Chapter 163: France's Biggest Corrupt Official
Lavoisier immediately grew more excited. 'The Crown Prince wants to integrate the entire French academic world!'
'No, if this system of standardized units is established, it could even integrate the academic world of Europe!'
Joseph, however, seemed still unsatisfied. "After the unification of measurement units, the French Standards Committee will have many more things to do."
"For example, it can establish national industrial standards—for the hardness and strength of steel, the purity of liquids, the specifications of bolt interfaces, the wheel spacing of carriages, and so on, ensuring that every aspect of industrial production follows a clear framework."
"Even the tools used by artisans in various industries can have standards published. Artisans across the nation will then be able to quickly acquire suitable tools..."
As Joseph continued to speak, Lavoisier's eyes widened. He could feel that with every word the Crown Prince uttered, the foundations of France's academia and industry would become increasingly solid!
He suddenly interrupted Joseph, "Your Highness, I believe I should call Mr. Lagrange and Mr. Monge to join us so everyone can hear your magnificent plan."
"Perhaps today, right here, we can officially establish the 'French Standards Committee'!"
...
At the doorway, they paused and turned, bowing to the Crown Prince in farewell.
Joseph was also quite weary, but he greeted everyone warmly. "Please come to Versailles Palace tomorrow; we will continue discussing the 'French Standards Committee' matter."
Lagrange, Monge, Condorcet, and others bowed in agreement before departing. Yet, in their hearts, they all sighed, 'We always thought the French Academy of Sciences moved too slowly, but now with the Crown Prince pushing this, it's almost too rushed...'
'If only there could be a balance between the two.'
Joseph bid farewell to Lavoisier and was about to board his carriage when he suddenly recalled something, turning back to the chemist. "Mr. Lavoisier, I have some advice for you."
"While the Tax Farmer business yields considerable profits, it also involves many trivial matters that consume much of your research time. Furthermore, the government may soon abolish the tax farming system, so you might consider discontinuing this business in advance."
He mentioned this to Lavoisier because the Tax System Reform was highly likely to dismantle the interests of the Tax Farmer class. Lavoisier would inevitably suffer losses.
"Ah? This..." Lavoisier appeared quite troubled. Even with the Crown Prince's words, he was reluctant to give up the nearly 80,000 livres in annual income.
Joseph continued, "You needn't worry about your income. Once Mercury Fulminate production begins, I plan to invest in several chemical industries. At that time, you can contribute with your expertise. I can guarantee you will achieve far greater returns than from tax farming."
The refining of Coal Tar, the production of fertilizers, the synthesis of chemical dyes – these were all chemical industries with immense impact on the Industrial Revolution and capable of generating enormous profits. Now, with Lavoisier and his wife as assets, Joseph naturally wouldn't miss out on these opportunities.
Lavoisier's eyes lit up. To be honest, he would much rather dedicate himself to chemical projects than to the Tax Farmer business, which involved constant dealings with common folk.
He immediately bowed sincerely and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you for your generosity, Your Royal Highness. May God bless you!"
...
After the Paris Charity Week concluded, the Paris Fashion Week series of events, which had lasted for more than half a month, officially came to an end.
The citizens of Paris felt as if they had celebrated a long festival. Though busy and anxious, they had all reaped tangible benefits from the grand event.
Merely renting out rooms to visiting tourists allowed many Parisian families to earn more than their usual monthly income.
What many didn't notice was how the foreign visitors' praise for Paris and Fashion Week had greatly boosted their confidence and sense of pride.
While the citizens of Paris were busy cleaning the rooms where tourists had stayed, at the Port of Marseille, two ordinary merchant ships and one armed merchant ship, escorted by the Royal Navy's Frigate "Twin Wings," slowly sailed into the Mediterranean Sea.
The merchant ships flew the Russian flag, and the words "Gemini Trading Company" were painted on their hulls. However, apart from a few Russian advisors, everyone on board, from the captain to the sailors, was either French or Italian.
The cargo holds were primarily filled with Wine and brandy, along with some mid-range ready-to-wear clothing, cosmetics, paper, and other goods.
The fleet's destination was Crimea in the Black Sea. By the time they arrived there, Count Bobrinsky's people would have already prepared large quantities of flax and iron, ready for loading.
Although the scale of this merchant fleet was modest, it marked a highly symbolic voyage—Russian-French trade was embarking on a new chapter.
...
Marat, dressed in a short gray coat and wearing an old felt hat, looked up at the house number and raised a hand to knock on the door.
The door opened a crack, and a pair of brown eyes peered out, after which its owner scoffed, "Ha, look who it is! Isn't this a government lackey? You're not welcome here!"
Marat blocked the door, stating gravely, "No matter what you think, I swear I will always be a friend of the people."
The homeowner's tone was filled with derision. "Oh, yes, because the Secret Police can barely be considered 'the people.' You can declare your noble friendship with a government salary."
"I've told you many times," Marat retorted with some indignation, "the place I work is called the Office of Fair Investigation, not the Secret Police! I conduct investigations, but I investigate corrupt officials. I've never done anything harmful to the people!"
The person inside seemed to soften their tone slightly. "Alright, fair sir, just leave, if you please."
Without Allowing for Argument, Marat pulled the door wide open and stepped inside, saying to the dumbfounded middle-aged man, "Do you know? If you kick me out now, that would truly harm the interests of countless Parisians."
"Oh? Don't go making wild accusations. I've never done anything like that."
Marat closed the door behind him and, with a familiar gesture, pulled the man further into the house. "Do you think I want to work for the government? Of course not!"
"But if I can use the government's power to help more ordinary people, then I must do so. And that Crown Prince is completely different from those blood-sucking nobles..."
He waved a hand. "Never mind. Let's get to the point. Do you know how much money this fellow I'm investigating has embezzled?"
The brown-eyed middle-aged man spread his hands. "500,000 livres? Or 800,000?"
Seeing Marat shake his head, he huffed softly. "Could it possibly be a million?"
"No, you're mistaken," Marat slowly articulated. "The amount he embezzled might exceed ten million livres..."
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