The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Pharmaceutical Factory Begins Production

Perna hastily completed her routine checkup, grabbed her suitcase, and fled the room like a startled deer, not daring to look back. Yet, after stepping outside the door, she swiftly turned her head for a quick, furtive glance toward the Crown Prince's side.

Joseph watched her retreating figure and blinked in surprise. “Did she... eat something bad?”

...

In the southern wing of the Palace of Versailles, within the office of the Minister of Finance, Bishop Brienne accepted a noticeably slimmer version of the tax law text from Joseph, his expression puzzled.

“Your Highness, it seems you have removed quite a few taxes?”

Joseph nodded. “Indeed, this is an experiment of mine.”

Brienne quickly flipped through the document, his brows furrowing deeper with each page. Halfway through, he couldn’t help but look up at Joseph and ask, “Your Highness, you’ve removed all the clauses favorable to the nobility?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Brienne placed the document back on the desk, shaking his head. “Why would you do that?”

Joseph countered with his own question: “Do you think endless concessions will make the bill pass?”

Brienne shook his head.

“Precisely. So why not try a different approach? You can submit this version of the bill to the High Court for now.”

Brienne sighed. “Your Highness, this will only provoke the nobility and achieve nothing.”

Joseph smiled. “Have you ever seen a bullfight, Your Grace?”

“A bullfight? Yes, Your Highness, I have.”

“A matador waves the red cloth to enrage the bull because an angry bull loses its reason and makes mistakes, giving the matador a chance to strike,” Joseph explained. “Let the nobles get angry; it’s not a bad thing.”

“Trust me, even if this bill is rejected again, it will eventually pass!”

Brienne, half-convinced, asked, “Can you tell me how you plan to achieve this?”

“Don’t bother reasoning with them. Attack their weaknesses, divide them, and control public opinion. That will force them to bow their heads.”

Brienne looked at the Crown Prince, whose confident eyes carried a hint of cunning. For some reason, he suddenly felt that this wasn’t mere folly.

After a long silence, Brienne finally nodded and then smiled. “Very well, I’ll send this bill to the High Court. But please, do not let it be known that these changes were your doing, or those greedy and selfish men will hold a grudge against you.”

“As for me, if I cannot get the bill implemented before the year’s end, I will likely lose my position as Minister of Finance. With what little time I have left, I might as well take this gamble.”

“Thank you for your trust.”

Joseph had not expected to persuade Brienne so quickly. Wasting no time, he turned to his assistant and instructed:

“Contact the largest newspapers in Paris and reserve prominent spaces. After the High Court rejects the tax bill, immediately publish the first tax item in the bill, along with a detailed explanation of it, including who would pay the tax and its impacts.”

“Then, each day, publish one tax item until the entire content of the bill is revealed and explained.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Additionally, organize a group of journalists to document every step of the bill’s submission and the High Court’s rejection. Oh, don’t report it all at once—release a little at a time to keep public interest alive.”

“Understood.”

“And one more thing...”

Joseph remained busy in the Minister of Finance’s office until noon, laying out all the preparatory work for the tax bill. He then had lunch with the Queen before Eymond reported that Dr. Lamarck was requesting an audience.

Joseph returned to his drawing room with Eymond and found Lamarck pacing anxiously.

“Dr. Lamarck, is something wrong with the pharmaceutical workshop?”

Lamarck quickly bowed respectfully and nodded. “There is an issue... But first, I heard that my daughter offended you last night. She’s still young and meant no harm! Please forgive her.”

Joseph waved a hand with a smile. “Miss Perna did nothing wrong. It was I who accidentally entered her ‘laboratory.’ Oh, she even treated me to a midnight snack.”

“Thank you for your magnanimity.” Lamarck bowed again, shaking his head and stammering, “I should never have agreed to let her study medicine. That child... dissecting animals in the palace kitchen in the middle of the night...”

Joseph remarked approvingly, “Perna is quite gifted. You might as well let her practice dissections in the royal laboratory. If you don’t want others to know, I can instruct the guards and servants to keep it confidential.”

“I don’t know how to thank you.” Lamarck’s eyes were filled with gratitude. “If the members of the medical academy were half as open-minded as you, Perna would already have her medical license and be saving many lives.”

Joseph noticed the glass bottle in Lamarck’s hand and asked, “By the way, you mentioned there was something about the pharmaceutical workshop?”

“Oh, yes, yes.” Lamarck handed over the bottle, his expression lighting up with excitement. “The perfume workshop is perfect! The equipment is comprehensive, and there’s even a waterwheel.”

“I only added a few high-precision thermometers and condensers, and it’s enough to purify salicin.”

“The workers are also excellent—skilled, and many of them already have experience with purification techniques. This powder was produced last night without any intervention from me or Dr. Larsen.”

Joseph examined the pale yellow powder and nodded in satisfaction. “What do you estimate the output to be?”

After thinking for a moment, Lamarck replied, “With sufficient raw materials, about 2,500 grams per day. Once the workers are proficient, that could double.”

“Hmm, that should be enough for the patients in Paris, with some left for the provinces,” Joseph said.

Medicinal salicin is used for inflammation and fever, with a daily dosage of about 0.5 grams per patient. With Paris’s population of just over 500,000, 10,000 doses per day would suffice.

Lamarck nodded. “Dr. Larsen and I calculated that each tablet containing 0.25 grams of salicin would cost 3 to 4 deniers to produce. We suggest selling them for 5 deniers initially and adjusting the price later based on expenses. What do you think?”

One livre equals 20 sous, and one sou equals 12 deniers—meaning one livre could buy 48 tablets, an incredibly affordable price.

“You can decide the price.”

Joseph then recalled his skincare project and added, “By the way, Dr. Lamarck, I have a special request. Please refine 300 grams of high-purity salicin for me daily, ensuring minimal impurities.”

A bottle of 200 grams of skincare product requires just over one gram of salicin. With 300 grams daily, more than 200 bottles could be produced, sufficient for market testing.

Lamarck replied without hesitation, “No problem, Your Highness.”

...

That same evening, while Joseph and Lamarck discussed pharmaceutical matters, in Amsterdam, 400 kilometers from Paris, Dandels, the leader of the Patriot Party, was welcoming a guest from France.

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