checked the dilapidated police station, confirmed it was the right place, then briskly entered with his servants. Upon seeing Joseph, he first completed 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 didnt bring even an Imperial Chef, and worried you wouldnt 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 glance, but he knew that this was Queen Marys 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 Salamander 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 thats 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 didnt 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 youve completed your college courses! How did you do that? Its unbelievable! Im 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 Kings era (he goes on praising his son for an entire page). Joseph, I heard you are now reforming the Police Department, and youre doing well, thats great to see! Just go ahead and do what you want to do, if theres any issue Ive got your back, I will always support you If you feel tired, rush back to the Palace 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 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Results (Requesting Monthly Tickets) Chapter 9: 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 clad 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 a large 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 in later times used this set, which combined with specific formations, worked excellently for riot control. These officers, coming from the lowest stratum of Parisian society, cherished their police identity enormously and trained for 10 hours every day without a single one complaining of fatigue. Joseph watched the training ground with satisfaction. According to plan, 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 miscellaneous 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, completely 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 Josephs command, 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 polices impressive uniforms a few more glances, they didnt pay it much mindwhat 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 black 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 Ill 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, According 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, accompanied 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 delay 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: Im 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, Youre committing an assault in broad daylight, Im 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 salary 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 futurethe 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 glared, wildly swinging a short sword, but was blocked by the wooden fork and couldnt 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 couldnt 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, commonly 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, this combat 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 uphe himself had almost been stabbedand 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 planning 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 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Great Chaos Chapter 10: 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 had come 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 in complete 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 peoples expectations for public security were extremely low; getting robbed or burglarized 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 didnt 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 villains with a not-so-small chance of success. Royal Palace. The Duke of Orleans, looking at the Paris News on the table, had a grim expression. The newspapers 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 Crown Prince Restructures Police, Improvements Seen in Saint Antoine District, Saint Antoine District Residents Praise the New Police Force, Crown Princes 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 plan had unintentionally boosted the Crown Princes reputation instead. This Joseph had transformed the police force in just over ten days, a feat that simply didnt 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 Queens plans 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 succeed at all costs. I might consider helping him become Governor of Normandy. Yes, my lord. In a small villa 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 isnt just playing around for a few days before returning to the Palace of Versailles. Hes 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 municipal commissioner said I could be reinstated in at most two months Who knew it would turn out like this? Gizo exhaled a plume of smoke. Its not just you; the Crown Prince is a huge problem for the whole Police Headquarters. He stared at Similion and said, Theres something now that, if you do it well, not only can you be reinstated, but you may also be promoted. The short mans eyes flashed 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 Black 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 flashing with a crazed glint, Go find them, and whether it be dismemberment, rape, kidnapping, or arson, its all good, just cause complete chaos in the Saint Antoine District. I want a total loss of control, thorough chaos! This Similions pupils contracted with shock at those words, before he nodded and said, Alright, complete chaos. He glanced at the paper in his hand and suddenly sprang up from his chair, exclaiming, Thirty thousand livres! The paper was indeed a bank draft for thirty thousand livres. At this time, twenty thousand livres could buy a villa 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, theyll get a thousand livres. After a month, whoever has done the most notable job will get an additional twenty thousand livres. Yes, sir, Similions 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! Ive got it, dont worry! Gizo stood by the window, watching Similion hurry away, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He had not originally planned 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 Palace of Versailles, yet you insist on muddying the waters here, he muttered through clenched teeth. Three days later. The police station of the Saint Antoine District. Joseph was under the shade of a tree, perusing letters of complaint from the citizensthough they were mostly praise for the policewhen the security inspector, Magone, suddenly rushed over, bowed, and gasped, Your Highness, theres 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 occurred in the Saint Antoine District, with two deaths the day before yesterday, three deaths and two serious injuries yesterday. He had thought they were isolated incidents, but now there was another. Whats the situation like now? Alden has taken people over, Magone said, The fire has been extinguished, but the criminal hasnt 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 newsthe Black Sheep Gang had gone mad for some reason and were slashing people all over Misanla Street. Seven or eight passersby had been wounded and urgent police reinforcement was needed. Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Crown Princes Guard Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Crown Princes Guard This situation isnt 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 occur. 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 a large, large number of police officers taking leave its 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 peoplethis 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 glanced 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 whats more, leading the request for leave was none other than the deputy chief of the police station, Bono! Josephs eyes narrowed slightly. On one hand, serious crimes were occurring 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 cold laugh, Trying to dig a hole for me? This will indeed save a considerable amount of expenses. Do they think Im 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 Princes Guard who was standing steadfast five paces away: Viscount Kesode, how many of my guards are here? 105, Your Highness, replied the latter without hesitation. Ostensibly, Joseph was only accompanied by two or three guards, but in fact, within a 300-meter radius, there was always a large number of Crown Princes 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; dont be so rigid, Joseph smiled, Besides, you are my guards, listening to me is not wrong. Kesodes face was a mask of military firmness and uncompromising 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 the last page to the stubborn captain, I actually do have the Kings endorsement. Ah? Kesode was taken aback. Joseph pointed to the letter and read, You just do what you need to do. If theres a problem, Ive 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. Youve heard about the situation outside just now. You absolutely mustnt go on patrol! Viscount Kesode hurriedly intervened, and after a standoff, he finally said with a pained expression, Your Highness, we mustnt let Major Faison know about this. Also, you mustnt leave the police station. Major Faison was the Captain of the Court Guard at the Palace of Versailles and Viscount Kesodes direct superior. Deal! Joseph nodded, Dont worry, Ive still got 15 men here, so safety isnt an issue. Viscount Kesode bowed once more and left Josephs 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 Princes 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 dilapidated house in the Huaike District, filled with the acidic smells of foot odor and vomit, several leaders of the Black Sheep Gang were holding their drinks and laughing loudly, After all, the girls from White Laurel are the toughest, the Saint Antoine District doesnt have stuff this good. The big boss took a large gulp of liquor and disdainfully glanced at the man, Look at your inexperienced face. If were 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 weve made 2,000 livres. Isnt that enough to play with the high-class girls from the Louvre District whenever we want? Someone immediately teased him, Vallian, you lost all your money for the high-class 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 wont 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 Ill take you to play with real aristocratic women, haha! The gang leaders eyes shone with lewdness as they howled in unison, Well follow the bosss orders! Host Gang are nothing, the 20,000 livres will definitely be ours! Ill lead the men to do it tomorrow! Ever since Similion promised them 1,000 livres for every major crime three days ago, the Black Sheep Gang had been under strict orders combined 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, theyd also raked in a hefty sum. The gang leaders envisioned being rich until the later 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! Somethings bad, one of the brothers is dead! The big boss climbed out of bed, massaging his throbbing forehead from the hangover, and said displeased: Whats all this noise about, isnt it just someone dead? Who did it? Host Gang or the police? Its, its neither. The voice outside trembled a little, Its the Royal Guard, and three men are dead The Royal Guard? The big boss frowned and kicked his disheveled underlings, Get up, now! Lets find out whats going on! Shortly, two of the gang leaders grumbled as they left, trailing a few men behind the person who brought the news. They hadnt gone far when they saw a troop of soldiers dressed in fine uniforms, wearing tricorne hats adorned with feathers, displaying the Royal Familys crests, armed excellently, and striding towards them with imposing carriage, coming 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 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Clues (Vote for Monthly Tickets) Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Clues (Vote for Monthly Tickets) Several members of the Black Sheep Gang were talking when they heard a commotion 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 Gang completely ignored them, slashing down the victim and running towards an alley without looking back. These Royal guards were completely different from the poorly equipped police, each armed with a musket and a breastplate. 