A War of Words Against the "Scholars"

In the reception room on the west side of the cathedral, Archbishop Beaumont looked utterly astonished. "Your Highness, how can this be?"

"Potato are absolutely not something that would appear on the Passover table..."

He was referring to the scene depicted in the painting "The Last Supper" —Jesus, on Passover, sat down with his twelve disciples for their last supper and publicly declared that someone had betrayed him. 👹♬ 🐤☝

Joseph smiled and said, "Archbishop Beaumont, how do you know there weren't Potato on the table back then?"

"This..."

"I remember in the earliest depiction of ' The Last Supper,' God only held one loaf of bread in his hand. It wasn't until Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece that the food became more varied. So, Dorcas another one would be acceptable, wouldn't it?"

A senior priest nearby cautiously interjected, "Your Highness, as far as I know, there shouldn't be any Potato in Jerusalem before Good Friday..."

Joseph immediately stood up, indignantly saying, "What are you saying? Are you questioning the Lord's omniscience and omnipotence? How could there be anything in this world that the Lord hasn't eaten or seen? Especially Potato, which even you have eaten!"

The priest was startled and hurriedly shrank back, frantically making the sign of the cross on his chest and repeatedly praying for the Lord's forgiveness for his sins. He did not question the Lord's will.

Archbishop Beaumont paused for a moment, then realized his mistake and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Potato have never appeared in the Bible, so I don't think they're suitable for inclusion in the painting."

Joseph turned to him with a kind smile, "Archbishop, the Tea you drink every day is not mentioned in the Bible. The Corn that the poor of Paris use to survive is also not recorded in the Bible. But these are also gifts from the Lord, and we can only thank the Lord, Amen."

He casually made the sign of the cross on his chest, and the surrounding priests quickly followed suit, chanting, "Amen."

"However," Beaumont had been interpreting scriptures for believers for decades without encountering a worthy opponent, but he had never seen such a sharp angle as the Crown Prince's. He immediately displayed the professionalism of a clergyman and retorted, "Your Highness, although many things are not recorded in the Bible, we can find their counterparts in the Bible."

"For example, Tea belong to the same category of tree leaves. Corn and Grain are also in the same category. As long as they are in the same category..."

Joseph, having done his research on the way there, immediately said, "Archbishop, you're right. The Bible records that the root of the Rotem can be eaten, and Potato are a similar plant. You see, they're both tuberous things dug out of the ground."

"No..."

Another high-ranking priest said slowly, "Your Highness, all edible crops in this world are produced through the mating of male and female. Grain, Corn, and Tea are all examples of this. But Potato, which do not distinguish between male and female, can reproduce simply by cutting off a piece of themselves, making them a sacrilege..."

Joseph turned around and smiled, "You can discuss this with Count Lamarck. I believe he will be happy to tell you."

Beaumont glared at the priest. He was very learned and naturally knew that Potato also had flowers and seeds, but people didn't want to plant them because they grew too slowly.

Seeing that the priests were silent, Joseph waved his hand forcefully and said, "Everything in this world was created and given by the Lord, including Potato."

"As we all know, Potato have saved countless lives in Prussia, Austria, and other places. This shows that they are food that the Lord used to save the world, and it is the Lord's mercy."

"Your mission is to help people accept the Lord's gifts, so that they may become more grateful and devout, isn't it?"

He glanced at the large number of low-ranking clergy eavesdropping outside and announced loudly, "This isn't just about adding two Potato to the painting. The government has decided to promote Potato cultivation throughout France, and the Church Party to assist in telling the farmers that this is a gift from the Lord. All clergy who assist in the promotion will receive a monthly stipend of 10 Livre."

"Furthermore, in the areas you are responsible for, if the people are very accepting of Potato, the church in that area will receive a reward of 300 Livre."

Seeing the priests' jubilant expressions outside, Beaumont hesitated for a long time before finally sighing and saying to Joseph, "Your Crown Prince, perhaps you are right; Potato can be added to the Last Supper."

He shook his head silently in his heart: But it wouldn't do any good; even if the Church agreed, those people wouldn't let their land be planted with Potato.

Soon, a new version of "The Last Supper" appeared in Oil Painting Shop in Paris. In the painting, two Potato were added to the plate in front of Jesus, and a small bowl of mashed Potato was added in front of Peter.

The painting began to be printed in major newspapers in Paris. Although it was in black and white and the canvas was not very finely engraved, anyone could tell that the two uneven, spherical objects were Potato.

At the stall of royal Imperial Chef Barnabe's "Spiral Potato Tower," citizens remained very hesitant—a century-old custom cannot be changed overnight.

However, some people who were in dire straits saw that the homeless children who had eaten Potato a few days earlier were still jumping around happily, showing no signs of poisoning or illness, and they couldn't help but feel moved.

Finally, someone, with the determination to die, ate a skewer of free fried Potato, and immediately smacked their lips in delight at the aroma.

In other parts of Paris, the mashed Potato and French fries prepared by the Imperial Chef were quickly taken away for free. Although few dared to try them, cracks had already appeared on the unseen dam.

Meanwhile, the Tuileries Palace was bustling with activity both inside and out.

Hundreds of carpenters, bricklayers, and Glazier are repairing doors, windows, walls, and chandeliers. Due to the long period of neglect, more than 80% of the two thousand rooms need repair.

Dressed impeccably, but with his Tricorn Hat covered in dust, the Chamber of Commerce President Paris Chamber of Commerce, Flesselles, was directing his subordinates, coordinating the allocation of personnel and supplies.

As the president of the newly established "Paris Fashion Week Preparatory Committee," his brown eyes were bloodshot, but he showed no intention of taking a break.

At the Crown Prince's request, the Preparatory Committee has planned to complete the restoration of the Tuileries Palace within a month. Now that Finance funding has been allocated, it is time for everyone to work like crazy to finish the job.

On the east side of the Royal Palace Square, a large T-shaped stage made of maple wood, more than 50 meters long, is nearly half completed. A large number of workers, like ants, are carrying materials up and down.

Flesselles watched all this with excitement. He knew very well what this fashion extravaganza would bring to Paris.

That was prosperity!

It's reputation!

Even greater profits!

In a Hall in the West Wing of the Tuileries Palace, Joseph looked at the dozens of beautiful women in front of him, whose gaits were strange and whose body movements were peculiar, and couldn't help but shake his head and rub his forehead.

Many thanks to the generous donations from: Shuai Peng, Zao An Qing, Chang An Yi, Si Zi Zai, and Book Friend 20230301101521800! Tian Hai Shan is deeply grateful!

(End of this chapter)