The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 142

Chapter 142: The Auguste 1788 Model Fire Cap Rifle

Soon after, the police academy instructors began their collective trial shooting of the fire cap rifles.

Everyone was visibly excited after trying the new gun. They all understood what it meant to reduce the shooting time by three to four seconds.

Joseph himself also fired a few rounds, only to feel the immense recoil, with the stock digging painfully into his shoulder. As for the loading speed, even Louis XVI could outpace him by miles.

Hmm, the crown prince relies on his brain; as for shooting, perhaps it’s better left to Kessold.

Before long, the Superintendent of Education, Froyent, discovered another new advantage of the fire cap rifle. "I feel this rifle has more power than the 1776 model."

Joseph quietly nodded. Without the ignition chamber leaking, the force of the exploding powder would be directed more efficiently into the bullet, certainly enhancing its power.

An instructor standing nearby nodded in agreement. "I feel the same. And this rifle doesn’t spit smoke in your face when it fires, so it won’t sting your eyes."

This was, of course, thanks to the elimination of the ignition chamber. The ignition chamber, positioned near the shooter’s face, would release powder gas that severely interfered with the view. The fire cap rifle, however, avoided this issue.

The group excitedly shot and discussed, continuing until they had used up the seventy or eighty fire caps they had brought. Reluctantly, they stopped.

As it turned out, Louis XVI’s craftsmanship was exceptional. Each rifle had fired nearly forty rounds without any issues.

Only Louis XVI stood aside, his face filled with resentment. He had come to test the rifle but had only fired two shots from start to finish. And with his social anxiety, he couldn’t bring himself to ask the strangers for another rifle…

The empty rifles were collected by Louis XVI’s personal attendants. Froyent turned to Joseph and asked, "Your Highness, are these two rifles made by the Charleville factory? What are they called?"

Charleville was France’s largest arms manufacturing center, and previous rifles had mostly been developed there.

Joseph, however, bowed to Louis XVI standing nearby. "No, these rifles were personally made by His Majesty the King."

Louis XVI smiled shyly, a happy smile. He wanted to add that the design of the rifle was Joseph’s idea, but his social anxiety made him falter, and he couldn’t quite get the words out.

"As for the name of the rifle," Joseph mused, "I suggest we call it the 'Auguste 1788 Model' fire cap rifle."

Everyone shouted the name of the new rifle in unison, and cheers erupted once again. "Auguste 1788 Model! The best rifle in all of Europe!"

"This is the new era of firearms, the Auguste 1788 Model!"

"Long live His Majesty the King!"

Louis XVI’s full name was Louis Auguste.

Joseph knew very well that, for now, his father still held the highest status in the royal family. Increasing his father's prestige would, in turn, elevate the prestige of the entire royal family. Since he was still operating from behind the scenes, it made more sense to attribute the glory to his father.

Louis XVI was stunned for a moment. Hearing the cheers and praises from around him, he was overjoyed and began to imagine the grand sight of his name being used on rifles sweeping across Europe, obliterating enemies. Any regret about not firing a few more shots earlier quickly vanished.

Though he felt that he had somewhat stolen his son’s credit, the prince had been so enthusiastic about giving him the naming rights that it would be impolite to refuse his kind gesture.

Afterward, Louis XVI, surrounded by everyone, toured the police academy training grounds, observing the police officers' drill formations. He was satisfied and began his journey back.

In the carriage, Louis XVI reflected on this brief outing—without the usual pomp and circumstance of an entourage, but with heartfelt praise from everyone. This made him feel incredibly refreshed and joyous.

Joseph, sitting opposite him, smiled and said, "Father, I plan to build a firearm manufacturing factory near Paris to produce the new fire cap rifles. You will need to guide the craftsmen through the process."

"A new firearms factory?" Louis XVI asked, somewhat surprised. "Why not produce them in Charleville?"

Joseph instinctively replied, "This rifle is an important tool for controlling the military, so…"

Louis XVI’s eyes sparkled, looking very clear. "Control the military? But the military is very loyal to me."

Joseph facepalmed internally. He wasn’t sure how to explain to his father—if you really had control over the military, you wouldn’t have been unable to deploy a single army into Paris during the Great Rebellion.

He quickly changed the topic. "Loyal to you, yes, yes, of course."

"It’s just that the fire cap rifle manufacturing process is quite complicated. Right now, only you fully understand the entire process. We can’t exactly have you go to Charleville to teach the other craftsmen, can we? So it would be best to set up the factory near Paris."

"By the way, there will be other new weapons in the future that will require your research and production. It would be more convenient if the factory is next to the Palace of Versailles."

Louis XVI immediately nodded in agreement, "Building a new factory will cost quite a bit of money. Hmm, I can put together 500,000 livres. I wonder if that will be enough?"

Joseph was deeply touched—such a supportive father… no, such a great father was hard to find.

He quickly said, "It should be enough. If it’s not, I’ll supplement the rest. Oh, and you’ll need to send someone to Charleville and Saint-Étienne to recruit skilled workers from the firearms factories, so we can start the production of the new rifles as soon as possible."

Joseph had calculated it precisely. Given the King’s personal summons and the chance to live in bustling Paris, the craftsmen would surely find it irresistible.

This way, the weapons factory would be up and running in the shortest time possible.

Once the fire cap rifles were produced, his royal guard would immediately have unmatched fighting power across all of Europe!

He then thought to himself, a truly strong army can’t stay confined to the training grounds forever; only the smoke of the battlefield can help them grow rapidly.

Speaking of which, North Africa would be a great place for training—its armies aren’t as strong as Europe’s, but not as weak as the indigenous forces in the Americas.

The question was, how could he bypass the British and get involved in North Africa?

...

A few hours later, the convoy arrived at the Palace of Versailles Square. The carriage was Joseph’s. He had to send Louis XVI back first, and besides, he also wanted to discuss matters about grain and North Africa with Bishop Brienne.

As the two men got out of the carriage, Joseph saw a figure dressed in clerical robes respectfully waiting outside the gate. Louis XVI furrowed his brow, lowered his head, and pretended not to see him, quickly walking past.

Joseph caught a glimpse of the cleric’s dejected expression and quietly asked Louis XVI, "Father, is Bishop Brienne here for something?"

Louis XVI sighed. "It’s about his promotion to archbishop."

"Mm, and then?"

"His qualifications are fine, and the Church has agreed. But your mother doesn’t like that he once privately spoke about her, so she’s been holding off on signing the papers. He keeps coming to ask me for help."

Joseph nodded inwardly. Talleyrand was definitely a talented man. Now might be a good opportunity to recruit him.

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