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, laughing 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 Black Sheep Gang shrink back. Exchanging glances, they quickly ran back to report to their boss without even checking on their dead henchman. The Crown Princes 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 his lair, peeking through the curtain slit as the tall and formidable Royal Guard walked past in the streets, their presence causing his eyelids to twitch uncontrollably. 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. Im just a thug, is it necessary to call in the army to suppress me? The Black 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 occurred in the Saint Antoine Districtthe 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 didnt pay attention to the flattery; he knew that the guard, by intimidating the gang members with thunderous methods, was only a temporary solution. It wouldnt take long for the gangs to find a loophole, especially since the guards were unfamiliar with the area and lacked 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 a lack of action. There are thieves every day, but one cant be vigilant every day. If the mastermind behind this chaos wasnt found, a major incident was bound to occur sooner or later. 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 indeed committing 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, Hes the Black Sheep Gangs second in command! 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 hadnt given us his name, he would have likely been killed too. Alden swallowed hard, feeling a bit of sympathy for the Black Sheep Gang thugs, then he turned to Joseph and said, Your Highness, Vallian may know something, Ill go interrogate him right away! In less than an hour, Magone came rushing back, his clothes still spattered with blood he hadnt had time to wipe off, and handed a confession to Joseph: Your Highness, weve made a big find! Joseph saw the confession of the Black 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 exclaimed, Hes Mr. Similions 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 explained 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. Similions father was a minor civil servant, an ordinary household. Joseph narrowed his eyes, On his salary, twenty thousand livres would take more than fifty years to save up. Where did he get such a large 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, Id 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 accounts, until Joseph revealed his identity and threatened to have the Secret Police investigate if he did not cooperate. The manager finally gave in. Similions account was straightforward; there were only a few transactionscashing a bankers 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 knowthe payer of that draft was the Director of Paris Police, Viscount Gizo! Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Trading Chapter 13: 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, theres 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 couldnt help but frown in contemplation; given Gizos special status, as long as he steadfastly denied everything, merely Similions confession would hardly suffice to convict him. Eman glanced at the dimming sky and said to Joseph, Your Highness, its 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, Hes just a thug, surely no one will care about him. Thats 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 Palace 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, the commissioner 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 plan. Hermans eyes widened in alarm, If this doesnt work out Leave it to me, there will be no accidents, Antoine appeared confident, The Highnesss method is excellent, Im thinking of incorporating it into the Secret Police training curriculum. Joseph bowed to them in gratitude, Then Ill 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, and lazily waved his hand, Lets go. The carriage slowly started off, bumping along the cobblestone road. Gizos 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 alarm and the carriage came to an abrupt halt. Whats 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, clad in black armor, and reeking of foul odor, appeared outside the carriage. Gizos 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 Gizos 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 just last yearthe second-in-command of the Black Sheep Gang. Vallians eyes glanced 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, glancing sideways at Gizo as he said: Lord Gizo, our boss wants to discuss a transaction with you. You? the latter laughed contemptuously, What makes you think youre qualified to transact with me? Get out of my carriage at once! As if he hadnt heard, the gaunt man continued speaking to himself: Regarding that matter of twenty thousand livres, if you dont listen, you will definitely regret it. Gizo drew out his words, Twenty thousand livres? I have no idea what youre 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 cant 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, youve heard that a large number of the Royal Guard has arrived in the Saint Antoine District recently, and now no one dares to cause trouble there. Gizos expression shifted slightly, So what? The task requested by Similion will probably be hard to accomplish, 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. Gizo laughed, Want money without doing the job? No, its not about not doing it, said the gaunt man, but to directly pull off a big score, one worth twenty thousand, and then lay low. Gizo suddenly took an interest; he had heard about the Royal Guards sweep of the Saint Antoine Districts gangs and was worried about it. At these words, his interest piqued, What do you plan to do? What do we plan? The gaunt man shook his head, No, its what you want us to do. Upon hearing this, Gizo couldnt maintain his aloofness any longer and sneered: If theres 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, Id 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? Thats not a bad idea. Gizo stroked his chin, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. If the police station were burned down, wouldnt the Crown Prince lose face? The city commissioner would certainly be very pleased, Lets do it! The gaunt man nodded, articulating 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, Im curious, Mr. Gizo, why would you spend so much money to do things that have no profit at all? Gizos face darkened, Fool, thats 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, its 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 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14 The Roundup Chapter 14: Chapter 14 The Roundup Gizos face stiffened as he looked at Vallian, Control your man! What is he babbling about? The carriage suddenly stopped, and the latter revealed a smile uglier than crying. An awkward twist of his body allowed Gizo to see a dagger pressed against his lower back. Gizos pupils shrank, and he sprung up, reaching for the carriage door handle. But the gaunt man was quicker. The moment Gizos rear left the seat, the mans right hand had already clasped 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 dont have proof, you cant arrest me! The man who had been silent, sitting to Vallians 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 declaring, 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 a large 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 Antonys 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 Gizos 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 hidden compartment Joseph had already heard the story once and now smiled, Then you found that notebook; youve made a significant contribution this time. In Gizos notebook was recorded information about the main gangs in the Saint Antoine District and many dangerous criminals. The last 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 lairs. The Saint Antoine District experienced a particularly 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 operation lasted 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 significant commotion attracted nearly all of Pariss 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 didnt need to come here in person. It seems rather dangerous Its 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 theyre 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; theyve done nothing good! While saying this, he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a scar, Look, I was beaten by the Viper Gang last 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! Ill 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, Youre a journalist, arent 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 the common people! This was too abnormal! In his mind, the Royal Family and those nobles had always only exploited and bullied the common 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 tomorrows news report The Crown Princes Police Reform Achieves Remarkable Success, Eradicating the Criminal Foundations of the Saint Antoine District. Several grey-black carriages traveled along the north bank of the Seine River towards the Palace 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 quickly come up with spring suspension, and preferably tires too. There will be many more days of carriage rides ahead, and I dont want to be jostled into any mishaps by this contraption. Yesterday, he had received a letter of commendation from the Cabinet praising his feat of clearing out the criminals in the Saint Antoine District, asking him to return to Versailles Palace to report on his duties, with the King and Queens signatures at the end. Joseph laughed 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 to come back. Yet, this coincided perfectly with his own plans. Joseph had no intention of staying at Police Headquarters indefinitely. His primary objective was always to rescue Frances finances, to prevent national bankruptcy and the risk of being decapitated by an angry mob. This was the perfect opportunity to leverage his success in fighting crime to ask the Queen for the position of assistant to the Finance Minister, to see what excuses those in the Cabinet could come up with to oppose him. In fact, if it werent for Gizo and the tens of thousands of livres he threw into creating chaos, he wouldnt have been able to pull off the bold sweep-black operation that electrified all of Paris. Josephs gaze swept over the few sheets of paper in his hand. Those were the transcripts of Gizos 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 Similions lack 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 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Political Capital Chapter 15: 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 backlash. In other words, incidents like Gizos clandestine 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 a large network of informants to gather intelligence for him. And on top of that, an information analysis and summary center that could come up with response plans, then send people to deal with the problems based on his instructions. At this thought, several names immediately surfaced in Josephs mindCIA, KGB, MI6. If he had a professional intelligence agency like that in his hands, he wouldnt 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 were completely unreliablethey 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 of later 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, hed likely become an immediate target of public anger. Joseph frowned, wondering how he could accomplish this discreetly. And where would he