The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 183

Chapter 183: The Scapegoat

In the subsequent half-month, two British technicians resigned in succession and boarded a ship with Marquis Ludo to France. Accompanying them were six textile workers and their families.

Soon after, both the weaving machine and the technicians were sent to Versailles. There, the "Lifetime Honorary President of the French Engineering and Technology Association," His Majesty King Louis XVI of France, would personally oversee the dismantling and replication of the machine.

Originally, Joseph intended for William Murdoch to handle the replication. However, considering that Murdoch was preoccupied with the development of the high-pressure steam engine, and given the superior precision equipment available in the Royal Workshop at Versailles, the responsibility ultimately fell to the elder craftsman.

At first, Louis XVI was displeased that the new research assignment was not the promised new rifled gun. However, after Joseph explained the immense profits of Britain's textile industry and the critical significance of the automatic loom to the industry, His Majesty rolled up his sleeves with enthusiasm and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to advancing French industrial development.

The scarcity of engineering talent, however, instilled a sense of urgency in Joseph.

Throughout France, only the King’s small team and the high-salaried British hires possessed the capability for engineering research and development. It was absurd that so many French mathematicians and physicists could not contribute.

The underlying reason lay in the nation’s inadequate research and development system.

On the way back to Paris, Joseph gazed out of the carriage window, contemplating whether he should formally establish the French Engineering and Technology Association and perhaps create a "Royal Science and Technology Advancement Award" to stimulate the pace of engineering research.

...

When Marquis Ludo returned home, he immediately learned of Necker’s assassination.

Before he could express any satisfaction, he was confronted with a newspaper handed to him by his butler. The bold headline read: "The Assassin of Necker Captured on the Spot and Under Interrogation."

Marquis Ludo felt the world spin around him. He collapsed onto the sofa and gritted his teeth, muttering, "That fool Boislandal... Always boasting about his influence in the underworld, yet the assassin he hired turned out to be this useless!"

In truth, Boislandal could not be entirely blamed. The assassins he found were indeed top-notch, but they could not evade the fact that the Security Office had assigned over 80 people to follow Necker from a distance and secured an area of half a league. Unless these assassins could fly, escape was impossible.

Joseph was aware that the banking magnates, having suffered significant losses due to the Necker case, despised Necker to the core. Thus, he deliberately leaked Necker's whereabouts and coordinated with the escorting Security Office to cooperate with their plans.

Although the Royal Family had indeed pardoned Necker, there was nothing anyone could do if the banking guilds wanted him dead.

Furthermore, the assassins were captured at the scene, with weapons and evidence in hand, and their motives were abundantly clear. No conspiracy theory could plausibly be fabricated.

Of course, if Marquis Ludo and his cohorts had possessed great restraint and refrained from taking action, Joseph would not have minded. After all, Count Kappfeil was clearly a hot-tempered individual. If provoked through intelligence agents a few more times, it was unlikely he could hold back.

Marquis Ludo, staring at the newspaper in his hands, suddenly stood up and instructed his butler to prepare the carriage to visit Count Kappfeil.

Two hours later, several banking magnates gathered together, all with worried expressions. They had learned about the assassin's capture days earlier, but without Marquis Ludo in France, they had been helplessly waiting.

Marquis Ludo surveyed the five men before him and said gravely, "Although Necker has been exiled, he was still the former Minister of Finance. This matter will undoubtedly escalate!"

"What should we do?" someone asked.

Marquis Ludo’s eyes glinted coldly. "The assassins were hired by Boislandal, so he must bear the entire blame!"

The others were stunned, only now noticing that Boislandal was absent today.

After a moment of silence, they sighed in resignation, tacitly agreeing to Marquis Ludo’s proposal.

...

Switzerland.

On the banks of the Murg River, in the city of Frauenfeld.

Count Ségur idly played with the cup before him, showing no interest in the tea inside. The quality of the tea was so poor that even his servants at home would refuse to drink it.

"These procrastinating Swiss..." He glanced at his watch and decided to visit the Swiss Federal Assembly once more.

Having spent a week in this mountainous backwater, Ségur was growing increasingly impatient. While the Swiss showed him the utmost respect as the envoy of a major power, they had yet to provide a satisfactory response.

Seeing that the Count was heading out, his assistant hurriedly caught up. "My lord, are you going to the assembly hall again?"

"Yes." Count Ségur donned his hat and frowned. "I cannot bear to stay here any longer. No decent tea, not even drinkable coffee..."

The assistant opened the door for him. "What can we do? Their Federal Assembly has no real authority and must constantly consult the cantonal councils. Perhaps we should visit Schwyz Canton directly."

Count Ségur shot him a sharp glance. "I represent His Majesty the King of France. How could I stoop to negotiating with a mere cantonal council?"

Several Swiss servants busied themselves bringing the carriage around and setting up wooden steps. The Count, grumbling all the while, climbed aboard. "This poor and pitiful country doesn’t even have a capital city. Can you imagine? No capital!

"God, why did I take on this miserable assignment? That Denaro Bank had better produce those seven million livres, or there will be trouble..."

Indeed, his visit to Switzerland was to demand the extradition of fugitive Denaro Bank shareholders and to ensure the bank turned over its embezzled funds and penalties.

The carriage rattled along the rugged mountain roads, frequently requiring the two Swiss servants hanging onto the back of the carriage to disembark and push to surmount steep inclines.

When Count Ségur arrived at the gray-yellow two-story building housing the Swiss Federal Assembly, a square-faced, short-statured middle-aged man was just stepping out. Recognizing the Count, the man doffed his hat and bowed. "Ah, esteemed Count Ségur, I was just about to find you. Schwyz Canton has finally responded."

Count Ségur, feeling a spark of hope, asked eagerly, "Have they captured the fugitives? What about the stolen funds?"

The man, a Swiss Federal Assembly member named Furrer, invited him inside and replied with a dry laugh, "The individuals have not yet been apprehended, but Schwyz Canton has seized Denaro Bank. However, the bank’s accounts contain less than four million livres, over half of which are loans. Recovering them may take some time..."

Count Ségur’s expression darkened immediately. He straightened and fixed Furrer with a steely gaze. "I represent His Majesty the King. Switzerland is hereby formally notified: the entirety of the stolen funds and penalties must be remitted to the French Reserve Bank within three months."

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