The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Loyalty to His Majesty the King is a Must!

After dealing with the grape mash, Joseph placed the water used for brewing into another large wooden barrel, maintaining the temperature at 60 degrees Celsius.

Half an hour later, Joseph took out the grape mash that had been soaked in hot water, covered it up, and began soaking the next batch...

In this way, he and Eymond worked for three or four hours, finally processing all the brewing materials.

Joseph wiped his brow and had Eymond bring in the waiting planters.

More than thirty nobles poured into the brewing room, but when they saw the situation inside, they exchanged confused glances—water was still water, and the grape mash was still grape mash.

The elderly planter looked at Joseph cautiously and said, "Your Highness, it seems you haven't started brewing yet..."

Joseph nodded. "Then let your brewing technicians start."

The old nobleman looked at him in astonishment. "Are you saying that my people should do the brewing?"

"That's right."

The nobles immediately showed disappointed expressions. Indeed, the so-called techniques for "reducing failure rates" and "improving quality" were nothing but a joke by the Crown Prince.

Seeing their expressions, Joseph couldn't help but chuckle and pointed to the wooden barrels in the room. "All the important steps have already been completed where you can't see. Brewing is just the simple finishing work; anyone can do it."

"Ah... I see, Your Highness," the elderly nobleman said with a downcast expression, calling for his brewing masters and instructing them to begin the brewing process.

Joseph saw the brewers getting busy and reminded them to minimize contact with the ingredients and to use containers that had been heat-treated. Then, he drifted away.

The nobles escorted the Crown Prince to the main road outside the Arson wine cellar. They did not lower their salutes until the prince's carriage doors were closed, and then they began to discuss:

"Viscount Jules, do you think what the Crown Prince said about the technology is true?"

"According to what I know, His Highness wouldn't come all the way to Bordeaux just to joke with us, would he?"

"I hope it's true. My wine cellar hasn't made a profit in years..."

"Sigh, mine too..."

"There's no use guessing here. We’ll know in a few days when the brewing results come out."

Inside the carriage, Joseph leaned back against the soft backrest of the seat, enjoying the rare leisure time—now all that was left was to wait for the wine to be brewed, and then "close the net" when the time was right. Before that, there was nothing he could do.

Speaking of which, this was his first vacation since becoming the Crown Prince.

Where should he go to relax? He thought for a moment and turned to ask Eymond, "Count Eymond, there should be some good beaches around Bordeaux, right?"

Eymond thought for a while and nodded. "Your Highness, if you want to enjoy the beach scenery, I recommend Arcachon. It’s half a day's journey southwest from here."

"Good, let's go there!"

Joseph suddenly remembered the doctor lady staying alone in the governor's villa in Monslow and quickly instructed, "Let’s go back first and bring Dr. Perna with us."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Soon, Dr. Perna, dressed in a white men's long coat, with her hair tied up and wearing a triangular hat, boarded the carriage. Upon hearing that they were heading to Arcachon, she immediately crossed her arms in front of her chest and cheered, "Oysters! Oh my God, I love oysters! Thank you, Your Highness, thank you so much!"

Joseph was momentarily stunned. "Oysters?"

Eymond quickly leaned over to explain in a low voice, "Your Highness, since Roman times, Arcachon has been a famous oyster-producing region."

Dr. Perna quickly added, "The best oysters in all of France!" Her eyes sparkled with the devout light of a pilgrim.

Joseph chuckled to himself. He hadn’t realized that our doctor lady was such a food lover.

After a bumpy ride, the carriage finally arrived in the town of Arcachon.

Joseph stood by the sea, feeling the cool sea breeze brushing against him—this was a temperate oceanic climate. Even in winter, the sea breeze wasn’t too cold. He gazed at the distant sandy dunes like a painting, and the golden beach stretching to the horizon on the other side. He felt a sense of resonance with nature, filled with tranquility and peace.

Dr. Perna, sniffing the faint smell of fish in the air, smiled at Joseph. "Your Highness, the climate here is very beneficial for your pneumonia. Perhaps you should stay here for a while longer."

Joseph sighed. "Yes, if I could, I would like to stay here forever."

Dr. Perna laughed and added, "But moving Versailles to Bordeaux isn't an easy task."

After chatting for a while, Dr. Perna started to look around curiously.

Eymond smiled and leaned close to her ear, saying, "I’ve already contacted the best oyster merchants, and they’ll be here soon."

Dr. Perna blushed, embarrassed that her thoughts had been exposed.

Soon, on the flat beach, the guards set up a space with a canopy. A middle-aged man, wearing a black coat and with rough, calloused skin, directed several servants to unload wooden barrels from the cart.