find the personnel? After all, he was isolated and lacking in political capital. It was difficult Prolonged thinking gave him a headache, accompanied 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, Whats the matter? A guard from the carriage in front immediately hurried over, placing 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. The latter leaned in and said, Your Highness, it might be related to Gizo. After hearing about the relationship between the two, Joseph couldnt help but be intrigued. He was just worrying about his lack of power within the Cabinet, and this could be the political capital coming to him. He nodded to the guard, Please have Count Mono come to my carriage. Yes, Your Highness. After a moment, a fifty-year-old man with slender brown eyes and a head full of large wavy hair, with powder on his face, came to the carriage, handed his cane to a servant, and then bowed deeply, I didnt 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 accepted a piece with exaggerated flattery, as if suddenly remembering something, gestured for a servant to bring a wooden case, and said with a smile, Ive recently acquired a beautiful knife that suits Your Highnesss valiant aura perfectly. Id 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. Its truly regrettable, the actions of some officials. Mono, a high-ranking official in the Cabinet, 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 plainly. Alright, alright. Monos face was full of sincerity, I recommended 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 didnt dare to ask the Queen directly. So, he waited on the road to the Palace 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, Ive heard its instigating a riot. Monos body stiffened; rioting was a grave crime that could overthrow the government. If proven true, there was no way he wouldnt be implicated! He chuckled nervously, He, he couldnt 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 a large 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 Gizo lacked the motive to incite a riot, based on this evidence, labeling it as a riot seemed plausible. He became so flustered that he didnt 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 Im not sure. After all, I knew the situation at the time best. Right, right! Mono nodded vigorously, Please be sure to explain 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, Ive been busy preparing lately, 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 Princes proposal at the Cabinet meeting to become the assistant to the Finance Minister and hastened to say loudly, Nobody is more suited for this position than Your Highness! The Cabinet 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 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Girls New Fashion Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Girls New Fashion Talking to a wise person is always relaxing, Joseph smiled and nodded, Gizo should be charged with hiring assassins and sheltering criminals, I will explain 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 planning. 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 Princes police reforms and said without hesitation, Of course, we will also need to hear Your Highnesss opinion. Joseph nodded in satisfaction, Very well, I will try to give you some suggestions. Also, I am convinced that Gizos actions are in no way related 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 Palace 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, accompanied 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 step ladder in front of the door. Your Highness the Crown Prince, welcome 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 immaculate 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 Palace 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 had come back from a triumphant campaign against a foreign enemy Its no wonder, after Louis XVI ascended the throne, immersed himself in lock play, 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 Familys 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 become the focus of conversation throughout Paris. With their son having accomplished so much, how could Louis XVI and Queen Mary not publicly celebrate in a grand manner? Thus, an unprecedentedly large welcome ceremony was held. In fact, many nobles who had no right to stand in the Marble Courtyard were eagerly waiting inside the Palace 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 black tricorn hat, and black calf leather high-heels, looking somewhat nervousnone other than the current King of France, the renowned locksmith, and sufferer of social anxietiesLouis 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 Palace of Versailles, large colorful waves seemed to gently roll towards the steps above. Just as Queen Mary was about to smile warmly and open her arms to welcome her son, a noble young lady wearing an off-shoulder dress to Josephs right appeared to freeze, and her pale body swayed forward and collapsed. 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 glared 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 noble ladies was quite low. Now, the Crown Princes 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 become legendary among the young ladies of Versailles. Talking about the Crown Prince, collecting news about him had become 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 Heavens Blessing had become 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 young lady 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 cant 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 exclamations like Its so cold, and I suddenly feel so dizzy resonated around, with more than a dozen soft and warm bodies collapsing towards him. As Joseph was at a loss, the captain of the guard, Kesode, stepped forward, picked up the two young ladies in his arms, one in each hand, and then yelled at the guards behind him, Quickly help the ladies up! Yes! The fainting noble ladies squinted to see the burly guards rushing towards them, and miraculously stood up straight, regaining their poise and elegance against gravitys pull. Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Aspirin Youth Edition Chapter 17: 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 youve become! 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 didnt utter a single word, instead giving his son an encouraging look. Come inside, its cold out here. The Queen pulled Joseph into the Palace of Versailles, looking back at the colorful throng of ladies and then whispered in her sons ear, Joseph, you are of age to be betrothed. Which princess do you fancy? Spain? Or perhaps Savoy Joseph couldnt help but feel both amused and helpless. Betrothal? My young body has just entered puberty, please dont trouble me with this. He quickly turned to Louis, changing the topic: Father, your Salamander Fountain Louis XVI glanced around at the people and gave an irrelevant response: Joseph, choose a girl you like; Ill support you even if she is not a princess! Queen Mary glanced at him helplessly and took her sons 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 sons 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 to comfort her: I just have a slight fever, its nothing serious he said, though a coughing fit seized him. Still claim its 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 Joseph lay down on the velvet-covered bed, the Queen cast a reproachful glance at Louis XVI, with a look that seemed to say, if you had half the capability of the Sun King, our son wouldnt 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 Josephs temperature and conducted an examination. He then bowed to Louis XVI and the Queen and said, Your Majesties, the Crown Princes pneumonia has worsened, and he has a fever of 37.9 degrees. I believe we must begin bloodletting immediately. Very well, please proceed quickly. Josephs face darkened at the words, Bloodletting what? With my frail body, do you want me dead even faster? Of course, he didnt blame the doctorit was a time when medical practices were almost akin to barbers playing alchemy, and bloodletting was a common treatment. Little did they know that, a few years later, the Great Commander Washington of the United States would die from bloodletting. He immediately feigned discomfort, 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, thats not possible! Joseph tried to persuade him repeatedly, yet seeing the doctor remained uncompromising, he had no choice but to draw the Persian Curved Sword that Mono had given him, and said in a grave tone, I dont want to repeat myself, no bloodletting, understood? The blade reflected the cold light, causing Larseny to shrink back, immediately reminded of the Crown Princes fearsome reputationchasing half of Paris himself, capturing the Director of Police Services. Leading ninety guards and hundreds of gang members in a fight, and utterly annihilating 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 Highnesss 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 salicinthe youthful version of aspirin. Fortunately, he had a good memory and remembered the main process. Salicin had only a slight anti-inflammatory 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. Thats excellent. Joseph quickly took out paper and pencil, wrote down the preparation process for salicin, and then explained 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. Its roughly like that. How long do you think it will take to make this? Larsenys 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 oclock in the afternoon. Your Highness, pardon my boldness, but Ive never heard of this medicine beforeare you sure its safe Positive! Joseph nodded, Just go and make it. Also, dont tell my parents that I didnt 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 as lake 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 black leggings, like a mischievous little girl sneaking into her fathers 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 princes 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 didnt 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 a large glass 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 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Lamarks Shock Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Lamarks 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 fever lasts 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 headache coming on as he pondered how to convince the hardliner, when he saw Mr. Laseny enter, holding a glass 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 glanced 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, Its 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 accept 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 glass bottle as a sign, With the medicine Ive 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 Frances top physicians; he had full confidence to make this claim. Joseph smiled wearily, Then lets 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 isnt 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 couldnt 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 Princes 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, placed it in the Crown Princes 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 Josephs shoulders excitedly, Your Highness, was what you just drank really an extract of willow bark? Joseph smiled and nodded. I didnt expect the purified effect to be this good! Stars seemed to twinkle in Mr. Lamarks 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 explain 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 flash 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 flash 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 alchemy laboratory and leaving behind the message, Perna, keep a close eye on His Highnesss condition and let me know immediately if anything arises. Yes, doctor. Two days later. After being treated with salicin, Josephs 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 Palace of Versailles, it wasnt yet nine oclock, a few minutes before the Cabinet meeting was to start. All the Cabinet 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 place all the blame 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 Gizos case, he didnt 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 Princes leadership over police reform has achieved impressive results. As we all know, the criminals in the Saint Antoine District have been nearly completely eradicated! His Highness lives up to the name of a God-favored son! Let us all congratulate His Highness! Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Assistant to the Finance Minister Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Assistant to the Finance Minister ` The Cabinet Ministers heard the news and, regardless of their actual thoughts, all rose to offer their congratulations to the Crown Prince, with endless flattery 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 Kings rare attendance at a Cabinet meeting. They quickly turned toward the entering Louis XVI and Queen Mary, respectfully placing their hands over their hearts and bowing. Louis, who was quite familiar with the Cabinet Ministers, displayed 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 joyespecially Queen Mary, who again tirelessly recounted Josephs 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-glanced 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 Marys 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 hed already communicated 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 Cabinet as well as the Finance Minister. With his approval, no one else would voice any objections. A smile once again appeared on Queen Marys 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 Prince lacks 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 nations 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, theres 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 tax law at this moment, rather than being distracted by trifles. The meeting room suddenly grew quiet, with everyone quite surprisedduring the last Cabinet meeting, the Duke of Orleans had been at odds with the Crown Prince, nearly coming 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 tax law clauses. The Queens brow relaxed; these were rather simple tasks. The bank had a long-standing cooperation for loans, and organizing laws would have the assistance of Clerks and lawyers. 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 accept the order, exchanged a few pleasantries, and glanced curiously at the Duke of Orleans, wondering what the man was up to. Although the Duke of Orleans maintained a composed expression, he was smugly sneering inside. He knew he couldnt prevent Joseph from becoming the assistant to the Finance Minister given his recent popularity, so he had started to scheme a few days earlier to set a trap for Joseph. The government had six million livres of national debt coming 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 headlineThe Crown Princes 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 todays agenda. Yes, Your Majesty. The round-faced old man pulled out the prepared documents, put on his gold-rimmed glasses, and said, Given this years 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 majestys kindness, Brienne looked towards the long-faced, large-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 plan just to barely maintain our trade lines, and youre 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 couldnt 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 delay, Your Highness, do you also agree with Archbishop Briennes reduction plan? 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 Josephs next statement left him stunned, I believe all current battleship construction plans for the Navy should be put on hold! Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Budget (Seeking Investment) Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Budget (Seeking Investment) Castris face turned green as he glared and exclaimed, Your Highness, how can you say that? The fleet is Frances 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 to lack confidence, about one and a half Seeing the Crown Prince smile without responding, he became somewhat annoyed and said, Two. The Brits do indeed launch 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 was complete silence. Joseph continued, If thats 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 on large and useless old-fashioned sailing warships. England held a huge advantage in shipbuilding, with numerous shipyards, skilled craftsmen, ample funds, and, being an island 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 decade later proved this, as even with Frances utmost efforts to produce warships, combined with Spanish and Dutch fleets, they were still thoroughly defeated by the British Navy on the high seas. After that defeat, Frances maritime trade routes were completely 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 outabandon the popular multi-decked sailing warships and leverage the advanced technology in his mind to move directly to ironclad ships, equipped with steam engines and stronger artillery, to launch a dimension-reducing strike on British warships. However, he couldnt disclose these plans at the Cabinet 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 slash 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, lets follow Archbishop Briennes plan 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. Castris new ships were nearly obliterated; he weakly nodded, having narrowly escaped disaster, Yes, Your Majesty. He silently lamented: the Crown Prince was still too young to understand the significance of the navy to the nation, focusing solely on cutting expenses. He must communicate 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 plan, I believe everyone has heard about the situation in the Netherlands. 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 successfully expelled the Stadtholder William V from the Netherlands and established the States General. Later, under the scheming of William Vs wife, Prussian Princess Wilhelmina, the Prussians intervened with troops, the Patriot Party collapsed, William V was restored, and the French peoples initial investment was entirely lost. One by one, the Cabinet Ministers expressed support for abandoning the Dutch Rebel Army; after all, twenty thousand regular Prussian troops had already marched into the Netherlands, and the Patriot Partys 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 Netherlands, but seeing the Crown Prince speak out, he immediately felt disheartenedjudging from his recent move to scrap all new ships from the navy, he must be part of the anti-war faction, and with the Queens 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 display an attitude willing to confront Prussia with troops. We absolutely cannot allow the Patriot Party to collapse! Oh? The Queen was quite surprised, Tell me your reasons. Firstly, the Netherlands is the mouth of the Rhine River to the sea. If we control it, we can effectively restrain Prussia. Secondly, the Netherlands has a well-developed commerce. 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 Netherlands could tie down a large number of Prussian troops on the western front. If we allow Prussia to control the Netherlands, all of this will become an asset for Prussia! In fact, Joseph left out two points. First, the Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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 Cabinet 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 inevitablecould 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, Didnt we just save a sum intended for building warships? Lets 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 - Chapter 21: Chapter 21 The Unfathomable Crown Prince Chapter 21: 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 delays 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 plan, 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 Wars opinion. Just at this moment, Louis XVI, who had been largely inconspicuous, suddenly said, Theres 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 Majestys 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 Netherlands two months later. He turned to Queen Mary, Your Majesty, would this be acceptable to you? The Queen nodded, Good. Lets 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 didnt say much more about the subsequent reduction plans, and most of them passed smoothly. Afterward, the Cabinet meeting discussed some miscellaneous matters and was nearing its end. Queen Mary, signing the last two documents without looking up, asked Brian, Archbishop Brienne, Ive heard that there are some complications with the tax legislation. 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: imposing land taxes on the nobility just as on the common people; freedom of grain transport and trade; abolition of corve; 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 populace. 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 Ive received indicates that they are likely to reject the bill. According to French law, 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 Marys voice carried a tinge of weariness, You know our financial situation; the tax legislation must be implemented as soon as possible. Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost! Joseph shook his head silently; he knew that according 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, replaced 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 the law, 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 accusations 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 XVI commenced the Estates-General, hoping that the commoners would support him against the nobility. As for the outcome, 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 escalation of the crisis and the eruption of the French Revolution Joseph thought to himself as he looked at Brienne, isnt trying to get the aristocracy to accept 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 their compliance 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 governments 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, capitalistsall 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 Josephs contemplation. 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, youve done very well with the police reform. The Saint Antoine District has obviously become the safest area in Paris. She paused, and sighed, However, this police reform must come to an end. Why is that? The Queen spoke earnestly, After your reforms, the police salaries have become 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 the common 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 plan to get the money from? Joseph was momentarily at a loss, thinking to himself that steam engines, blast furnace steelmaking, rubber, mining, cement, and even armaments, any one of these could earn tens of millions of livres. But I cant tell you that After a moments hesitation, he chose a few areas that the Queen would find acceptable: 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, Heres what well do. Ill give you six months. If you can resolve the issue of police salaries, then you may continue with the police reforms; otherwise, everything must revert to its original state. Very well. I dont think it will take six months. On the side, Louis XVI checked the time and said to the mother and son, Its almost lunchtime. No work should delay 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? Youll have to ask Count Mono about that. Hmm, he will accept my recommendation. The Queen was taken aback but quickly understood the implication, Are you using Gizos matter to pressure him? Absolutely not, Joseph said candidly, Im just helping him to feel at ease. Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Planning the Police Academy (Seeking Monthly Tickets) Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Planning 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 didnt 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 a company commander in the Flander Regiment who has been my guard, is now responsible for the recruitment of new infantry soldiers, and is adept at training and drafting regulations. She added, I can assure their loyalty, as for who to use, its up to you. Joseph nodded, Alright, I will make contact with them and decide thereafter. He wasnt 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 Queens help. He suddenly thought, with control over the police system, he could indeed invest in establishing a police academy, recruiting students from the common populace. 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, commerce, journalism, law, etc., from which to select outstanding talents and cultivate his own legitimate line. An image suddenly appeared in his mindsometime in the near future, a group of high government officials saluting him, warmly calling him Principal Well, politically speaking, the Whampoa model is quite successful. The sound of a door opening with a creak came from ahead, and Joseph looked up to see they had arrived at the dining rooms 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 blast followedthis was the fixed ritual for serving dishes: music had to be played for each dish, passed through several hands, followed by a whole lot of flamboyant motions, before one could eat it. Suddenly recalling something, Joseph leaned in and whispered to the Queen: Right, if the Navy Minister comes to you about cutting the shipbuilding program, just send him to me, Ill 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 worriesthanks be to God! Meanwhile, on the staircase at the western side of the Palace of Versailles, the Justice Minister whispered to the Duke of Orleans, Judging by the Crown Princes actions, does he intend to side with England? The latter narrowed his eyes: Perhaps its the Austrian mothers 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, thats the hardliners. Neither anti-Prussia nor anti-British means the peace faction. Nico heaved a sigh, What Im most afraid of is being anti-Prussian but pro-British Let me be frankif 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 todays Cabinet meeting, everyone was worried that the Crown Prince was a British enthusiast. Mono shook his head slightly, Ive 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. Lets hope thats the case. The general situation of the Cabinet 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 England. Lunch, where each bite had to follow strict rules, at last came to an end. Louis XVI, brimming with enthusiasm, took Joseph to visit his workshop to see his latest 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 Princes illness every day. When Joseph came back, Lamark hurried forward to greet him, It is inspiring to hear that Your Highnesss 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 Pernas care, too. Perna spoke softly from the side, I have not yet obtained a medical license. Pernas skills are better than those of most physicians, Lamark praised his assistant, then took out a small glass 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 glass vial and admired the beige powder inside, You are indeed Europes finest biologist and pharmacologist, the purity is already quite high. No, no, I havent done much, the purification process was all instructed by you, Lamark humbly replied and continued with excitement, Ive been distributing Salicin for free in the New Bridge area, and its effectiveness is very good. Ive found that its not only pneumonia; this medicine is effective against fevers from many illnesses. It has saved seven or eight peoples lives in just a few days! He paused, slightly uncertain, Your Highness, Mr. Laseny and I discussed raising some money to produce Salicin on a large scale. This medicine could save countless peoples 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 cant 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 collapsing 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 truly compassionate, may God bless you! Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Dream Battleship (Please Favorite) Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Dream Battleship (Please Favorite) Lamark hesitated for a moment before saying to Joseph, Your Highness, I feel its 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, Im 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 plans to make money off this medicine. He wasnt trying to play the saint, tossing his money away. Instead, he had a mature commercial plan. 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, acne and skin softening products would still contain salicylic acid, which is an oxidized form of salicin. Theres a saying in the futureCwhos money is the easiest to earn? Of course, its 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, Its 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 doesnt require very complicated equipment. Building a workshop from scratch is too inefficient. Its better to directly acquire an existing pharmaceutical or chemical reagent production company. Suddenly, the attendant Eman said, Your Highness, may I interject? Please, go ahead. I remember that among the Royal Familys 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. Youve been a great help! Joseph nodded, Do you remember how much they are asking for it? I believe its twenty-six thousand Joseph didnt wait for him to finish and suddenly slapped his forehead, saying, Since its 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 the common people, immediately nodded and had her lawyer handle the formalities. In less than half an hour, the perfumery was transferred to the Crown Princes name. Joseph intended to see the place 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 a large number of warships? Of course, to deal with the British! the Navy Ministers 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. Castris 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 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Steam Engine and Carronade Chapter 24: 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, Its true, I am fully confident. So, dont continue to waste money on manufacturing the existing warships, at most in two or three years, they will all be junk! You wont 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 Watts 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 didnt 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 a complex 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 of large-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 its 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 Ill tell you. In fact, this was the Carronade that later 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. According to the ideal scenario, if my range is long, then I can hit you, and you cannot hit me, wouldnt that mean Im 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 captains quarters and fire away. At that time, range was meaningless; whoever had the larger caliber cannons was the boss! The British understood this point and directly abandoned range to develop heavy cannons with large calibers and short barrelsthe Carronade. But in this life, it was Frances turn to be the first to equip its navy with this potent weapon! After repeated communications with the Navy Minister and making sure he had no objections to his plans, 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 hadnt expected the Minister of War to be so impatient, but that was just as well, as he wouldnt have to write that document himself. Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 25 The First Pot of Gold Chapter 25: 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 explained his plan in detail, the Minister of War exclaimed 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, shouldnt you thank me properly for this matter? The Minister of War was taken aback, the Crown Prince had helped negotiate the budget from the Netherlands and had devised the action plan, 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 doesnt have twenty top spies in total. Eighteen. At most two. Fifteen. Three, thats 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 a large 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 recommended 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 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. Ive already had someone compile all the regulations and restructuring plans into a booklet, you just follow them in implementation. Oh, and the security pressure has been relatively low in the Saint Antoine District lately, so you can pull some personnel from there to assess the other districts. If thats 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 salaries 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 dont need to worry about money. I will allocate 50,000 livres for you later, 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 the land the better. Another issue is teaching staff. The only available 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 and combat 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, and law 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 didnt even know how to calculate 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 and combat 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 accountant immediately presented him with two expenditure slips for Josephs 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 salary 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 income; otherwise, it wouldnt be long before hed have nothing left. He immediately recalled the plan to produce cosmetics using salicin, to think that what began as a simple fever relief concoction had now become the project that could earn money the fastest. After dismissing the accountant, he turned to Eman, Please help me order some items. The attendant immediately took out paper and pen to record the order, As you command. 50 kilograms of glycerine, 1 kilogram of rose essential oil, 500 seven-ounce glass bottles, an equal number of small wooden boxes, sized just right to fit the bottles. On the box, emboss Struggling to come 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, dont worry too much about the price. Yes, Your Highness, Ill see to it immediately. Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Terrible Debt Chapter 26: 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 Palace of Versailles, where the Finance Ministers office was located on the first floor. As he hurried along, he couldnt 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 elaborate 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 Ministers office, he immediately saw Brian slamming 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! Dont 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 tax law yesterday afternoon. Brian sighed deeply and said in resentment, Those greedy nobles, just for a little land tax, are willing to ruin France. Dont they know that when that day comes, 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, Its 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 plan to do next? Brian closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, dejectedly saying, We can only make more compromises, 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 tax laws. 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 class against royal authority. Historically, Louis XVI had been hard and soft on the matter of the laws, but was defeated by the nobles relying on the courts and public opinion tactics. Since then, the nobles confirmed Louiss 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 class, 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 manipulating public opinion to incite the people against the Royal Family. For the former, the corruption of Frances 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 the latter, using 21st-century internet 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 if comforting 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 be compromised 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 alarmed he became, and he felt sorry for the Finance Ministers who had come before, not knowing how they had managed to prevent the nations finances from collapsing. 