I Am the Crown Prince in France

As soon as Joseph's carriage stopped in front of the office building of the Industrial Planning Bureau, he saw a figure with disheveled hair suddenly jumping out of the street and walking quickly towards him.

"Don't come near!" Two guards immediately stepped forward and stopped the man.

When Joseph saw the deep nasolabial folds on the visitor's face, he couldn't help but smile. This is not a "piranha", oh, no, is it Mr. Marat? You are finally here.

He hurriedly leaned out of the car window and signaled to Kesode: "Please come over, Mr. Marat."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Not long after, Mara sat down opposite Joseph in the reception room of the Industrial Planning Bureau, his eyes filled with anger: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, you actually used me in such a disgraceful way! I will definitely make the matter public. Get out!"

After overthrowing Justice Vezinier, Marat was really happy for a while, feeling that he had done a great thing for the people of Paris.

However, he accidentally saw the portrait of the Dauphin half a month ago, and felt that it looked familiar. He suddenly remembered, isn't this Mr. Xavier, the young boss of "Paris Business News"?

He immediately linked up the events before and after, and then realized that the crown prince came to him to get rid of his political opponents.

I was taken advantage of!

So he angrily ran to the Palace of Versailles, but was told that the Crown Prince was working in Paris recently, so he went to the Industrial Planning Bureau and learned that the Crown Prince had gone to Bordeaux...

He had been guarding the Planning Bureau for several days, and today he finally "caught" Joseph and immediately came to investigate.

Joseph knew he would definitely come and had been waiting for him.

Joseph leaned his right hand on the armrest of the sofa and showed a relaxed smile: "How can you say that? Mr. Marat, that is not use, but fulfillment."

"Perfect? ​​Huh, pale sophistry."

Joseph said calmly: "Excuse me, have you always wanted social justice and wanted to help the oppressed?"

"Of course it is."

"That's right. Together you and I brought the most corrupt president of the High Court of Paris to justice, brought justice to a large number of people who suffered from wrongful convictions, and even reduced corruption in the entire judicial system. .Isn’t this what you want to see?”

"This..." Mara was startled, and it seemed that this was indeed the case. If it were not for the guidance of the Crown Prince, the High Court might still be accepting bribes, manipulating the law, and persecuting ordinary people.

Joseph did not allow him to think too much and immediately continued: "Mr. Marat, please believe that our positions are very consistent in punishing corruption, reducing injustice, and making the French people live a better life."

He thought to himself: Only by improving people's lives can the royal power be stable...

Marat looked at Joseph in surprise, why did these words feel like the opinions of a liberal like his, actually coming from the crown prince's mouth at this time.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Time will tell everything." Joseph looked at Marat sincerely, "If the lives of the French people have not improved in a few years, it will not be too late for you to come back and condemn me."

Mara opened his mouth and suddenly frowned: "No matter what, Your Highness, you should not lie to me. Even the name you told me is a lie!"

"You have misunderstood me." Joseph looked innocent, "Xavier is indeed my middle name - Louis Joseph Xavier Francois."

"But……"

"It's true that I didn't tell you that I am the crown prince, but you won't tell everyone, 'I am a reporter,' right? This is just a little bit of personal professional privacy."

After this conversation, the anger that Mara had felt when he came had dissipated unconsciously, and he felt as if there was nothing left to say, so he was about to stand up and leave.

Of course Joseph wouldn't just let him go.

He has been planning an anti-corruption bureau for some time. Official corruption is a major problem that seriously harms France.

It is difficult for people to rely on their own conscience to refuse the temptation of various interests.

Not to mention those old-style officials, even the police system that has just completed the reform will inevitably end up becoming the same as the old police if there is no one to supervise it.

Although the reform of official administration can cure the root cause, it is also very necessary to set up a regulatory agency, which can at least make officials restrain themselves.

Joseph has not promoted the establishment of an anti-corruption bureau, largely because he cannot find the right people to investigate corruption.

Using the existing officials would mean letting them supervise themselves, which would eventually lead to collusion and cover-up. And training people from scratch is too time-consuming.

So he thought of Marat, Desmoulins and others - they have a keen sense of smell and rich experience in investigation and evidence collection. The most important thing is that they should be the least likely group of people in France to collude with officials.

