Chapter 1458: A Brother's Boundless Care
Berlin.
A black Jewel VI carriage turned stiffly off Leipzig Avenue.
Seated inside, the Queen of Prussia furrowed her brow, her gaze fixed on the buildings blurring past the window. She let out an annoyed, low growl. "Utterly useless! A French Prince, and yet he can't even handle a minor official in the Ministry of Industry!"
Just half a month ago, Maréchal had suddenly reported to her that the French Steel Technology Association had set its sights on the Alphonse-Boutin Company. They had forcibly halted all coal orders destined for Cologne.
At first, Louise hadn't taken it seriously. After all, she held a trump card in the form of Charles.
She had subsequently arranged a meeting with him. With a bit of strategic coquetry, the French Prince had immediately and solemnly promised that the matter would be resolved quickly. However, during their rendezvous just now, Charles had told her dejectedly that for some unknown reason, both the Industrial Development Fund and the Tax Bureau had become involved. The investigation process had to be completed in full.
And this so-called "process" could potentially drag on for six months.
At the moment, several of Prussia's largest iron smelteries were beginning to face coal shortages. Forget six months; they might have to cease production in less than two weeks. It was important to understand that if a steel plant had to shut down its furnaces even once, the losses would be staggering. Furthermore, restarting the furnaces would lead to a period of declining product quality. For the Prussian steel industry, which had only just begun to develop some scale, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow.
Indeed, it was under Joseph's direct orders that the French Steel Technology Association and the Tax Bureau had launched their investigation into the Alphonse-Boutin Ironworks. Thus, forget Charles—even if the Imperial Chancellor himself were to intervene, not a single basket of coal would be allowed out.
Currently, the resources the Prussians had invested in this sector were still too few; even if it collapsed now, the loss wouldn't be catastrophic. In a few years, they might raise another sum of money and continue pursuing their dream of becoming an industrial power.
Joseph wanted to solve the problem once and for all.
Louise irritably fiddled with the folding fan in her hand. "But if even that boy can't do anything, then who else..."
The maid sitting opposite her suddenly interjected cautiously, "Your Majesty, do you think he might be doing this on purpose? After all, you have never let him... well, have his wishes fulfilled."
"On purpose?"
Louise was momentarily stunned. That made sense. Logically, it was impossible for a French Prince to be unable to command even the Ministry of Industry.
'So, is he trying to use this to blackmail me?'
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
When one considered it, that boy had been hanging around Versailles since he was a child. How could he be lacking in the "theories" of illicit affairs?
She had been dangling him along like this, and while he might not have realized it the first or second time, after so long, he would certainly start looking for a way to "counter-attack." Yes, that had to be it.
Reaching this conclusion, Louise immediately raised her hand and knocked on the carriage wall, shouting an order to the driver. "Detreille, turn around at once! Go back!"
Before long, Charles, who was still in that exquisite little villa complaining about his situation, was surprised to see his Louise return.
The woman stepped quickly into the room and shut the door. Without a hint of hesitation, she stumbled into his arms on her high heels, her arms locking tightly around his neck. She pressed her entire body against him, rubbing the nape of his neck with her disheveled curls, and spoke in a voice thick with tears:
"I was wrong, I was completely wrong. I shouldn't have left. Without you, my so-called pride and dignity are worth nothing.
"My dearest knight, come, be with me!"
Charles was momentarily at a loss, but he felt those slender, delicate hands gradually pressing him down, down, until his head was buried in the lace of her skirt.
This time, Louise did not employ her usual subtle tactics. She went straight for the target...
An indeterminate amount of time later, while Charles was still drifting in a blissful dream, he heard a soft, seductive murmur in his ear. "Dearest, you must make sure you do what you promised me.
"From now on, every week, we can enjoy ourselves here."
Joseph never could have imagined that his arrangements would inadvertently help his brother obtain the very thing he had been dreaming of.
However, a week later, the Prussian steel plants still had not received their desperately needed coal.
Louise thought her "stakes" hadn't been high enough, so she enjoyed herself with Charles once more, only to receive the French Prince's complaints in return. "Those stubborn fools are simply detestable! It's just some coal, yet they actually produced a prohibition decree signed by Robespierre! You know, he is a very difficult man to deal with..."
Fortunately, it seemed God had not abandoned Prussia, as an unexpected turn of events occurred.
It began when Maréchal was arrested for attempting to bribe an investigator from the French Steel Technology Association—the work of the Patent Protection Office of the French Ministry of Industry, an agency dedicated to anti-industrial espionage. This made the situation extremely serious.
Maréchal's family frantically gathered all their assets to look for a solution. Finally, through the mediation of a French diplomat stationed in Nassau, they made contact with a very powerful and influential figure.
After paying a full 50,000 francs, Maréchal finally regained his freedom.
He was a man of extremely sharp wits. He immediately realized that since this "big shot" could suppress the Steel Technology Association and the Patent Protection Office to get him out, he could certainly help the Alphonse-Boutin Company escape the investigation as well.
It was merely a question of how much it would cost.
Thus, Maréchal immediately brought generous gifts to the big shot's home and proposed his idea.
At the City Palace.
In the Queen's reading room, Louise looked at her confidant with a frown. "Seven hundred thousand Thalers? If it can truly secure the coal, it's not unacceptable. Are you certain that man has such great influence?"
Maréchal nodded. "Your Majesty, I have gathered some information about him. His backer should be the French Governor of Esens."
Louise couldn't help but nod slightly.
Though Esens was small, it functioned as the French "office" in North Germany.
The Governor of Esens had a say in the affairs of the North German states, and the coal mines in the Westphalia region happened to fall within that scope. No wonder he could terminate the French Steel Technology Association's investigation into "coal smuggling." He had likely arranged for French companies built in Cologne, Nassau, and other countries to each "claim" a portion of the coal flowing into Prussia, thereby balancing the ledgers.
She was just about to grit her teeth and produce the 700,000 Thalers to help the steel plants through their crisis when she heard Maréchal continue:
"However, that man said that from now on, the price of coal purchased by the Hibbert Coking Plant must be increased by twenty-five percent."
Louise's brow furrowed instantly.
She could accept a one-time payment of 700,000, but a twenty-five percent increase in coal prices meant that the costs for all of Prussia's steel plants would rise significantly as well. She pondered for a long time before looking at Maréchal. "Tell him that the amount involved in this matter is too large. I need to meet his boss in person."
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