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 nations 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 Frances current financial condition, its 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. According to the original plan, 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 couldnt help remarking. In the 21st century, these interest rates would be considered usury. Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Sharp Sword (Requesting Monthly Ticket) Chapter 27: 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 tax law to read. The bill had many clauses, with over thirty pages in total. The more Joseph read, the more he furrowed his brows. The person who drafted these laws was indeed very clever, mixing a mess of unrelated 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 class at the expense of common people. What they hadnt anticipated was that it was these nearly insignificant tax items that became the leverage that the nobility used to attack the tax law. The common people couldnt grasp the intricacies of the clauses and, believing popular opinion that claimed the law would harm their interests, opposed it as well. In reality, the core content of the bill was to abolish the nobilitys land tax privileges and have them share some of the national fiscal burden. Additionally, it included stipulations 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 XVIs government It was like sugar mixed with shitas if trying to please both nobles and commoners, 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 class to manipulate 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, Ill deal with it tomorrow. He stretched lazily, threw the draft of the bill into a drawer, and resisted doing unto others what he wouldnt want done to himselfunless it was an emergency, he wouldnt force his subordinates to work overtime. As soon as he stepped out of his office, he saw Eman coming 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 Josephs 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 Palace 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, Ill 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 queens maid to the Mars Hall. Joseph could hear waves of noise accompanied 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 playing baccarat 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 youve been busy all day at Brians. Go play and relax 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 Princes 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 flattered around Queen Mary and the queen herself who was flushed and laughing heartily from winning, he suddenly remembered a lamentation by the writer Zweig from a later eraShe 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, youve arrived just in time! Weve been fretting over being one player short, come 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 players. 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, played his cards. The game was similar to Fight the Landlord, but the smallest card was an Ace, and K, representing the King, was the highest. Joseph took a glass of juice, looked at the cards in his hand, and shook his head, saying, Ill pass. He glanced at the pile of gold cus and silver livres on the table, and couldnt help thinking about Frances 2 billion debt. Looking across at the Cabinet Minister, who was carelessly tossing gold coins and playing heartily, Joseph shook his head with a wry smile, thinking perhaps a major reform was indeed necessary Preoccupied 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 young ladies 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, according to the traditions of the French Court, intentionally losing at gambling was not allowed, but the three men playing with Joseph at that moment unhesitatingly decided to forgo this convention. Mono broke a straight from six to ten, playing just an eight. Count Papus, looking at the seven played by the Crown Prince, gripped a single ten and a Queen firmly in his hand, and resolutely called, Pass Josephs luck suddenly improved, no matter how he played, 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 glanced at the clock, realizing it was already half past eleven in the evening. He quickly rose to bid farewell to his card companions, 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, youve 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 accomplishment, I earned so much without doing anything half the night! But he immediately remembered that terrifying 2 billion debt and mentally calculated 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 Francethat 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 accompanying 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 couldnt help but shake his head with a wry smile. Preoccupied 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 Princes 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 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28: A Night Encounter with Sadako (Seeking Monthly Votes) Chapter 28: Chapter 28: A Night Encounter with Sadako (Seeking Monthly Votes) Eman, upon seeing this, hurriedly stepped forward, pushing open the large doors of the kitchen, and bowed his head for the Crown Prince to enter. Guard Captain Kesode hadnt 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 palace, 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 cabinet over two meters tall and four meters wide, and faintly heard rustling noises coming 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? Playing 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 black hair, not very tall. It was only then that Joseph noticed a large slanted 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. Josephs pupils shrank instantly as he saw the figures front covered in blood, with a black 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 Josephs 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 flash 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 Princes 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 place, hugging her head, and let out a piercing scream, Ah 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 to communicate 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, Its me! Your Highness, I am Perna! Dont, dont shoot! Kesode cautiously moved forward, parted the womans hair, and couldnt 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 black lines, sized up Perna and the bloodstained wooden board behind her, asking in confusion, You? What are you doing here? I Perna instinctively glanced at her hands and realized the small knife was gone. Her eyes flitted uncertainly as she explained, 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 accepted 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, her lashes thick and black, 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, Ive 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 couldnt help but ask curiously, Are you practicing dissection? Perna was startled and waved her hands, saying hastily, No, Im not, I didnt, dont 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, Pernas heart tightened. The Crown Prince actually knew about anatomy; it seemed she wouldnt 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 declared 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 arent 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 accompanied 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! Nonetheless, I still hope to become a doctor who can stand on her own and save patients. I cant get access to human bodies, so I can only practice dissection on animals to familiarize myself with biological structures. Ive reached an agreement with Mr. Valister; every night I can come 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 becoming calm, Your Highness, please go ahead and report me. I frightened you earlier, and this is the punishment I deserve. Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Instant Fangirl (Seeking Investment) Chapter 29: 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 Maums books the words of Monk Lewis from this eraI 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 birthplace of the Enlightenment movement, women were not allowed to engage in writing, medicine, law, or even to have bank accounts; 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 studying law. Yet his smile only made Perna feel even more upset. She was fed up with the mocking and playful 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 hearty laugh: Someone like you, who is full of ideals and brave in practice, will surely become a great doctor in the future. But I Perna hadnt expected the Crown Prince to actually support her, and she became tongue-tied, I am a woman. Your Highness, do you think women can become 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 legislation 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. Pernas heart suddenly began to beat violently. The Crown Prince himself supported her idealswhat else did she have to worry about? Could her dream actually come true? Ive 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 Raphaels 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 girls 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 you come to the kitchen to have a late-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 slacking off and sleeping, but he didnt expose her, as he too had snuck in some sleep when working late shifts in the past. Your Highness, if you dont 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 would laugh at her. Sure, Joseph nodded cheerfully, then Ill 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 placed on the small table used by the chefs for tea breaks, accompanied by a plate 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 Ill pass. Please go ahead and taste it, does it suit your palate? Joseph looked at the goose liver on the plate, which was enough for three people, and without further ado pulled her to sit down. He fetched another plate, 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 cant let Frances first female doctor starve, can I? Pernas 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 black truffle into his mouth. The unique rich, oily taste filled his mouth, but with the truffles modulation, it wasnt 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 a large piece of goose liver, he pointed out with praise, This is simply fantastic. If you werent a doctor, you would definitely make a great chef! Really? Pernas 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, Ive decided to give you a gift. No, no, Im already very happy that you like it. How could I accept something more from you? Joseph laughed and said, Dont be shy; the attire you wore while practicing dissection earlier was long and cumbersome. Ill 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. Pernas 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 didnt apply the dark powder on her face, her lips kept their natural color, and her complexion 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? Occasionally, but its 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 Josephs 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 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Pharmaceutical Factory Commences Production Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Pharmaceutical Factory Commences Production Perna hastily completed 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 glance at the Crown Prince. Joseph watched her retreating figure, blinked in surprise, and said, Whats with her Did she get a stomach ache? Palace of Versailles, South Wing. In the office of the Finance Minister, Brian took the tax reform bill, which was significantly thinner, from Josephs hands, and asked with a puzzled tone: Your Highness, it seems you have removed many taxes? Joseph nodded, Yes, its an attempt of mine. Brian quickly flipped through the bill, his frown deepening as he went, and when he reached the halfway point, he couldnt help but look at Joseph and say, Your Highness, all the clauses youve 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; theres no harm in it. Please trust me, even if its rejected this time, this bill will eventually pass! Brian still appeared skeptical and asked, Can you tell me how you plan to do it? Dont 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 dont 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 cant 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 didnt expect to persuade Brian so quickly. He wasted no time and turned to his assistant: Please contact the largest 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 proposed law, from the time of its introduction to its rejection by the High Court. Oh, dont 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 Ministers office until noon, Joseph finally completed 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 that last night my daughter offended you. She is young and surely didnt 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 laboratory. 