The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 200

Chapter 200: The Development of Industry and Finance

Eymond presented a report sent by officials from Marseille.

Joseph opened the report and, after reading only a few lines, raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The report stated that the King of Spain had sent a shipment of 1.8 million livres' worth of grain, and its quality was excellent.

Although the drought had a relatively minor impact on Spain, it still posed challenges. Carlos III, nonetheless, managed to gather a massive amount of grain as a gesture of goodwill, showcasing his utmost sincerity.

...

Two days later, an envoy from Carlos III arrived in Paris. After paying respects to Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, he hurriedly sought an audience with Joseph.

After the customary formalities, the envoy requested privacy and then presented Carlos III’s handwritten letter to Joseph with great reverence.

“Your Royal Highness, His Majesty the King has instructed me to express his heartfelt gratitude to you,” the envoy said with a somewhat embarrassed expression. “You helped preserve the royal lineage’s purity and, furthermore... kept a delicate matter regarding Prince Antonio confidential.

“Upon hearing of France's recent hailstorm disaster, His Majesty sent this grain shipment as a token of sympathy.”

Joseph nodded inwardly. Carlos III, one of the rare enlightened rulers of Spain, had handled the matter with great finesse. However, the old king’s health was failing rapidly, leaving little time for him to make further contributions to France.

The envoy continued, “As for the Crown Princess, His Majesty has arranged for someone to keep a close watch over her. Please rest assured.”

As Joseph had predicted, when Carlos III learned that Louisa Maria had embarrassed herself by openly engaging in an affair in front of her son and the French Crown Prince, his fury was unmatched. He ordered the Crown Princess confined to the royal palace and assigned her a 24-hour female attendant to monitor her movements.

If not for Spain's staunch adherence to Catholicism, which made divorce exceedingly difficult, the king would likely have forced his son to repudiate her.

Although the Spanish nobility were unaware of the specific incident involving Louisa Maria, it was evident that the king disfavored her. Consequently, many of them distanced themselves from her, especially key high-ranking officials.

Previously, due to Carlos III’s poor health, many governmental affairs had been delegated to Antonio. However, Antonio, engrossed in his mechanical and hunting hobbies, often passed those responsibilities to Louisa Maria.

Now, Spanish officials would rather force Antonio to handle documents in his workshop than entrust Louisa Maria with any duties.

Given Antonio’s submissive temperament, it was likely that Louisa Maria’s confinement would relax once Carlos III passed away. However, her political influence had been severely diminished, making it improbable that she could wield sole power in Spain again.

...

A sleek, gem-shaped carriage sped past Count Mirabeau, covering him in a cloud of dust.

Mirabeau frowned and accepted a handkerchief from his servant, wiping the dust from his face and clothing. He shook his head in disapproval. While Paris now had numerous railcars—five intersecting lines connecting all parts of the city—many nobles still preferred carriages to avoid sharing transportation with commoners, perceiving it as beneath their dignity.

In reality, the railcars, even when carrying over twenty passengers, were faster than conventional carriages.

As a capitalist aristocrat—a term coined by the Crown Prince and now widely accepted—Mirabeau scoffed at such attitudes.

He thought to himself, Nobility should derive their dignity from wealth, capability, and effort, not from whom they share a carriage with. All citizens are equal. A worthless or immoral noble is no better than a clever and hardworking commoner. What makes them think they are born superior?

Although many of Rousseau’s ideas were nonsensical, Mirabeau agreed with his stance on equality. Still, he dismissed the idea of recommending Rousseau’s works to other nobles, fearing they lacked the discernment to avoid being misled by his dangerous philosophies.

The clear chime of a bell broke his reverie. Adjusting his attire, Mirabeau stepped onto a railcar shaped like a cigar.

Seeing his aristocratic attire, the commoners on board immediately stood up to offer their seats and kept a respectful distance.

Mirabeau accepted without hesitation, seating himself in the most comfortable spot and taking today’s Paris News from his servant.

As the car departed, a foul stench wafted through the window.

Mirabeau frowned and glanced outside, spotting several decomposing corpses hanging from streetlamps. The sickening odor undoubtedly emanated from them.

He knew without asking that these were the remains of recently executed Barbary pirates and Boislandal, the murderer of Necker.

Signaling his servant to close the window, Mirabeau shook his head and muttered, “While he deserved death, hanging a former banker alongside pirates seems somewhat inappropriate.”

He returned to his newspaper. The front-page headline immediately caught his attention: “Marquis Ludo, Second President of the Banking Guild, Assassinated and Seriously Injured; Perpetrator Captured on the Spot.”

Delving into the article, he learned that a man named Aironc had infiltrated the Marquis’s villa at midnight and shot him in the thigh.

Aironc? Mirabeau, as a capitalist, frequently dealt with banks and knew that Aironc was Necker’s butler. He strongly suspected that Necker’s death was connected to Marquis Ludo.

With a sigh, Mirabeau thought, A loyal and sentimental servant, indeed...

Before long, the railcar stopped at the gates of the University of Paris.

