Business opportunities were everywhere for those who paid attention

The father and son exchanged a knowing smile and left without hesitation. ✊🍟 ✌♧

After leaving the Workshop, Joseph was about to head towards the Marble Courtyard when he saw Louis XVI turn around and go to the Tea Room.

He hurriedly followed, asking in surprise, "Father, aren't we going to the shooting range?"

"Yes," Louis XVI nodded. "While they're preparing the Carriage, they can have a cup of tea, some snacks, and change their clothes."

Joseph then remembered Louis XVI's ultra-luxurious Carriage, which weighed 5 tons, and all his travel gear; it would take at least 40 minutes to prepare.

He quickly pulled Louis XVI aside and said, "Dear Father, you are going to test your work as a master gunsmith this time, so there's no need to worry about those formalities. Why don't you ride in my Carriage?"

Louis XVI blinked. Hmm, a gunsmith? That seems quite interesting, and rather sophisticated.

He readily accepted advice, quickly changed his clothes, and left Versailles Palace, getting into his son's gray-black Carriage.

When the King's Guard saw His Majesty's Carriage start moving, they exchanged surprised glances, hurriedly mounted their horses, and gave chase.

The caravan hadn't gone far when Louis XVI complained, "Joseph, this carriage is so bumpy... I should have waited until my Carriage was ready before we left."

Joseph asked, somewhat puzzled, "Isn't your Carriage bumpy?"

"Yes, my car has more than ten sets of springs installed on its chassis." "Tech enthusiast" Louis XVI also gave a brief explanation of his car's structure.

"Spring Suspension?!" Joseph was greatly surprised. He had always wanted to invent this, but he hadn't expected that someone had already made one. "Who made your Carriage?"

"It's the Workshop that builds Carriage for the palace."

Joseph inquired in detail and learned that Carriage with spring -Spring Suspension had existed for decades.

However, nowadays springs have to be rolled out by hand, bit by bit, resulting in low production volume and difficulty in guaranteeing quality. A single spring used on Carriage costs 30 Livre, and they break frequently, requiring replacement every two or three months at most.

This resulted in a Carriage equipped with Spring Suspension easily costing thousands of Livre. The King's specially customized version was even more expensive.

Of course, people were unwilling to use these Carriage not only because they were expensive, but also because they were prone to breaking down and difficult to maintain.

The price is so high? A smile appeared on Joseph's lips. There are business opportunities everywhere if you pay attention.

Why use a spring when a problem can be easily solved with Leaf Spring suspension? Looks like I can develop another Carriage business.

If I had known this thing was so valuable, I should have gotten it done sooner, instead of letting my ass suffer for months longer.

Southern Suburbs of Paris.

At the Police Academy Training Ground, all the Instructor and cadets were filled with excitement and anticipation, because His Majesty the King had suddenly arrived.

Accompanied by a group of Police Academy Leadership, Louis XVI smiled and nodded kindly to the cadets, then suddenly turned to Joseph and whispered, "I can't believe you built such a large military academy!"

Joseph quickly corrected him with a smile, "Ah, it's Police Academy, for training Police."

Louis XVI gestured towards the neatly arranged Berthier Regiment in the distance. "Aren't those all soldiers?"

Joseph didn't hide anything from his father. "Actually, I'm training an army to test some Military Reform ideas. They sometimes come here to train."

"Military Reform?" Louis XVI said with a smile, "Like those undertaken by the Marquis de Louvois?"

Marquis de Louvois was Louis XIV's Minister of War and spearheaded military reforms that significantly improved the French Army's fighting capabilities. It can be said that the Sun King's fame was built on the strength of Lofoix's army.

However, Louis XVI did not really believe that his fourteen-year-old Crown Prince could actually carry out any decent Military Reform.

Joseph could only vaguely reply, "Ah, somewhat similar."

"I'm so proud of you, my son!"

As Louis XVI was speaking, he saw the shooting range not far away, and his eyes lit up. He quickened his pace.

When he arrived behind a row of earthen walls that were over a hundred meters wide, Instructor had already placed more than a dozen human-shaped wooden planks about 40 paces away.

Five steps is approximately one meter. Forty steps would be about 26 meters.

The Instructor knew that His King was practicing target shooting, so they naturally positioned themselves closer to avoid embarrassing His Majesty if he kept missing.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Louis XVI eagerly took the Percussion Cap Gun and Ammunition pouch from his attendant, immediately took out the Gunpowder, loaded it, tamped it down, then stuffed in the Lead Bullet, tamped it down again, and then pulled back the bolt, took out a Percussion Cap and attached it to the touch hole.

The entire sequence of movements was extremely practiced, indicating that he had recently performed numerous loading and firing maneuvers in preparation for building this gun.

With a loud "bang," the bullet shot out and grazed the shoulder of a wooden target.

The Instructor and attendants around him immediately burst into praise, but Friant, Diboa, and the others were all focused on the strange Musket.

Seeing the hesitant expressions on their faces, Joseph smiled at Diboa and said, "Major Diboa, would you like to have a shooting contest with His Majesty?"

Diboa served for over ten years and was considered one of the fastest shooters in the Police Academy.

Seeing that Louis XVI also seemed eager to try, Diboa immediately nodded and patted his chest. "As you wish, Your Highness."

He took a Charleville 1776 Flintlock Gun and hung the Ammunition pouch on his waist.

Joseph then shouted, "Begin!"

The two players immediately got to work, with Diboa moving much faster. He poured in the Gunpowder, tamped it down with the ramrod, and loaded the bullets. Louis XVI, on the other hand, had only just finished loading the Gunpowder.

Diboa was in the lead the whole way, Louis XVI had only just loaded the gun with bullets when he picked up the Gunpowder canister and poured it into the Ignition Pan.

However, as Diboa pulled back the bolt and aimed, he heard the "click" of the King pulling back the bolt beside him.

He was immediately startled, which meant that His Majesty the King was less than two seconds slower than him!

He had been practicing loading and shooting since he entered military school, and he had been doing the same movements for more than ten years. He could do it even with his eyes closed. His Majesty the King, on the other hand, only used a gun when hunting, and even then, his Servant helped him load the guns. Yet, he was only a fraction slower than him!

Two guns fired two seconds apart, and everyone present, except for the King and his son, stared in astonishment.

Diboa bowed to Louis XVI with his hand on his chest, staring at the Percussion Cap Gun in the latter's hand, and said, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, may I have the honor of seeing your musket?"

"Of course." Louis XVI handed him the gun, and thoughtfully gave him a Percussion Cap, "Use this to fire."

Joseph then picked up another Percussion Cap Gun and explained how to operate it to Diboa.

When the latter learned that this gun eliminated the step of pouring in the Ignition Gunpowder, requiring three fewer actions than operating Flintlock Gun, he immediately became so excited that his breathing became rapid. "Your Majesty, may I fire it once to try it out?"

I'm begging for double monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)