Eymond, meanwhile, instructed the servants to bring over several delicate small wooden tables. He spread out tablecloths, arranged utensils, snacks, and wine, then turned to the oyster merchant who was guarding the barrels and signaled, "Please begin."

The middle-aged man immediately reached into the wooden barrel with his calloused hands, pulled out an oyster larger than his palm, took a small knife, and skillfully pried it open. He removed the milky oyster meat from the hard shell and placed it on the plate in front of Joseph. Then he cut a lemon in half, squeezed the juice over the oyster, and politely gestured for Joseph to taste.

Raw? Joseph hesitated: Brother, this oyster was just pulled from the sea—it’s fresh, but what if something goes wrong? What about mud worms or some virus...

He saw Dr. Perna already gleaming with excitement as she picked up a fork, so he quickly stopped her, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem, you’re in for a treat today. I know a healthier and tastier way to cook oysters. Would you like to try it?"

"Huh?"

Joseph thought for a moment and had the oyster merchant bring a grill, garlic, and some spices. After giving detailed instructions...

Half an hour later, the oysters, stuffed with garlic paste and various spices, were sizzling on the iron grill. The meat had turned golden yellow, and the oil was bubbling. The rich fragrance of the meat mixed with the aroma of garlic, wafting over half a mile away.

Joseph speared a walnut-sized piece of oyster meat, drenched in garlic paste, with his fork and placed it in his mouth. He immediately closed his eyes in pleasure. No wonder this was the best oyster-producing region in all of France! The meat was plump, tender, juicy, and carried a hint of sweetness! Combined with the spices and garlic paste, roasted over an open flame, it felt as if the ocean's fresh saltiness and the fiery heat of the flames merged into a single experience, almost like kissing a beautiful and sweet girl!

Ah—this is the taste!

Meanwhile, Dr. Perna had completely forgotten herself. She paid no attention to the proprieties of being a lady and shoved as many garlic-roasted oysters into her mouth as she could, even though the heat made her eyes water, she refused to stop.

And so, Joseph spent the first day of his vacation in the company of sunshine, the beach, and roasted oysters.

What he didn’t expect was that, soon after, a dish named "Crown Prince’s Oysters" became all the rage in Bordeaux...

The leisurely holiday always passed quickly. After eight days of fun around Bordeaux, Joseph returned once again to the Arson wine cellar.

Because the wine had already been brewed.

In the warm brewing room, dozens of plantation owners were fixated on the ten or so oak barrels, nervously waiting for the results.

Joseph smiled and gestured to an elderly nobleman nearby. “Baron Polutak, please check the brewing status for everyone.”

“Certainly, Your Highness.” Baron Polutak nervously took the corkscrew to remove the wooden stopper from the barrel. He then inserted a hollow glass tube into the barrel, sealing the other end with his finger.

After he pulled the tube out, it was filled with wine.

He released his finger, allowing the wine to flow into a glass beside him. He then took a whiff, before taking a small sip.

Someone beside him anxiously asked, “Baron Polutak, how is it?”

Baron Polutak's eyes sparkled, and he nodded vigorously. “It’s excellent! Although the grapes were stored in the cellar and of average quality, there’s absolutely no trace of acidity!”

Another plantation owner quickly stepped forward to take the glass, not caring that someone else had already drunk from it. He raised it to his lips and immediately exclaimed in excitement, “There’s really no acidity!”

Baron Polutak took wine from another oak barrel, tasted it, and again marvelled, “Just the same, completely no acidity!”

The crowd could no longer contain their excitement, all asking for wine to taste. Soon, bursts of excited praise filled the air.

When Baron Polutak finished inspecting the last barrel and looked at Joseph once more, admiration was the only thing left in his eyes.

“Your esteemed Highness, I can confirm, your brewing technique is effective...” he suddenly shook his head. “No, it’s perfect!”

Twelve barrels of wine, and not a single barrel failed! Baron Polutak knew the skill of his winemakers well, and this would have been absolutely impossible before.

In the past, if twelve barrels of wine were brewed, and no more than two had turned into “vinegar,” the winemaker would have been rewarded.

Yet this time, with the Crown Prince’s miraculous brewing technique, not a single barrel of wine had gone bad!

This was equivalent to reducing his brewing costs by nearly 30%!

While the success rate of brewing was nearly one hundred percent, the quality of the wine had also greatly improved.

This wine, with absolutely no acidity, was undoubtedly premium quality, and would sell for at least twice the previous price!

He felt his heart pounding—he had roughly calculated earlier, and with the price increase and cost reduction, his annual income would increase by nearly ten thousand livres!

It was clear that other plantation owners had also calculated the profits brought by the new technique, and each of them excitedly discussed it.

Suddenly, someone bowed to Joseph and asked, “Your Highness, how much would it cost to adopt this brewing technique?”