Moreover, using these "Jacobins" to form the Anti-Corruption Bureau has two benefits.

First, these people have no time to spare. If you don’t find something for them to do, they will find it on their own, which may trigger the start button of their destiny at certain critical moments. So it is better to include them in the royal power system and let them get busy.

Second, with his previous experience in dealing with Vezinier, Joseph found that if Marat and others used them well, they would definitely be "piranhas" who could tear apart their political opponents. They should be able to contribute in the process of rectifying the government and weakening the old aristocracy.

Joseph signaled Marat not to leave in a hurry, and said solemnly: "Mr. Marat, do you want this country to be more just and equal, and do you want to help more ordinary people?"

Mara sat back on the sofa and nodded slowly: "This is my lifelong ideal, Your Highness."

"Now there is an opportunity for you to better realize your ideal. I am ready to set up a..."

Joseph originally wanted to say "Anti-Corruption Bureau", but suddenly felt that "fairness" and "justice" should be more to Mara's appetite, so he changed his words: "Establish a police bureau's 'Impartial Investigation Division' to investigate officials, Police corruption, malfeasance and other issues are in order to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the people. This department is temporarily affiliated with the Police Department, but is not under the jurisdiction of the police system and reports directly to me.

"I look forward to having you as a member of the Investigation Division."

Mara was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up again and said coldly: "You want me to be a thug for the royal family?"

Joseph said in his heart that you are worthy of being a Jacobin, and you are so unfavorable to the royal family.

He smiled, shook his head and said, "What you said is biased.

"The people you want to investigate are not farmers or craftsmen, but high-ranking officials, rich and powerful nobles!

"Even if you are a thug, you are a thug of the people, not the royal family."

"The people's thugs?" Marat repeated these words softly, his eyes gradually becoming hot.

Joseph immediately struck while the iron was hot: "I can even assign prosecutors to the Impartial Investigation Office. Once you find out there is something wrong with the officials, you can directly prosecute them!"

Joseph was not worried that Marat would catch his political ally and "bite" him. Although in this era, there are basically no officials who are not corrupt, Mara is only an investigator of the Impartial Investigation Division, and at most he can be the captain. He has himself, the director and other management above him, which can ensure that the direction of the attack is controllable. of.

Mara clasped his hands and pondered for a long time, and finally raised his head and said: "Your Highness, I think I really can't find a reason to refuse. I agree to join the Impartial Investigation Agency. But we have something to say first. If I think this agency is different from what you said, If it doesn’t match, I will quit at any time.”

"That is your right." Joseph nodded, "I believe that we will not disappoint each other.

"Oh, by the way, as for the prosecutor of the Impartial Investigation Department, what do you think of the young lawyer who defended the victim in the Vezinier case last time?"

Mara recalled for a moment and said, "You mean, the lawyer named Dandong?"

"it's him."

"He is an upright and brave man." Mara nodded, "It's just that he is not a prosecutor of the High Court, Your Highness."

Joseph smiled and said: "He will be soon. Also, your friend, Mr. Desmoulin, if he can also join the Impartial Investigation Department, he will definitely scare more corrupt officials."

"Yes, Your Highness, I think so too. I will try to convince him."

From the window on the second floor of the Industrial Planning Bureau, Joseph looked at Marat's leaving figure and couldn't help but sigh: "With one less Robespierre, we can form a Jacobin team. Let them fight against corruption, and they can be considered human beings." Use it to its best advantage.”

…

England.

On the south bank of the Rex River in Birmingham, in a light gray two-story villa, a man's somewhat dissatisfied voice came out: "Mr. Dupont, I think I have made it very clear that I have no interest in your proposal. "

"Mr. Watt, maybe you can make some conditions."

The door of the villa opened, and Dupont walked out first, turning sideways and saying: "I can consider any request."

A man in his fifties with a high nose, broad face, and piercing eyes followed him out of the door and gestured to the carriage not far away: "Thank you for the invitation. But I value my friends more. They're all in Birmingham, and there's the Moon Club, which you don't have in France. I think it's time for you to get in the car."

