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Chapter 1163: The King Opening His Birthday Present Early

"That is the gist of it," Joseph continued. "Now, let us discuss the construction plan for the cannery. Oh, and these iron boxes used for preserving food shall be called 'cans'."

Mirabeau pondered the idea. "Your Highness, according to the production process you just described, we simply need to hire blacksmiths to manufacture the iron boxes. Once they are filled with food and boiled, we seal them with wax. I believe we could begin production with very little preparation."

Joseph shook his head immediately. "That method is far too slow, and the costs would be astronomical. Furthermore, wax seals are prone to falling off during transport, which leads to the food spoiling."

"What I require is industrial-scale production."

"We will use rolling mills to produce the iron sheets and specialized cutting equipment for the shapes. After filling, the seals will be welded shut. Ideally, I want to develop a crimping machine to manufacture the can bodies."

Mirabeau dithered for a few seconds before adding softly, "Your Highness, we will also need a tin-plating process. Otherwise, the juices from the food will corrode the iron sheets."

"Indeed, that was an oversight on my part."

Mirabeau thought for a moment. "I recall that the ironworks in Luxembourg have replicated several rolling mills. They can produce about a ton of iron sheets per month."

A rolling mill was a machine that used two rollers to squeeze a red-hot iron billet, thinning it out through repeated passes until it became a sheet.

The British had invented this device several years ago, initially using water power. With France's current technical capabilities, they had quickly replicated similar machines and converted them to run on steam power.

"If we order enough iron sheets, the ironworks can build a tin-plating pool. That way, the cannery can purchase tin-plated iron directly."

Mirabeau glanced at the notebook in his hand. "As for the cutting equipment you requested, it does not exist yet. From my understanding, it should be a machine that uses parallel rotary blades to slit the iron sheets. We can have the technicians design one."

"Then there is the filling and the seal-welding. These seem like they can only be done by hand for now."

"As for the crimping machine you mentioned at the end... I must admit, I have never heard of such a thing."

Joseph nodded.

The lack of existing equipment did not surprise him. He had originally intended to use the cannery as a catalyst to drive the development of mechanical technology.

Demand was the ultimate engine of progress.

Thus, he began to describe the seaming machine he wanted to Mirabeau. "The two edges of the iron sheet used for the can body are joined, then folded twice and pressed tight. If the pressure is sufficient, it can achieve a hermetic seal directly."

"If our craftsmanship isn't quite there yet, we can weld the pressed seam. It would certainly be simpler and more robust than direct welding. The bottom and top of the can are handled the same way, though the folding method would differ..."

Mirabeau looked at the dense notes in his book and said helplessly, "Your Highness, we will have to put out a tender to find someone to design this. Er, if I may be so bold, the technical difficulty seems quite significant."

"I will leave that in your hands, then."

Having finished the matters regarding the cannery, Joseph turned to Vergniaud. "Regarding the location of the cannery, you will need to consult with Count Mirabeau to decide."

"It cannot be too far from the Seine River to ensure easy transport, and the surrounding area must have an abundant supply of meat and vegetables."

"Furthermore, I intend to build additional canneries in places like Marseille and Brittany to process the fish and oysters there. Once canned, they can be transported to inland provinces for sale."

Because this era lacked food preservation technology, seafood that was incredibly cheap on the coast would see its price jump tenfold or more by the time it reached the interior.

Even so, over eighty percent of seafood would rot before it could be sold.

If these products could be canned, it would bring massive economic revenue to the coastal provinces while increasing the meat sources available to the French people.

Joseph knew that any industry required a civilian market for support to bring costs down. By the time the military needed it, the price wouldn't be heart-stoppingly expensive.

With cans, if there were large-scale factories producing tens of thousands of units a day, the cost for the army to purchase them for logistics might actually be lower than mobilizing fresh food from various regions.

As dinner time approached, Louis XVI unexpectedly sent a servant to summon Joseph to dine with him.

Joseph followed his father's personal attendant through the long gallery in the central part of Versailles and let out a sigh of relief. This wasn't the way to the Great Banquet Hall. At the very least, he wouldn't have to eat dinner under the watchful eyes of the gathered nobility.

As expected, dinner was served in the King's private suite.

While the court officials were presiding over the serving ceremony, Louis XVI could not wait to lean toward his son. "I heard you had someone build a machine that can precisely process iron components?"

Joseph felt an urge to laugh. It turned out his father had summoned him in such a hurry just to ask about the new milling machine.

He wondered who had told the King. It was likely President Le Roy.

"Yes, Father. I even ordered one to give to you as a birthday present. However, it might not be delivered before your birthday arrives."

"Oh, thank you so much, my dear Joseph. That is absolutely the best gift I have ever received." Louis XVI blinked and continued, "I heard there is one currently at the French Academy of Sciences?"

"Ah, that is true." Joseph had already guessed what he was up to. "However, it is about to be shipped to Nancy. As you know, we desperately need it for the manufacture of the new steam engines."

"Quite right, it belongs to the steam engine company," Louis XVI nodded. "But I could go see it before then."

Joseph could only nod helplessly.

The King finished his dinner in just fifteen minutes. Then, ignoring the gathering darkness, he pulled his son along and rushed to the Academy of Sciences.

When the duty official at the Academy learned that the King and the Crown Prince had suddenly arrived, he broke into a cold sweat, fearing his falsified reports for experimental equipment funds had been discovered.

It wasn't until the King's party headed straight for the workshop housing the Royal I milling machine that he realized the royal family wouldn't be personally alarmed over a few hundred francs...

Before long, representatives from the Royal Precision Equipment Company also arrived, having been staying in the Academy's guest rooms.

Louis XVI impatiently asked Lenoir to give him a demonstration. Afterward, he signaled his assistant, Aymeric, to bring over a large crate.

He took out several uniquely shaped small iron blocks and some blueprints from the crate, handing them to Lenoir. "Can you process these into the shapes shown on the drawings?"

"Certainly, I would be happy to serve you, Sire."

Over forty minutes later, Lenoir returned three exquisite components to Louis XVI.

The latter immediately picked up a pair of tweezers and a screwdriver, skillfully installing them into a dark object.

Then, he excitedly handed the object to Joseph. "This machine is truly miraculous! It actually solved the problem for these three most complex components!"

Joseph had already seen what it was: an incredibly exquisite revolver.