Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Fouche hesitated slightly, “Your Highness, nearly half of the pro-government factions in Corsica tend to be Liberal. They’re probably not going to willingly follow Count Butafuoco’s orders.”

Count Butafuoco belonged to the Old Nobility, and compared with the Restoration Faction, he detested the Liberals even more, the ones who hollered all day about equality between nobles and common folk. Likewise, he was one of the fiercest enemies of the Liberals.

Joseph blinked at the words and decisively said, “Then make Butafuoco listen to the Liberals. Tell him if he can secure a two-thirds majority in the Corsican Parliament with the Liberals and the anti-Paul faction, I can appoint him Governor of Corsica.”

In Corsica, it required the consent of two-thirds of Parliament members to enact legislation.

In fact, even if they didn’t secure that many seats, it wouldn’t matter much. Most of the Liberals were nationalists at heart, naturally clashing with the separatist Restorationists; letting them fight amongst themselves would provide an opportunity for Joseph’s own people to rise to power.

Furthermore, involving Butafuoco in Liberal affairs could also hold them back from causing trouble at critical moments.

Despite being an island with a population of only around 200,000, Corsica was internally teeming with various political forces, making the situation exceedingly complex. Hence, until the early 19th century, it was known as a “nation within a nation” under French control.

Joseph then instructed Fouche, “Also, you need to leverage Mr. Chalmers’s influence within the Restoration Faction to quickly get a read on the ‘Corsican National Self-Defense Force’. It would be best to plant some of our own people within it.”

He wasn’t naive enough to believe that political maneuvering alone could solve Corsica’s separatist issues.

Even if he controlled the Parliament, armed Restorationist organizations would likely overturn the table—like dissolving the Parliament and declaring independence directly.

But if it came to that, the Restorationist organizations would lose their legal base in Corsica, and the public would begin to oppose them.

At that time, deploying the military to eliminate them wouldn’t end up like Napoleon’s experiences, sinking into the quagmire of Corsica’s “people’s war.”

To be honest, facing the National Self-Defense Force’s mere two thousand troops in open battle would be nothing significant. Early preparation by the intelligence bureau could make the eradication process all the smoother.

Only after enduring the trial of real combat could France truly gain absolute control over Corsica.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Fouche squared his shoulders and accepted the command, just as he heard Eman’s light knock on the door outside, reminding, “Your Highness, according to your schedule, you are to inspect the gas distillation plant this afternoon.”

“Alright, let’s set out.”

Joseph stood up, motioning Fouche to leave with him. They climbed into the carriage, and Joseph began asking about the situations in Tunisia and Tripoli.

Only when they neared the gas distillation plant in the North Suburb of Paris did Fouche take his leave and get out of the carriage.

Joseph’s procession advanced a little further and then spotted the plant manager Delas, Murdoch the patentee of the gas manufacturing process, Dupont, who had invested in the distillation plant, and the manager of the Industrial Development Fund, all waiting to receive him by the roadside.

In a moment, music sounded around the carriage, and people with streamers or bouquets clustered near the welcoming party. However, framed by the plant’s crude wooden barriers and the distant black smoke looming behind, the festivities seemed somewhat modest.

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Joseph originally didn’t want them to come to receive him, as producing more coal gas was more substantial than anything else. However, later when De La Salle said that this was also part of the formal production ceremony for the distillery, he no longer insisted.

When everyone saw the Crown Prince alight from the carriage, they bowed and paid their respects.

Joseph also smiled and greeted everyone, then gave a brief congratulatory speech on the official start of production, and was escorted by a crowd into the factory area.

The manager, De La Salle, followed by his side, attentively introducing, “Your Highness, this place can now dry distill 16 tons of coal daily, and the gas produced can supply more than five thousand gas lamps, illuminating three-quarters of the streets of Paris, as well as the entire Palace of Versailles!”

Joseph nodded satisfactorily. He recalled that during the World Expo, the then test-run coal gas distillery could only supply more than 800 gas lamps. Half a year later, this number had increased by five times.

This was thanks to his substantial capital investment and personal inquiries into the construction progress, which allowed such high efficiency. One must know that this was the world’s first coal gas distillery, without any previous experience, and such speed was definitely a miracle.

However, the Paris gas lamp project alone saw a government investment of two million francs, with investors like Dupont entering the Gas Lamp Company with another 1.6 million, bringing the total expenditure to as high as 3.6 million francs!

This was an unavoidable matter; after all, the gas lamp was the most cutting-edge technological product of the era, comparable to the technologies of Boeing and Airbus in later generations, so naturally, the cost could not be low.

But such a large investment was definitely worth it. Not to mention that the public lighting boosted the image of Paris and the whole of France, significantly increasing its attractiveness to talent and investment, the benefits brought about by the lighting project in real estate alone were enough to recoup the investment and make a handsome profit.

De La Salle then looked towards the east, his face beaming with a smile, “Your Highness, the second phase of the distillery is expected to be completed early next year. By then, not only will the entirety of Paris be able to use gas lamps, but nearby places like Antoine Town will also have an ample supply of gas.

“Oh, and Lyon, the distillery there should officially start production around October…”

Leading the way, Joseph and others walked past a huge pile of coal three stories high and saw ahead a large building made of stones and planks. The metallic dry distillation retorts inside glowed with a dark red light under the fierce flames.

The chimney at the top of the building was spewing out thick black smoke, which dyed the nearby skies deep grey.

Dozens of workers filled their small carts with coal at the huge coal pile and then pushed them heavily into the factory, where others shoveled coal into the furnaces beneath the distillation retorts. Nearby, technicians continuously checked the furnace temperature and various instruments.

All the workers here were covered in soot from head to toe, and as they sweated, streaks of white were washed clean across their bodies, resembling the stripes on a Juventus jersey.

Eman fanned Joseph vigorously by his side to cope with the intense heat from the dry distillation retorts, when suddenly he heard a faint voice from behind, “Viscount Eman, may I withdraw for a moment?”

Upon hearing this, Joseph turned his head and saw the Maid blushing profusely and bowing her head in embarrassment.

He suddenly realized that the workers here were all topless—a necessity in such heat—and he quickly signaled to her, “Please wait for us outside the factory.”

“Yes, thank you, Your Highness.”

Camellia turned and fled, picking up her skirt covered in black ash and trotting out.

Following closely behind Joseph, Perna, dressed in men’s attire, glanced at her and raised her head slightly in triumph.