Who Was a Friend?

The Carriage bumped along for a long time before finally stopping at a Large Workshop in the Saint-Antoine Town. 💗✎ ✌👹

Mirabeau got out of the car and immediately smelled a pungent chemical odor.

He looked up and saw a row of "Boiling Vat" in the distance, larger than millstones, emitting yellowish-white steam that enveloped half of the Workshop.

Under the shed in front was a huge square pool with several wooden poles hanging above it, seemingly connected by intersecting wooden strips.

More than a dozen workers, their arms red and swollen from being soaked in the medicine, were working together to lift something out of the pool, carefully placing it on Wooden Frame taller than a person, before returning to the pool to start stirring.

Mirabeau covered his nose and frowned. What was this Crown Prince thinking? He actually arranged the meeting place in the Paper Mill...

As he was inwardly grumbling, a middle-aged man with a large nose, wearing a black short coat, approached and greeted him warmly, patting his chest, "Oh, Earl Mirabeau, it's a pleasure to see you here. Although the smell is a bit unpleasant, I'm sure you'll like it soon enough."

Mirabeau returned the greeting with a bright smile and his hat, "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. DuPont."

He stepped forward a few paces and lowered his voice, asking, "Where is that one?"

DuPont led him around the large pool and pointed to a Wooden Frame shrouded in mist. "Your Highness has been waiting for you for a long time."

Mirabeau then noticed a boy standing on Wooden Frame taller than a person, whose clothing stood out starkly from the others around him.

He pursed his lips, strode over with his round, chubby legs, and bowed to the boy, saying, "It is an honor to meet you, Your Crown Prince."

DuPont quickly introduced, "Your Highness, this is Earl Mirabeau."

Joseph turned to Mirabeau —one of the founders of the National Assembly during the French Great Revolution era, a politician of great influence in the Assembly of Notables Capitalist Aristocrat. He was also the key to his dealings with the High Court.

He leaped down from the Wooden Frame and gestured to Mirabeau with his hat:

"Oh, that's wonderful, you've finally arrived, Earl Mirabeau."

The surrounding workers were kept separate by Guard in plainclothes, so they didn't hear the three people's conversation.

Mirabeau asked curiously, "Your Highness, what are you doing here?"

"Researching Papermaking, huh?" Joseph smiled. "Would you like to come and take a look?"

Mirabeau shrugged. "Oh, you made me travel for most of the day by Carriage to this remote place, just to study Papermaking?"

"Yes, that is indeed one of the things we need to discuss."

"You see, I have no interest in Papermaking," Mirabeau chuckled, then added, "Why don't you just tell me directly, are you here representing Archbishop Brienne?"

"Of course not, he doesn't know I'm looking for you," Joseph said earnestly. "I'm here to make friends with you."

Mirabeau nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, you are my most honored friend."

Then he changed the subject. "Of course, the Duke of Orléans and the Duke of Seville are also my friends, so I can't..."

"No, I think you're mistaken. They are your enemies."

"Huh?" Mirabeau was taken aback, thinking to himself that Mirabo's tactics for winning people over were too crude, and quickly shook his head, saying, "No, no, we have a very good relationship."

Joseph said calmly, "They are the Old Nobles, while you are the Capitalist Aristocrat. You are natural enemies!"

"What, Capitalist Aristocrat?"

Joseph explained to him, "The so-called Old Nobles are those Nobility who own large tracts of land and Manor, and whose main source of income is grain and land rent."

"And the Capitalist Aristocrat, like yourself, has most of their assets in industry or trade, and their income comes from making profits."

Mirabeau nodded, as if he had heard a similar theory before. "But we are still friends."

"The crux of your conflict lies in labor and in the demands on the environment!" Joseph said. "The Old Nobles needs all the labor force to farm, and they want Manor everywhere, with just a few in the cities for their enjoyment."

"The Capitalist Aristocrat needs labor to enter the Workshop or to drive merchant ships, and they hope to have as many cities as possible, while a few Manor are enough to produce food."

"Your conflict is irreconcilable. The Old Nobles is hindering your development, and you want to destroy the Old Nobles's paradise!"

Mirabeau froze again, instinctively shaking his head. "No..."

Joseph laughed and said, "I know you've formed an alliance to gain more power."

Mirabeau was startled and hurriedly waved his hands. "No, that's not it!"

Joseph interrupted him with a laugh, "Suppose you overthrow the Royal House —of course, that's impossible. Hypothetically, what do you think would happen next?"

"What?"

"A life-or-death struggle between the Old Nobles. A fight to the death!"

Joseph thought to himself: I've read history. After the Great Revolution, you slaughtered the old Nobility until there wasn't a trace left.

Mirabeau fell silent. He carefully considered the situation in his mind and realized that it was indeed as the Crown Prince had said—without King, the two forces would inevitably fall into a bloody battle until one side completely lost its power and authority.

Seeing that his expression softened, Joseph began to subtly insert his own agenda. "The Royal House will always need Nobility to help them govern the country. In the Royal House's view, the Old Nobles are simply different in their development paths."

Mirabeau murmured in fear, "I really don't understand what you're saying?"

Joseph continued, "Only the Royal House can remove the obstacles faced by the Capitalist Aristocrat!"

Joseph thought to himself, "Of course you can sweep it away with Bourgeois Revolution, but can I tell you that?"

"Ah?"

"For example, the Royal House could introduce a Company Law."

"This includes stipulating who the company's representative is, oh, that is, the person who can represent the company and exercise the company's power."

How to establish, split, and merge a company...

"And how company shares are issued, allocated, and transferred..."

"The scope and liability of corporate debts..."

Mirabeau's eyes widened as he listened to a series of modern corporate concepts—these were common knowledge in later years, but in the early days of the Industrial Revolution, they were invaluable and advanced experiences.

Mirabeau, as a representative of the Capitalist Aristocrat, attached great importance to the development of industry and was well aware of the problems France faced in this regard. It can be said that if such a law existed today, the production efficiency of Workshop throughout France would increase significantly!

Joseph glanced at his expression and continued, "And the Patent Law."

"For example, you design a highly efficient Machines or a very popular fashion item, but before you've made much money, someone else copies it."

"Gradually, everyone became unwilling to innovate, and instead desperately tried to reduce the costs of old industries, ultimately resulting in no one making any money."

"But if there is Patent Law, once you apply for Patent for a certain invention, others can only use it by paying money, otherwise they will be severely punished..."

Mirabeau's eyes lit up immediately; this was exactly what he needed!

He desperately wanted to invest money to improve the technology in his Workshop, but he kept holding back, afraid that others would benefit from it.

If there were a Patent Law, he could quickly improve his competitiveness, even surpassing those damned Englishman!

Joseph continued to bait the issue, "Oh, and there's also the Financial Law, the Contract Law, and so on..."

After explaining the meaning of these laws, he looked at Mirabeau and asked, "Do you think the Old Nobles would support the enactment of these laws?"

Before Mirabeau could answer, he said first, "No!"

"Only with the impetus of the Royal House can these laws be quickly formulated and help France industries develop rapidly!"

Many thanks to: Gongmen Xiaoli, I am Piaomiao de Jiayong, Luoyingxiao, and ZephyrArrow for their generous donations to this book! Tian Hai Shan is deeply grateful and loves you all!

(End of this chapter)

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