Joseph

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Joseph (约瑟夫)
Alias(es)	Crown Prince; “Child of Divine Grace”; “The Demon” Joseph
Gender	Male
Affiliation	French royal family; Royal Guard Legion
Occupation/Role	Crown Prince of France; Regent of France; reformer, military commander, and state administrator
First Appearance	1

Background / History

Joseph completed the University of Paris curriculum through self-study, excelling in every subject; after proving a new mathematical derivation to Lagrange, he was recommended for degree certification. At thirteen, he sought a direct role in government and was appointed Assistant Minister of Finance, though opposition from the Duke of Orléans led Queen Mary to require that he first work through the Paris City Hall. 2 3

He quickly became involved in Paris administration despite opposition from the Duke of Orléans. After solving the Lenotre murder case and exposing links between organized crime and corrupt police officials, Joseph was appointed Police Commissioner of the crime-ridden Saint-Antoine District. Disturbed by France’s financial condition and Louis XVI’s disengagement from state affairs, he began building his own administrative base through the City Hall, finance, police, commerce, and industry. 3 5 12

As a transmigrator with knowledge of later history, Joseph recognizes the dangers that historically led France toward revolution and seeks to prevent the royal family’s downfall through preemptive reform, political centralization, and industrial development. 3 48

Joseph repeatedly applies knowledge beyond the limits of his era, presenting innovations as practical reforms or, at times, as divine inspiration. His initiatives range from medicine and military equipment to railways, education, public health, intelligence, industry, and overseas influence. 374 539 970 1186

Personality

Joseph is ambitious, calculating, and intensely reform-minded. He pursues long-term structural change rather than isolated victories, seeking to centralize royal authority, professionalize institutions, and make France economically and militarily dominant. 237 246 285

He is pragmatic in his methods. Joseph uses negotiation, patronage, propaganda, intelligence operations, coercion, and international proxy conflicts when they serve French interests; he is willing to be perceived as a villain when confronting corrupt interests. 127 216 543 822

Despite this ruthlessness, he shows concern for ordinary people and those close to him. He provides a poor boy with a means of earning a living, supports Perna’s medical ambitions, improves industrial workers’ protections, and personally saves Camellia after she falls into the Seine. 39 28 29 498 668

Joseph also understands that political legitimacy depends on public welfare, morale, and the management of public opinion. He combines reforms benefiting commoners with displays of royal authority, celebrations, and carefully directed propaganda to stabilize France. 237 258 489

Abilities & Skills

Administration and Reform

Joseph designs interconnected reforms across finance, policing, education, healthcare, the military, and industrial production.

• Established and funded police reform, appointed Besançon as Paris Police Commissioner, and made Friant dean of the Paris Police Academy. 25
• Created the Crown Prince Guard Legion from soldiers formerly under investigation, pairing its formation with improved pay, pensions, and benefits to secure its loyalty. 137
• Used the Royal Academy of Public Administration and Administrative Management University to discipline, retrain, and reform corrupt officials. 489 492
• Planned vocational schools to replace inefficient apprenticeship training and accelerate the production of skilled industrial technicians. 539
• Developed modern primary-school textbooks and teaching guides, supporting free bread to increase enrollment. 1142
• Proposed village assistant doctors, a government-supported medical system, and an illustrated Assistant Doctor’s Handbook. 970
• Established plans for a medical-equipment company, pharmaceutical factory, drug standards laboratory, and evidence-based double-blind testing. 977
• Assumed the regency when Louis XVI and Queen Mary left Versailles under the pretense of the King’s illness, taking direct responsibility for French government. 1464

Political Strategy and Diplomacy

Joseph is adept at converting crises and alliances into gains for France and the royal family.

• Used a grain shortage to obtain archbishops’ cooperation while advancing his plan to return the Holy See to Avignon. 237
• Used the southern riots and the Duke of Orléans’s death to obtain approval for nationwide police reform, which he regarded as a necessary “little revolution.” 256
• Forced Marquis of Luckner to accept officer-selection reform, a General Staff Headquarters, and an organizational audit, using the case to pressure other garrisons. 246
• Negotiated reduced Austrian tariffs and access to inland waterways, while proposing a broader German trade agreement. 298
• Advocated French economic dependency, patent-law adoption, credit evaluation, and propaganda influence over Northern Italy instead of direct occupation. 822
• Restructured Church finances and authority through a Church Asset Management Committee, state-paid clergy salaries, and parliamentary representation. 1389
• Offered French mediation in the Poland-Russia dispute and conflicts involving the Holy Roman Empire, Bavaria, and Swiss states, strengthening France’s international standing. 1513
• Proposed a “South German Dual Core” centered on Bavaria and Württemberg to preserve French influence in Germany without direct intervention. 1590

Military Command and Strategy

Joseph builds forces loyal to the crown and personally participates in campaigns to secure soldiers’ loyalty.

