The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Using Newspapers as a Sword

The frenzy of newspaper sales unfolded across Paris.

Most of the newsboys, who had originally taken up the job at the Paris Commercial Press out of sheer desperation, found themselves pleasantly surprised by the soaring demand. According to their agreement, they earned six deniers for every ten newspapers sold. By noon, the luckiest among them had sold 50 papers, earning several times more than they would have working in a workshop.

The stories of Hunter being jilted and Cléresse miraculously surviving a gunshot were already well-known by mid-morning.

Many who overheard others animatedly discussing these intriguing stories could not resist their curiosity. When they hesitated to subscribe to the newspaper, they would soon hear that it was being sold on the streets. At once, they would rush out to buy a copy.

Meanwhile, the most trend-savvy socialites were already planning salons, centered on themes such as "The Undying Cléresse" or "The Alchemist's Family." They instinctively recognized that these stories were bound to become the hottest topics, and they were eager to gain an early advantage.

By evening, Parisians greeted each other with a common phrase:
"Have you read that novel yet?"

It was no wonder. The entertainment options of the 18th century were incredibly limited. Novels and plays were few and far between, and most had long since grown dull. People filled their time by gossiping about aristocratic scandals.

The plot structures of later "refreshing" novels—polished to perfection by countless authors—were utterly revolutionary for readers of this era. They were hooked at first glance! For Parisians with empty spiritual lives, these novels, packed with climactic twists, setups, and suspense, were absolutely addictive.

The next day, as people were still discussing the previous day’s novel, they were astonished to find a new chapter in that day’s newspaper! Some of the previous story's mysteries were resolved, while even more suspenseful questions were introduced. The plot was as thrilling as ever—how could anyone resist?

Meals could be skipped, but the newspaper had to be bought!

Some even fought over the last copy in a newsboy’s hands...

By just after 3 p.m., both the Paris Commercial Press and the News and Pictures Journal had completely sold out.

Denico stared at the dozens of anxious newsboys waiting for more copies, feeling as though he were dreaming.

He had anticipated the Crown Prince’s incredible story would drive newspaper sales, but he had not expected demand to be so astounding.

Good heavens! Each paper had been printed in a run of 7,000 copies, yet they were all gone!

To put this in perspective, Paris had a population of just over 500,000. Even the most popular Paris News had never sold more than 3,000 copies. Yet the combined sales of their two papers now exceeded five times that!

His hands trembled as he rushed into the printing workshop, pointing at the printing presses and shouting to the workers:
"Reprint! Print 1,000 more copies immediately! As fast as you can!"

At that moment, an administrator from the press hurried in, gesturing excitedly toward the office:
"Mr. Denico, you must come quickly! Representatives from The Source of Elegance perfume shop, Onitol Iron Tools, and several other well-known stores are here to discuss advertising deals."

With a wave of his hand, Denico replied with a commanding air:
"Let them wait. I’ll handle the reprints first."

He had every reason to be confident—papers with a circulation exceeding 14,000 copies would have no shortage of advertisers.

As the Paris Commercial Press thrived, readers engrossed in the novels also took note of articles about the tax reform bill.

Conversations on the streets and in alleys turned to the subject:
"If you ask me, those noble lords should’ve been paying more taxes long ago!"

"Exactly! The increases only affect the nobles. Why should we, the poor, pay more tax than they do?"

"The city hall always claims it’s out of funds. Why don’t they get the money from the nobles?"

"Hmph, the High Court keeps rejecting the tax reform bill because the judges are nobles themselves!"

"No wonder they always talk about defending the court's authority—it’s really about defending their right to avoid taxes."

"Exactly..."

In no time, the Duke of Orléans’ effort to rally all the press in Paris against the tax bill began to lose traction.

In fact, Joseph had not yet unleashed his full arsenal in the war of public opinion. He had two more stories saved for pamphlets.

Indeed, he had no intention of relying solely on newspapers for this battle—it would be a losing strategy.

Since it was war, there was no need for needless gentlemanly conduct. Pamphlets, though seen as lowbrow and packed with rumors and sensationalism, appealed to a wide audience and were scorned only by the social elite.

By now, France’s literacy rate had surpassed 60%. Many who could not afford newspapers turned to pamphlets for entertainment. Pamphlets were, without a doubt, the dominant force in the low-end market.

Joseph had no intention of missing out on this powerful propaganda tool.

However, the audience for pamphlets was less likely to make regular purchases. This could affect the readability of serialized novels. Thus, Joseph planned to release pamphlets weekly, each containing seven days’ worth of novel chapters.

Once tens of thousands of pamphlets flooded the streets of Paris, Joseph would launch his true offensive.

...

At the routine Versailles ball, noble ladies cast wistful glances at Princess Thérèse, lamenting how she monopolized the Crown Prince’s attention.

Meanwhile, the young gentlemen silently wished one of the noblewomen would lure the Crown Prince away, giving them a chance to approach the princess.

Of course, this was Joseph's deliberate strategy to use his sister as a "shield"—his distaste for dancing left him with lingering trauma...

Thérèse, having adjusted to the recent rumors, was chatting casually with Joseph:
"I’ve heard your invention, 'The Crown Prince’s Blessing,' is remarkable. I’ve been taking it recently, but haven’t noticed any effects yet..."

Joseph quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell? A fever?"

Thérèse shook her head. "No fever, but I often feel dizzy, weak, and short of breath. A few months ago, I even fainted. The doctors couldn’t find the cause. Dr. Baptiste suggested I recuperate at the Château de Meudon."

Joseph’s expression darkened: Those aren’t symptoms for salicin. Why are you taking random medicine?

"You shouldn’t just take something because it’s said to be miraculous. Follow the doctor’s instructions," Joseph admonished.

Thérèse nodded earnestly. "It was Dr. Baptiste who prescribed it."

"..."

Joseph rubbed his forehead and asked, "Are you taking any other medications?"

Thérèse listed several herbal remedies.

Looking at her pale face, Joseph thought to himself: Her symptoms sound like severe anemia. Young women of her age often experience anemia. But is it iron deficiency or pathological?

Thérèse added, "Besides taking medicine, I undergo bloodletting treatments every two weeks."

Joseph’s face turned completely dark:
"You might want to consider dismissing your doctor."

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