The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Shameless

Joseph spoke in a deep, somber tone: “Then, she saw the gun, the bloodstains all around, and herself in the mirror—her head had a ghastly wound with singed edges! Yes, it was clearly where a bullet had struck.”

Barret’s eyes widened immediately. “My God, that’s unbelievable! She didn’t die?!”

“Yes,” Joseph replied, “and moreover, she discovered that she had gained divine powers, allowing her to float in an infinite expanse of gray mist…”

“Incredible! What’s the title of this novel?”

“It’s called The Master of Close Friends.”

...

After Barret left, Joseph turned to another writer and said, “Your task is to write about a nobleman confined to the Bastille for mental illness.

“This young man is named Fell Lee. He claims that when he closes his eyes, he enters a magical world.

“There, an evil sorcerer captures deformed or sickly young boys and girls to concoct an elixir of immortality. Fell Lee was one of the captives…”

...

When Joseph turned his attention to Beaumarchais, the most famous writer in all of France was already eager. “Oh, Your Highness, what story will I write?”

Joseph immediately thought of his most admired web novelist from his previous life, Tian Haishan. Every one of Tian Haishan’s books had taken the nation by storm, coming within a step of winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. Handsome and admired by countless young women, he was the dream of nine hundred million girls.

Joseph, intimately familiar with every book written by this literary giant, instinctively responded, “This novel is titled Madam, Please Stop…”

The day passed quickly. By dusk, Joseph had received four manuscripts.

Beaumarchais and the other writers were indeed deserving of their reputation as great French literary figures. Their works were vivid and masterful, whether in character portrayal or plot description. Every word reflected their artistry, making the reading experience akin to savoring fine wine.

However, Joseph noticed that each writer’s submission was only about four pages long, with a word count of at most two thousand.

He tactfully suggested that they increase their daily output.

Beaumarchais and the others exchanged bewildered glances. To them, their engrossing storytelling had caused them to skip lunch, resulting in double their usual output.

Yet the Crown Prince still seemed dissatisfied!

After returning home, the writers called upon their disciples and fellow writers to help. This wasn’t for extra payment—they were all wealthy individuals—but to speed up the process and hear the Crown Prince reveal the subsequent plot as soon as possible.

Joseph, on the other hand, sent people to deliver the manuscripts overnight to the office of Paris News, instructing Denico to print them as quickly as possible.

At dawn the next day, Denico arrived at the Palace of Versailles with sample copies, reporting on the first issue after the newspaper’s redesign.

Joseph skimmed through the two newspapers.

One was Paris News, which retained its usual style emphasizing “freedom and ideals,” covering market trends and commercial observations. The notable change was the second page, entirely dedicated to a serialized novel titled Breaking the Heavens. The third page explained the contents of the new tax law.

The other was the newly launched News and Illustrated Gazette. Its publishing license had been expedited in mere hours, a privilege reserved for the Crown Prince. Normally, such licenses took at least two months to process.

The News and Illustrated Gazette was less restrained, with the front-page headline reading, “Exploring the Root Causes Behind the Inability to Register the New Tax Law.” The second page featured The Master of Close Friends. Most other sections were about the tax law, interspersed with regional news from across France.

As for illustrations, since lithographic printing was not yet available, only previously engraved plates of Parisian landmarks were used. In the future, news illustrations would be abundant, though this era lacked photographs, requiring artists to provide sketches.

Joseph was quite pleased with Denico’s efforts, a testament to the capabilities of a family with three generations in the newspaper business.

When these two newspapers reached the hands of the Parisian public, the powerful aristocratic factions would lose their monopoly over public discourse.

Denico, seeing that the Crown Prince had finished reviewing the sample copies, reported: “Your Highness, as per your instructions, the subscription price for both newspapers is set at three livres per month.

“I must warn you, at this price, we will incur significant losses.”

Currently, most daily newspapers cost six to eight livres per month, while weekly papers range from one livre and ten sous to two livres.

Both Paris News and News and Illustrated Gazette were dailies, making three livres a losing proposition.

Joseph nodded indifferently. “No matter. Sell them at this price. Once lithographic printing is implemented, costs should drop below three livres per month.”

In truth, even a slight loss didn’t concern him. Once newspaper circulation surged, advertising revenue alone would easily offset the losses.

Seeing his confidence, Denico continued cautiously: “Your Highness, regarding the ‘newsboys’ you mentioned earlier, I have recruited over forty individuals.”

He hesitated before adding, “But I doubt many people will buy newspapers from street vendors.”

Joseph had proposed a novel sales strategy: hiring newsboys.

At this time, newspapers in Europe were primarily distributed through subscriptions, delivered directly to subscribers by couriers.

The concept of street newsboys familiar in later eras had yet to emerge.

A significant barrier to retail newspaper sales had been their high cost. A single issue cost four to six sous, equivalent to the daily wages of an ordinary artisan, leaving few inclined to purchase on a whim.

Now, Joseph had slashed the price to two sous, aiming to reduce it to one sous or even less in the future. This made newspapers much more affordable.

Joseph was acutely aware that street sales would become the dominant newspaper distribution channel. Newsboys, loudly promoting the highlights of their papers, could easily attract curious passersby willing to spare a few sous. Moreover, newsboys could sell other goods alongside newspapers, reducing overall costs.

As for concerns about “child labor”…

Such a concept didn’t exist in this era.

Across Europe, children as young as seven or eight were commonly employed in workshops, often serving as critical contributors to their household income.

Selling newspapers, a relatively easy and lucrative job, would soon attract eager applicants.

After giving Denico additional instructions, the newspaper manager left for Paris.

What they didn’t realize was that the two newspapers had already caused a stir in Paris.

On the city streets, a man heard a child waving a newspaper and shouting:

“Read all about it! Two sous a copy! Featuring the latest novel—The Alchemist’s Fiancée Breaks the Engagement! Will He Avenge His Honor Three Years Later?”

Having just received his wages, the man, intrigued, bought a copy and became engrossed in the second page’s thrilling story. He read as he walked, only to realize after hitting a tree that he had taken the wrong route.

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