• Developed the Paris Police Academy as the foundation of a loyal core force and recruited military talent including Berthier and the d’Avout family. 48 115
• Presented military reform plans to Diboa and Andre, gaining their support. 50
• Led the Royal Guard Legion in his first battle against Albanian mercenaries near the Nefza Mountains, refusing to remain behind the lines despite being outnumbered. 221
• Oversaw the Royal Guard Legion’s battlefield medical arrangements after the Nefza campaign and identified François Lefebvre’s potential after his blocking action against retreating enemy troops. 224
• Led the Royal Guard Legion during the Brabant campaign and employed an “Encirclement and Interpenetration” maneuver toward Antwerp. 356
• Ordered Karl II’s release after his capture to pressure Hanover into withdrawing while preserving the balance of power with Austria. 365
• Expanded military academies to train commoners as officers, challenging aristocratic control of the army. 459
• Planned the expansion of Toulon’s steam-warship fleet, Le Havre Naval Academy, and training ships for cadets and sailors. 1185

Intelligence and Information Control

Joseph treats intelligence and public opinion as instruments of state power.

• Recruited Fouché to establish and lead an intelligence organization. 56
• Built influence through the Paris Business Daily and used publications to shape public opinion. 68 82
• Used journalist Jean-Paul Marat to expose High Court corruption before offering him a role in the Fair Investigation Department, which reports directly to Joseph. 84 123
• Directed operations against Bessonval under cover of a ceremonial welcome for Princess Maria. 127
• Created an Internal Affairs Review Office to supervise the intelligence system after uncovering an internal plot. 978
• Used propaganda and literary mythmaking to unite Tunisian public opinion against Ottoman and English influence. 275
• Supported Shap’s long-distance “Remote Writing” project by proposing a simplified Morse-code system and ordering a signal-tower test. 692

Science, Engineering, and Innovation

Joseph understands and directs the practical application of emerging technology.

• Developed salicin production and sold “Angel Water” cosmetics to finance affordable medicine. 23 25
• Collaborated with Louis XVI and Royal Armory craftsmen on new rifles and bulletproof inserts. 74 373 374
• Promoted hot-blast ironmaking, coke usage, steel-production standards, and the Steel Technology Association. 272
• Oversaw gas lighting for Paris and Versailles, then ordered worker masks and regular medical checks after inspecting the coal-gas distillery. 497 498
• Guided Trevithick’s redesign of a steam locomotive using a 98-horsepower engine. 1186
• Planned a nationwide railway system, including the French Railway Company and a Railway Law. 1203
• Suggested developing gas masks after inspecting the Royal Second Chemical Factory and witnessing the danger of its fumes. 1590

Medical Knowledge

Joseph applies medical knowledge both personally and through institutional reform.

• Used salicin to manage his own pneumonia. 39
• Provided Therese with Vitamin E and ferrous sulfate for anemia, later planning to market the supplement. 74
• Performed CPR on Camellia after she was pulled from the Seine. 668
• Taught Perna the CPR technique after Camellia’s accident, allowing her to incorporate it into her medical knowledge. 670
• Promoted disease prevention through boiled water, stagnant-water removal, mosquito nets, avoidance of raw meat, and cowpox inoculation. 978
• Recognized and explained the sphygmomanometer during a health examination. 1493

Equipment / Projects

• Bulletproof Inserts — layered protective inserts made with iron and silk, developed with Royal Armory materials and casein glue. 373 374
• August 1790 Rifled Gun — rifle whose mass production required expanded technical training. 539
• Paris Angel — commercial enterprise selling products including Angel Water and health supplements. 25 74
• Wooden Railway — early rail transport system expanded toward Luxembourg and Nancy. 356
• Gas Streetlights — urban-lighting project intended to improve Paris’s safety, economy, and appeal. 400
• Flying Kitchen — Camellia’s mobile campaign kitchen, intended to improve soldiers’ meals. 825
• Shap Signal Tower — experimental long-distance communications system using Shap’s mechanical design and Joseph’s Morse-code simplification. 692
• Triumphal Arch — monumental project begun as a symbol of French military achievement and Joseph’s expanding prestige. 1066
• Gas Mask — protective equipment proposed by Joseph for workers exposed to harmful chemical-factory fumes. 1590