Everyone froze and immediately looked at Joseph. Indeed, though the income had doubled, if the costs doubled as well, the profit wouldn’t increase much...

“I haven’t calculated it,” Joseph replied, somewhat uncertain, after all, he didn’t know how much it cost to boil a barrel of water. “However, the cost per barrel of wine should not exceed one sou.”

At once, everyone’s eyes lit up.

One sou for a barrel of wine? Even if the workers in the wine cellar stole a few sips, the loss would be much more than that!

Someone couldn’t help but smile and said smugly, “Let’s see how the Venetians will compete with us now!”

Another person laughed heartily, “Not just Venice! With the Crown Prince’s brewing technique, Spanish wines won’t stand a chance against Bordeaux!”

“Bordeaux wine will dominate the entire European market!”

“Exactly, all of Europe will drink our wine!”

“Long live His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Vénio raised his wine glass high and shouted, “To His Highness the Crown Prince!”

The others quickly followed suit and cheered in unison, “To His Highness the Crown Prince!”

When the excitement among the plantation owners had calmed down a little, they exchanged glances, and Count Torendal stepped forward on behalf of the group to bow to Joseph. “Your Highness, we’re wondering how we can use this brewing technique?”

Joseph nodded. He had been laying the groundwork for so long, and now it was time to reap the rewards. He smiled and said, “The purpose of establishing the French Brewing Technology Association is to provide this new brewing technique to the members. The usage fee is 3% of the selling price per barrel of wine.”

Everyone was overjoyed to hear this. They had been worried the Crown Prince might ask for an exorbitant price, but it was only 3%. The wine’s quality improvement alone would double the price, and 3% almost felt like it was free.

Count Torendal immediately asked, “Your Highness, what qualifications are required to join the association?”

Joseph drew out his words, “Well, I haven’t decided yet.”

Everyone was stunned.

Joseph looked toward Vénio and the others, who had agreed to plant large quantities of potatoes a few days ago. “However, Mr. Vénio, Viscount Clermont, Mr. Munet, and others have already demonstrated their loyalty to His Majesty the King through their actions. To reward their loyalty, I believe they will be among the first to become members.”

Vénio and the others were overjoyed. They had agreed to plant potatoes to reduce famine among the common people, and now, they were unexpectedly receiving such a reward!

The other plantation owners were briefly stunned upon hearing “proved their loyalty to the King,” but quickly understood, remembering that Vénio and others had agreed to plant a large amount of potatoes!

Baron Polutak lowered his head in thought. As long as he could get the new brewing technique, even if the potato harvest didn’t yield much, the losses could easily be covered by the profits from the wine. After all, the “seeds” for the potatoes were provided by the government, and the wine income would at least double.

With that in mind, he quickly stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, I am willing to plant 10 hectares of potatoes!”

Joseph looked at him and asked, “How large is your vineyard?”

“About 40 hectares.”

“Plant one hectare of potatoes for every four hectares of grapes,” Joseph nodded slightly. “That should demonstrate your loyalty.”

Baron Polutak was elated. “Your Highness, can I join the association now?”

“Yes,” Joseph nodded, “The membership fee is based on the size of the plantation, 50 livres per hectare per year.”

“Membership fee?” Baron Polutak instinctively looked at Vénio and the others, and seeing that Joseph hadn’t indicated any special treatment, immediately understood—they had a discount.

But compared to the enormous profits the new brewing technique would bring, this membership fee was nothing. He immediately agreed.

Other plantation owners, seeing this, hurriedly expressed their intentions. “Your Highness, I can plant 30 hectares of potatoes. Oh, I have a total of 120 hectares of vineyards.”

“Your Highness, I am willing to plant 25 hectares...”

“Your Highness, I can plant 50 hectares...”

As for the “land tax alliance,” they had long forgotten about that.

Joseph smiled and gestured for them to register their land areas with Éymond and sign the planting contracts.

Vénio, observing the plantation owners eagerly signing up to plant potatoes, suddenly remembered something. He quickly approached Joseph and said, “Your Highness, Count Ledonibar and the others don’t know about today’s events. Should I inform them?”

He was referring to the ones who had asked for leave the day after Joseph called the meeting.

Joseph sneered and shook his head. “Thank you for the reminder, but there’s no need. The entry requirements for the French Brewing Technology Association aren’t something just anyone can meet.”

The surrounding plantation owners felt a chill down their spines upon hearing this, but at the same time, they were relieved.

After all, if most of the wine cellars adopted the new brewing technique, those without it would quickly lose their competitiveness and go bankrupt.

Fortunately, they hadn’t listened to Count Ledonibar that day. Otherwise, their winemaking workshop might have been on the bankruptcy list as well.

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