Mirabeau disembarked with his servants and guards, greeted by a welcoming committee of university officials who greeted him with enthusiastic bows and pleasantries.

As France’s Minister of Industry, Mirabeau was now a prominent figure with the king’s ear, making it imperative for the university to show respect.

Surrounded like a celestial body by admiring officials, Mirabeau was escorted to the university's main building, adorned with the word Sorbonne. The courtyard was decorated with streamers, a band played jubilantly, and a golden-lettered wooden plaque proclaimed, Measurement Standards Release Ceremony by the French Standardization Committee.

Reporters loitering outside recognized Mirabeau. A mob of dozens swarmed toward him, shouting questions.

With the protection of guards, Mirabeau navigated through the reporters and entered the building, where he encountered many familiar faces.

The hall was packed with luminaries. Nearly every prominent French scholar who could attend had arrived, along with a significant contingent of international academics.

The government’s industrial officials, led by Mirabeau, were also present, as were representatives from the Paris City Hall. The vast hall was so crowded that finding standing room was a challenge.

After exchanging greetings with many attendees, Mirabeau finally took his front-row seat, sighing in relief.

Checking his watch, he noted that there was still some time before the ceremony began. He turned to the lean, sharp-faced man next to him and asked, “Dear Sylvain, how are things progressing in Nancy?”

The man offered a weary smile. “You’ve truly put me in a difficult position with such a high appointment. It’s taken me two months to lay one-third of the tracks connecting Nancy to the mines, and I’m already exhausted.

“The good news is that a large coal deposit was discovered west of the mines, with shallow seams. Current daily output has reached tens of thousands of pounds and continues to grow.”

“You’ve done well,” Mirabeau replied. “The area is remote, and funds are limited. Laying tracks there is no easy task.”

This man, Jean Sylvain Bailly, was now the Assistant Minister of Industry. When Mirabeau first recommended him, he had been concerned about resistance. However, the Crown Prince quickly approved the appointment, clearly appreciating Bailly’s abilities.

Joseph remembered Bailly as a key figure of the Feuillant Club, possessing notable administrative skills. As a scientist, he was well-suited to his industrial role.

Bailly continued, “I’ll try to speed up. Perhaps you could send more British engineers. I must admit, their track-laying speed is impressive.

“Once this track is completed, the joint steam engine company’s output can increase significantly. That British technician keeps complaining about a shortage of wrought iron, while the mines are brimming with iron ore.”

Mirabeau nodded. The drought had made steam engines, crucial for agricultural irrigation, a high-priority issue. The Crown Prince had repeatedly emphasized the need to boost production.

“I’ll see if I can secure some pig iron from the Russian trade ships that recently arrived,” Mirabeau said.

Russian iron ore was of superior quality, though transportation costs were high. Resolving the iron shortage required accelerating domestic mining and refining technology.

“After Nancy’s tracks are finished, your next assignment is in Saint-Étienne,” Mirabeau added.

Bailly looked surprised. “The industrial development zone?”

“Yes, the Crown Prince has instructed me to prepare a development plan.”

“But such an undertaking will require significant funds,” Bailly noted.

Mirabeau smiled faintly. “Have you heard about the Reserve Bank issuing banknotes?”

“Of course. Half my salary last month was in banknotes,” Bailly replied, with a hint of annoyance. He had spent considerable effort converting those notes into silver coins, given that Lorraine Province had only one Reserve Bank branch, far from Nancy.

Mirabeau lowered his voice. “The Cabinet is about to pass the Banking Regulation Act.”

“What’s that?”

“It mandates government oversight of all banks, requiring them to accept Reserve Bank notes and deposit 10% of their reserves as a security fund. This is only the beginning; the percentage will likely increase.”

Bailly perked up at the mention of easier note exchange, then asked, “What is the purpose of this reserve?”

“It’s meant to safeguard against bank failures. If a bank collapses, the government can use these reserves to compensate depositors. Additionally, the Reserve Bank plans to channel this fund into an industrial development fund.”

Bailly immediately grasped the significance. An industrial fund would provide critical support for development zones.

As they conversed, Vénio approached, bowing slightly before asking, “Count Mirabeau, forgive my intrusion, but is it true that the Cabinet plans to enact the Guild Reform Act?”

Mirabeau, aware of Vénio’s role as Industrial Technology Supervisor, did not withhold the information. “Yes, the reform is imminent. The Crown Prince intends to abolish all existing guilds. The government will evaluate craftsmen’s skills and issue certificates.”

Vénio, whose efforts to transform workshops into factories had been stymied by guild interference, was thrilled.

“However, the process must be gradual,” Mirabeau cautioned. “The first step involves recruiting guild leaders as government employees and abolishing the apprenticeship system. Fully eliminating guild influence will take a year or two, possibly longer.”

At that moment, the academic luminaries Lavoisier, Lagrange, Monge, and Condorcet entered the hall’s forefront.

The president of the University of Paris presided over the event, delivering the customary pleasantries before proclaiming, “Today, the French Measurement Standards are officially announced!”

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