Relationships

• Queen Mary — Joseph’s affectionate but overprotective mother; she supports his rise, worries over his battlefield safety, repeatedly attempts to arrange his marriage, and later entrusts him with the regency. 2 441 851 1464
• Louis XVI — Joseph’s father and frequent engineering collaborator; Louis relies on Joseph in public affairs while sharing his interest in mechanical invention. 74 374 967
• Eman — Joseph’s reliable attendant and butler, who manages documents, logistics, introductions, and sensitive arrangements. 3 194 539
• Perna — physician whom Joseph supports in pursuing medicine; she becomes his collaborator in healthcare reform and later his lover after confessing her feelings to him. 28 29 670 968 970 977
• Camellia Delvaux — Joseph’s personal maid and close companion; he saves her from drowning, while she later creates the Flying Kitchen for his campaigns. 668 825
• Alexandra — Joseph’s wife and Crown Princess Consort; their relationship develops from mutual affection to marriage and parenthood, and she supports him during his regency. 998 1386 1464 1493
• Michel — Joseph and Alexandra’s son, whose birth is celebrated at Versailles. 1557
• Charles — Joseph’s younger brother, whose military and personal safety Joseph watches over closely, including during Charles’s involvement in Italian unrest. 1303 1455 1584
• Berthier — trusted chief of staff and military partner; Joseph values his competence and loyalty. 48 285 365
• Fouché — intelligence operative recruited by Joseph for his ability, though Joseph remains wary of his loyalty. 56 978
• Brienne — archbishop, senior minister, and important political collaborator who assists Joseph in confronting military nobles, Church affairs, and national crises. 237 240 543
• Jean-Paul Marat — journalist and anti-corruption ally whom Joseph initially manipulates to attack the High Court before recruiting him into the Fair Investigation Department. 84 123
• Napoleon — talented young officer recruited onto Joseph’s staff and cultivated as part of the Royal Guard Legion’s leadership. 282 285
• Lagrange — mathematician who recognizes Joseph’s ability, seeks his degree certification, and later publishes Joseph’s expanded version of Roll’s theorem. 2 64
• Kexer — loyal royal guard who executes Joseph’s security and covert operations. 11 127 365 668
• Clementine — Joseph’s Tuscan cousin; their relationship combines affection, exasperation, and political pressure from Queen Mary to consider her as a marriage prospect. 169 302 303

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Government Career

• Proves his academic ability, earns Lagrange’s endorsement, and enters state affairs as Assistant Minister of Finance before beginning work through the Paris City Hall. 2 3
• Defies the Duke of Orléans’s objections and begins his work in Paris. 3
• Solves the Lenotre murder case, investigates gang violence and police corruption, and begins establishing authority in the Saint-Antoine District. 5 12
• Builds influence through police reform, commercial ventures, and the beginnings of an intelligence network. 23 25 56

Modernization of France

• Expands pharmaceutical, consumer-goods, brewing, steel, gas-lighting, railway, and precision-machining initiatives. 121 272 497 1162 1203
• Establishes vocational education and modern primary schools to supply industrial and civic development. 539 1142
• Drives healthcare reform through assistant doctors, medical institutions, disease prevention, and medical-equipment manufacturing. 970 977 978
• Uses public-administration education, higher official salaries, and anti-corruption investigations to weaken the old bureaucratic order. 489 492

Military Centralization and Foreign Expansion

• Builds the Royal Guard Legion into a professional force and seeks to remove noble monopolies over officer training. 237 459
• Engineers Tunisian resistance against the Guard Corps and uses cultural propaganda to consolidate French influence in Tunis. 216 275
• Leads campaigns in the Southern Netherlands and beyond, gaining widespread prestige after victories in Luxembourg, Italy, and the Mediterranean. 356 851
• Uses economic and political leverage to expand French influence across Italy, Germany, Ireland, Egypt, and the Ottoman sphere. 822 1016 1475
• Returns to Paris as a celebrated military hero after France becomes a “super first-class power.” 1303

Royal and Family Life

• Marries Alexandra after a courtship shaped by shared admiration and political expectations. 998 1386
• Learns that Alexandra is pregnant during a medical examination. 1493
• Celebrates the birth of their son, Michel, while continuing to plan French involvement in Middle Eastern affairs. 1557
• Protects Charles from political scandal and danger after learning of his younger brother’s involvement with unrest in Rome. 1455 1584

Regency and European Leadership

• Assumes the regency while Louis XVI and Queen Mary travel through Brittany under the cover of the King’s supposed illness. 1464
• Uses France’s prestige to mediate major European disputes and elevate the country as an arbiter of continental affairs. 1513
• Develops a long-term German strategy based on balancing Bavaria and Württemberg while continuing to direct industrial and chemical innovation. 1590

Trivia

• Joseph was only thirteen when he completed the University of Paris curriculum and sought a formal governmental role. 2
• His expanded version of Roll’s theorem was published through Lagrange, giving him an early reputation in French mathematical circles. 64
• He often attributes especially advanced ideas to God’s revelation when explaining them to others. 374
• His public reputation rises from an academically gifted prince to a celebrated military hero welcomed by Paris. 2 851
• He has limited fencing ability despite his younger brother Charles believing him to be an unmatched swordsman. 1080