I Am the Crown Prince in France

Chapter 496 High-tech Industry

Fouche said with some hesitation: "Your Highness, nearly half of the pro-government factions in Corsica have liberal tendencies. I am afraid they will not listen to Count Butafuoko's orders."

Butafuoko belongs to the old aristocracy. Compared with the restorationists, he hates these liberals who shout all day long to make the aristocrats and ordinary people equal. Likewise, he is one of the liberals' greatest enemies.

When Joseph heard this, he blinked and said very decisively: "Then let Butafuoko listen to the liberals. Tell him that if he, the liberals, and the anti-Pauli faction can take down Kosi With two-thirds of the seats in the Corsica Parliament, I can make him governor of Corsica.”

In Corsica, the consent of two-thirds of the members of Parliament is required to enact legislation.

In fact, it doesn't matter if you can't win so many seats. Most of the liberals have nationalistic tendencies, and are naturally incompatible with the separatist Zionism. Let them tear each other apart, and the people supported by Joseph will have a chance to come to power.

In addition, letting Butafuoko join the liberals can also contain them from causing trouble at critical moments.

Even though Corsica is only an island with a population of about 200,000, it is also filled with various political forces and the situation is extremely complicated. So until the beginning of the 19th century, this place had always been a "country within a country" under French rule.

Joseph then ordered Fouché: "By the way, you also need to use Mr. Chalmers' influence among the Zionists to find out the details of the 'Corsican National Guard' as soon as possible. It is best to put some of your own people in it." "

He is not so naive as to think that political games alone can completely solve the problem of Corsica's division.

Even if they control the parliament, the restoration organization with armed forces will most likely overturn the table, such as dissolving the parliament and directly declaring independence.

But in that case, the Restoration Organization would lose its legal basis in Corsica, and the people would begin to oppose them.

By then, if the army is dispatched to clear it out, it will not fall into the quagmire of Corsica's "people's war" like the Emperor did.

To be honest, the more than 2,000 people in the Corsican National Guard are vulnerable to a frontal battle. And having the intelligence bureau prepare in advance can make the elimination process easier.

Only after the baptism of real swords and guns can France have absolute control over Corsica.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Fouche held his chest high and accepted the order, and then heard Emman knocking on the door lightly outside the house, reminding: "Your Highness, according to the schedule, you have to inspect the gas distillation plant in the afternoon."

"Okay, let's go."

Joseph stood up, motioned to Fouche to go out with him, got into the carriage, and asked him about the situation in Tunisia and Tripoli.

It wasn't until he arrived near the gas distillery in the northern suburbs of Paris that Fouche said goodbye and got off the car.

Joseph's motorcade moved forward for a while and saw factory manager Dras, Murdoch, the patent inventor of distillation method for making gas, DuPont, who invested in the distillation plant, and the director of the Industrial Development Fund, etc. were waiting by the roadside. meet.

For a moment, music sounded around the carriage, and people holding colorful ribbons or bouquets of flowers gathered around to greet the team. However, against the rough wooden fence of the factory and the black smoke in the distance, it looked rather crude.

Joseph originally didn't want them to come to greet him. It was more practical to produce more gas during this time than anything else. However, later Dras said that this could be regarded as a ceremony for the official commissioning of the distillery, and he no longer insisted.

When everyone saw the crown prince getting off the carriage, they all bowed and saluted.

Joseph also greeted everyone with a smile, then gave a brief speech to congratulate the official start of production, and then entered the factory surrounded by a group of people.

Manager Delas followed him and introduced enthusiastically: "Your Highness, now 16 tons of coal can be retorted here every day, and the gas produced can be used by more than 5,000 gas lamps, lighting up three-quarters of the streets in Paris. And the whole Palace of Versailles!”

Joseph nodded with satisfaction. He remembered that during the World Expo, the gas distillation plant that could be put into trial operation could only supply more than 800 gas lamps. Six months later, this number had increased five times.

This is also due to his large capital investment and personal inspection of the construction progress, so that he can achieve such high efficiency. You know, this is the first gas distillation plant in the world. I have no previous experience, so this speed is definitely a miracle.

However, the government investment in the Paris gas lamp project alone was as high as 2 million francs, and investors such as DuPont who invested in the gas lamp company invested another 1.6 million, for a total expenditure of 3.6 million francs!

There is nothing that can be done about this. After all, gas lamps are already the most cutting-edge technological products of this era, no less technologically advanced than Boeing and Airbus in later generations, so the cost is naturally high.

But such a large investment is definitely worth it. Not to mention that gas street lighting has improved the image of Paris and France as a whole, thereby greatly increasing the attraction of talents and investment. The real estate income brought by the street lighting project alone is enough to recoup the investment and make a lot of money.

Deras looked east again and said with a smile on his face: "Your Highness, the second phase of the distillery is expected to be completed early next year. By then, not only will the entire Paris be able to use gas lights, but also the nearby town of Antoine, etc. There is ample gas supply everywhere.

"Oh, and Lyon, the distillery over there should be officially put into operation around October..."

Under his leadership, Joseph and others bypassed a large pile of coal that was three stories high, and saw a factory building made of large stones and wooden boards in front of them. The metal retort inside was faintly visible under the blazing flames. Red light.

The chimney at the top of the building spewed thick black smoke, turning the nearby sky into dark gray.

Dozens of workers loaded small carts with coal in front of the huge coal pile, and then pushed it into the factory. Inside, someone was using a shovel to continuously add coal to the furnace below the retort. There are technicians on the side constantly checking the furnace temperature and various instruments.

All the workers here were blackened from head to toe by soot, and the beads of sweat that kept rolling down washed out thin white lines on their bodies, as if they were wearing a Juventus uniform.

Eman was fanning Joseph vigorously on the side to resist the heat wave brought by the retort. Suddenly, he heard a voice as thin as a gnat coming from behind: "Viscount Eman, can I...can you avoid it first?"

When Joseph heard this, he turned around and saw the maid, her face flushed and her head lowered, looking embarrassed.

He suddenly realized that all the workers here seemed to be naked from the waist up - in such a hot place, it was completely difficult for him to wear clothes - he hurriedly motioned to her: "Okay, you can wait for us outside the factory first."

"Yes, thank you Your Highness."

Camelia turned around in a hurry, picked up her skirt stained with black ash, and trotted out.

Following closely behind Joseph, Perna, dressed in men's clothing, turned to look at her and raised her head slightly as if in victory.