Dupont looked anxious and helpless. This time, in order to facilitate his actions, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince specifically asked Archbishop Bourian to place the final signing place for the Anglo-French trade negotiations in Birmingham. However, he has come to see Watt three times in the past few days, but he has been unable to persuade this old stubborn. .

Today, Britain and France have officially completed the signing of the new "Treaty of Eden". He will return to France tomorrow at most. How can he not be in a hurry?

Dupont nodded, suddenly turned around, and took out his last resort: "Mr. Watt, actually, I am here to invite you on behalf of someone..."

At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a black short coat, with droopy eyes and a simple appearance walked over from the path on the east side of the villa.

When he heard Dupont's next words, he immediately stopped and hid behind the pillars.

"He is a distinguished member of the royal family. I dare to swear that his status is definitely beyond your imagination." Dupont stared at Watt and said, "He really appreciates your talent and wants to help you create more brilliant technical achievements, so …”

Watt smiled and shook his head: "Look, I don't lack anything, money, villa, company, family. I really have no intention of leaving Birmingham."

Dupont had no choice but to stop persuading in frustration and returned to the carriage. Although he didn't know why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince valued this British craftsman so much, his mission to bring him back to France was a complete failure.

The middle-aged man hiding behind the porch came out, looked thoughtfully in the direction Dupont left, then knocked on the door of Watt's house and handed some company documents to the latter.

Just as Watt went upstairs to sign, the middle-aged man stopped the Watt's maid and asked in a low voice: "Mrs. Edwin, do you know the gentleman who came before? Well, the one with the big nose. What did he say to Mr. Watt?"

"I don't remember." Mrs. Edwin turned to leave.

The middle-aged man hurriedly took out his wallet, took out a one-pound note and handed it to her: "I'm just curious about that person. Please recall it."

"Oh, okay." The maid looked at the pound and stopped. "That's a Frenchman. He wants to invite Mr. Watt to build a factory in France. Oh, by the way, he said that if France wants to build an industry, there will be a lot of investment. Money to build a steam engine factory, but Mr. Watt did not agree.”

"Steam engine factory?" the middle-aged man asked hurriedly, "Did he say how much money he invested?"

"It seems to be 1 million livres."

The maid left, and the middle-aged man clenched his fists with excitement. It was an investment of 1 million livres, and it was a project that the French royal family was concerned about!

This is simply an opportunity given to me by God!

After getting the document signed by Watt, he did not return to the company at all. Instead, he followed the direction Dupont left, inquired all the way, and finally found the hotel where the latter was staying.

…

Joseph looked at the "Patent Certificate for Preparation Method of Salicin" that had just been delivered to him and nodded with satisfaction.

The French Patent Office copied everything from the organizational structure to the operating model of the United Kingdom, allowing it to be quickly established. In order to recruit patent examiners as quickly as possible, Joseph even moved Mr. Lagrange out and asked him to invite a large number of experts.

Only then did he have the first patent certificate in France.

Of course, Joseph also made many adjustments to the British model.

You know, applying for a patent in the UK at this time will take at least one year to complete the review and approval, and the cost will be astonishing tens or even hundreds of pounds!

Joseph required that the approval must be completed within three to eight months, and the cost should not exceed 10 livres. The government finance would specifically subsidize the cost to the Patent Office.

As the news of the patent office's start of operation spread, the Paris Patent Office received more than a dozen applications every day, and many people from other provinces were on their way to apply for patents. Currently, only Paris has a patent office. After all, it was only just now. When you start to do it, if you lay it out too quickly, problems may arise.

Eman's voice came from outside the house: "Your Highness, Mr. Dupont is here. He seems to have brought an Englishman with him."

British? Joseph was delighted, could it be Watt!

He stood up immediately: "Please invite them to the reception room quickly."

Not long after, Dupont and a middle-aged man with a simple appearance walked into the reception room. They touched their chests and saluted: "Long time no see, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. May God bless you."

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty the Crown Prince."

Dupont looked awkwardly and gestured to the man next to him, and introduced to Joseph: "Your Highness, this is Mr. William Murdoch. He is an excellent steam engine technician, well, that's what he said..."

If book lovers feel that this book is not enough, they can first read the author's completed old book "Please Stop, Madam".