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 shouldnt have agreed to let her study medicine. That child, she even went into the palace 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 Familys laboratory. Oh, if you dont want others to know, I can order the guards and servants to keep it a secret for her. I dont know what to say. Dr. Lamarks 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 glass 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 glass bottle, excitement returning to his face, That perfume workshop is just perfect! It has a very comprehensive 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 produced last 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, thats 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-inflammatory and fever-reducing properties, a daily oral dose of about 0.5 grams meant that for Pariss population 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 plan to initially sell them for 5 deniers each and then adjust the price later 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 pillsa 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, Netherlands, the leader of the Patriot Party, Dandels, was welcoming guests from France. Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Huge Profits (Seeking Investment) Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Huge Profits (Seeking Investment) Mr. Colbert, the envoy, Dandels glanced 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 Williams 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 Cabinet is clear, no compromise 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 Oranges counterattack! Dandelss 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 peoples 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 Wilhelminas plan to help her husband regain powermaking a high-profile appearance in The Hague in Holland to provoke the Rebel Army into arresting her. Of course, the Rebel Army, wary of her Prussian princess status, quickly released her. However, she claimed 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. They come with over 2,000 firearms, it seems there are also cannons. 2,000 guns, and cannons? Dandels felt less defeated, Thats exactly what we need! Where did you get the cannons from? But, isnt 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, dont 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 glances, 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 days later, 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 Lippes estate and seldom goes out. You should familiarize yourselves with the streets and environment of the town in the next few days. Well make our move when she goes to church this Sunday. Palace 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 Netherlands. 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 requested last 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 that large bottle of powder that had almost been purified to white, opened the cap, and sniffed itthere 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 a large glass flask. By now, the solution had completely 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 the large bottle of thin liquid; as a cosmetic product, its appearance was rather plain. 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 Josephs direction, they filled small, flat, round 7-ounce glass bottles with the thick, pale purple gel. Then they placed the glass bottles into exquisite wooden boxes embossed with Angel Water. Even with their very nimble hands, they were busy until 3 oclock in the afternoon before they finally finished bottling about 50 bottles. Once Joseph confirmed the beauticians 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 calculation: the cost of one bottle of Angel Water was slightly more than one livrethe glycerin of this era was made from olive oil and expensive, accounting for ninety 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 couldnt help but sigh: Indeed, womens money is the easiest to make! Mr. Ma did not deceive me! Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Big Shopping Spree (Seeking Investment) Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Big Shopping Spree (Seeking Investment) Queen Mary curiously pulled out the cork from the glass 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? Joseph launched into sales mode: I devised it myself; I call it Angel Water. It can soften the skin and is particularly effective at removing acne. 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 acne. 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 the ladies, 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 succeeded, I thought of you and immediately brought it to you. And now, you wont 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. The ladies of the Palace of Versailles, who spent their days as if they couldnt 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 had come 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: Whats 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? Thats a rather unique name. The Duchess of Broglie didnt pay much attention to the claim of personally developed by the Crown Prince, speculating it might just be a skincare workshop using the Crown Princes 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 acne. 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 Ill take it. Thank you so much, Your Majesty! The several ladies chatting nearby instantly looked over, their eyes filled with envy, cursing themselves for not having discovered the Queens new equipment sooner. Queen Mary noticed the uneasy atmosphere and smilingly had her close maid Debreninac distribute a box to each person present, and the ladies finally rejoiced. Soon, the news of the Queen using the trendy skincare product Angel Water spread across the Palace 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 didnt buy a bottle immediately, they would later be embarrassed to say the Crown Prince was their dream lover! Finally, someone tracked down the original source of Angel Waterit 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 Princes personal beautician that 40 bottles of Angel Water had been consigned to a luxury store in Paris that afternoon. By then, it was completely dark, and young noble ladies could not step out; hence countless girls stayed up all night, eagerly waiting for dawn. Only the assistant to the Crown Princes personal beautician, indignantly staring at the 50 silver coins, thought, why didnt anyone come to ask me? He couldnt help but recall the afternoons 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 Palace, 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 Princes name, the manager remained unmoved. Although this was one of Paris most famous shops, he dared not casually commit 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 he completed the consignment task and returned to the Palace 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, a ladys maid spotted a small wooden box embossed with Angel Water in the showcase and immediately exclaimed 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! Thats it, Im buying it! The lady, 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. Ill take them all! the young noble lady 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 noble lady immediately said: Ill offer 80 livres, now, give it to me. The lady looked down on the two girls with disdain, thinking, scared of bidding against you two young ladies over money? She calmly asserted: 90 livres, Im taking them. 100 livres! 120 livres! In the end, it was the lady, who had deeper pockets, who acquired the 5 bottles of Angel Water for 150 livres. She walked out of the store with a victors smile, looking triumphant past the two young girls. Meanwhile, batches of noble young ladies entered the Silver Knight perfume store on the Champs-Elysees one after another, asking if Angel Water was available 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 already commenced within the Source of Elegance store Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Paris Angel Trading Company Chapter 33: 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 the ladies at the Palace of Versailles for Angel Water, it wasnt 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 the ladies purses was still insufficient his trust in the Queens influence on fashion was still lacking Having learnt from this painful lesson, if theres a mistake, it must be corrected, and Joseph immediately decidedraise the prices! Of course, you couldnt just slap a higher price on the original product, that would look too unsightly. Joseph realized his initial commercial plan was too hasty, and had not fully developed the commercial 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 Planning Proposal in front of him now had the earlier version of Angel Water discontinued as a tasting edition, replaced by three different grades of the official version: Luxury, Deluxe, and Regular. Segment the market, harvest the wealth of ladies of varying spending abilities! The Regular 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 Regular, would include some olive oil, come in a heart-shaped glass 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 of lanolin, incorporating scents like lavender, jasmine, and immortelleessentially using different essential oilswith 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 of later eras that leave the eyes, nose, and mouth exposed had not yet appeared. And making these was incredibly simplecommission 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 displayed by the ladies 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 Regular 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 more lanolin. A change of packaging and name, and it was a completely different productthese were standard practices in the cosmetics industry of later times. On top of enriching the product line, Joseph also redrafted the marketing plan. Consignment sales clearly wouldnt 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 regular 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 the large stack of business plans and realized that he couldnt achieve this alone. It would require a company and a large number of employees to manage such a large operation. He immediately called his entourage and began assigning them tasks. The accountant 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, accompanied 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 plans to increase production once the exclusive stores were ready. The lawyer went to register a company in Josephs 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 the company was finally named Paris Angel Trading Company. As for the companys 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 company 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 most commercially developed cities in Europe, had an abundance of such talent. Moreover, the Crown Princes personal entourage was mostly unoccupied, and they could be used temporarily if there was a sudden shortage of staff. The core technology of all the productssalicinwas firmly in Josephs hands. Even Lamark didnt 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, planning to personally choose the location for the flagship 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 its a pharmaceutical workshop, is over there. Joseph indeed saw a sizeable courtyard nearby, located beside a branch of the Seine River, with a large waterwheel slowly turning on the east side of the yard. He said to Eman, Lets go over and take a look. Yes, Your Highness. The courtyard was very large, 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, Im thinking of opening a store in Paris. I took the opportunity to come 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 we lay them off, or should we allocate some to continue making perfume? Having many workers was a good thing! Joseph immediately instructed, We can neither lay 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 and launched into the Americas; the demand for core raw materials was undoubtedly a huge number. Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Secret Weapon Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Secret Weapon Lamark glanced uneasily at the physician beside him, Larseny, who stepped forward and said, Your Highness, I will take care of the matters afterward. Mr. Lamark, hes 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 plants 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, complimenting him on his contributions to salicin, but he hadnt paid much attention to it at the time. It turned out it was because of Lamarks paper. If it had been before, he would have congratulated 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 penicillin. If penicillin were available, firstly, his own pneumonia could be completely cured, and secondly, this miracle drug would be very important militarily 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 sides wounded continuously returning to the battlefield, while the other sides numbers dwindled. How could the latter side keep fighting? The idea of making penicillin had been with him for a long time, but the manufacturing process and technology were extremely complex; not only did it require a highly professional laboratory, experimental and cultivation equipment, but also a professional experimental team to operate it, to possibly succeed 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 couldnt let Lamark leave at this moment. With this in mind, Joseph shook his head and said, No, you need not apologize; its my lack of consideration. Your stage shouldnt 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 will come back at any time. Joseph smiled slightly, as if making an offhand remark, Its 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 delay aging, treat miscarriages, and even make a mans, 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, Thats really incredible, are you certain such a thing exists? Theres no mistake, Joseph nodded, it also has a special name, called tocopherol. The so-called tocopherol is vitamin E, a substance that was very common in later 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 relatively simple with a high success rate. Second, it could be mixed into cosmetics as nearly all skincare products related to anti-aging and suppressing age spots in later generations contained vitamin E. This would be the second secret weapon of the Paris Angel company to extract money from the purses of wealthy ladies. 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 a laboratory 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 explained, Lay dense water pipes beneath the flooring and inside the walls of the room, and build a large 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 delay aging, but on the other hand, his long-standing wish to explore the plants 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 Black Death, syphilis, and septicemia. Lamark was stunned! If such a medicine really existed, wouldnt it fulfill his lifes dreamfor 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, wont you? Right, about going to South America, I will fund your expedition later on, and guarantee it will be a larger 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, Josephs 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 the large 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 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Under Amsterdam Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Under Amsterdam In the middle of the Champs-Elysees, this location is 600 meters from the Tuileries Palace, 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. According to what Eman had learned, the owner of this store had married a Spaniard and thus planned 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 brassits decor was very particular, exuding a kind of restrained and exquisite beauty. He didnt dawdle, quickly reaching an agreement with the store owners agent and bought the shop for 36,000 livres. For the busiest commercial district in Paris, this price was rather fair. Eman went to complete the transaction, while Joseph looked around and said to the accompanying architect, Mr. Archid, I need your help with some modifications to this store. Yes, among the Crown Princes personal entourage, an architect was always on hand, though there was hardly any work for him most of the time; today, at last, there was a use for his skills. Please give your instructions, Your Highness. Joseph pointed to the wall facing the street: Replace all these walls with glass, as large as possible, allowing passersby to see inside the store at a glance. Replace all these wooden counters with custom-made glass display cases about a meter high, and the merchandise will be placed 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, Thats 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 displayed in New Bridges 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, Im speaking of a different kind of merchandise; consider this store as a sample. Netherlands. 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 Netherlands, not to witness your armys 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 Armys 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 be completely exposed to the Prussian Army. The French captain continued sarcastically, A fortress? Your grand army couldnt even hold onto Utrecht, such a stronghold, let alone Amstelfen with ten fortressesIm afraid it wouldnt be of much help to you. Wolsters face turned red, Whats the use of talking about this? Whats 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. Dibowa laughed, 20,000 is the total strength of the entire Prussian forces, the vanguard that can reach us certainly wont have that many. Whats more, thanks to your earlier retreat being too fast, youve forced the Prussian Army to pursue at a high pace for over ten days, and given the dense network 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 planning to attack the Prussian Army?! Why not? Dibowa looked back at him, The Prussian Army certainly wont expect the continuously retreating Dutch Army to dare a sudden counterattack, hence their guard will be down. This is our opportunity. Wolster, feeling somewhat uncomfortable 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 Sibella 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 Netherlands, 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 Holland, 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 to complete. Yes, sir! Wolster exclaimed 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 Nicolas Davout.] Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Blood and Courage Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Blood and Courage 650 men? Wolster immediately protested, Thats all my cavalry, You have no right to command them Captain Dibowa didnt let him finish and smiled, Give me your cavalry, or face the Prussians alone. No, dont the commander of the Dutch Army sighed resignedly and waved his hand, The cavalry are under your command now, we cant have infighting at this time. A very wise decision! Dibowa turned to the curly-haired French lieutenant and said, Andre, proceed as planned. 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 your command 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 Sibella River, Mr. Wolster, please deploy The Hague Imperial Guard here. The Dutch officer, somewhat disgruntled, said, Theres 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 be combined 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 their combat 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 shouldnt 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 doesnt need to engage the Prussians to the death. They only need to open up the flanks after the engagement. What Im concerned about is their level of training, whether they can execute the tactical plan without descending into chaos. Wolster suddenly stood up taller, his voice firm, I will personally command the Free Corps. Dibowa nodded, and continued, Then after that, well do this As he sketched with his pencil, the area of less than 2.5 kilometers wide between the Sibella 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 horses 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 glanced at his pocket watch, then took out a map to check it; according to previous intelligence, the main body of the Prussian Army was 15 kilometers from here, right downstream of the Sibella 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 a large Prussian convoy, protected by more than three thousand Prussian soldiers. Andrei ordered the entire army to line up on the west side of the Sibella 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 actually commanding 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 Netherlands. Thus, Andrei was suddenly entrusted with command, becoming the cavalry squadron commander of the French volunteer soldiers. He gazed at the distant plains and rivers, suddenly filled with worry. It wasnt 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 would lay 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 plan was devised by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, a military plan by a thirteen-year-old boy Andrei tried not to think too much about it. He wasnt afraid of death; dying on the battlefield was a soldiers destiny. What he feared was a meaningless death. Especially since he came to the Netherlands privately, if they failed to preserve the Patriot Party in the end, the military wouldnt even acknowledge his death as one for the country. He hoped that the Child of Gods Favor really was as miraculous as people claimed. He did not know how much time had passed when the voice of a Cavalry Scout interrupted his thoughts, Report, the Prussian convoy is coming. Light flashed in Andres 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 a large number of infantry quickly assembled. They backed against the convoy and formed dense line formations, with muskets and bayonets 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 Prussian commander 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 a large contingent of cavalry attacked from the side and rear, accompanied by intense gunfire. The Prussian commanders 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, Andrei commanded the cavalry to come and go, to and fro, forcing the Prussians to stay in place and maintain their defensive formations until the main force of Prussian cavalry arrived to reinforce as dusk neared. Then, at last, 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.