Chapter 286: Happy French Citizens
Joseph rubbed his ears, put down the "Franco-Austrian Trade Agreement Draft" he was holding, and frowned as he looked at the massive French window.
The windows were tightly shut, but they still couldn't block out the tsunami-like cheers from the Palace of Versailles square.
Only then did he recall that today was the final day of "France's Star." He could only shake his head and stand up; it seemed he would have to go to the Tuileries Palace to get any work done.
Eman hurried over, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness, Queen Mary has sent someone to urge you. The competition is about to begin."
Joseph nodded and stretched. He had a servant help him change clothes, and then hurried towards the square. Since there was nothing else he could do anyway, he might as well join his mother to watch the competition. She, after all, loved these kinds of events.
As he walked out of the Palace of Versailles' main gate, he heard a clamor from the Marble Courtyard. "'No, you need to add more emotion! Especially that part about your father's death...'"
"'Back then, my father worked five jobs every day so I could continue dancing, busy until midnight, only to wake up at five in the morning to go to the workshop again.'"
"'Even though I have no right hand, no family, and barely any friends, I still have my voice. Singing is my everything...'"
"'Truly! That day, I heard the voice of God... so I regained my confidence, bravely returned to the qualifiers, and finally succeeded! Thank God!'"
To maximize the buzz around the competition, he had specifically requested that all contestants tell a personal story before their performance—the more emotional, the better.
What he hadn't expected was that the 18th-century French people had incredibly sharp insights. After just a few rounds of competition, everyone discovered the importance of the "pre-performance story." When two contestants' singing and dancing abilities were close, the winner was decided by the emotional impact of their story. A sufficiently moving story could even be more important than actual talent.
Consequently, the contestants' stories became increasingly dramatic. It was even rumored that playwrights had started earning money specifically by writing these "pre-performance stories" for contestants.
This also significantly boosted the competition's popularity. Now, the event was not only a sensation across all of France, but almost all of Europe was discussing it.
The "France's Star" organizing committee even compiled these contestants' stories into booklets for sale. Three editions of the qualifier version had already been released, with astonishing sales.
Temporary wooden grandstands encircled the tall stage in the center of the Palace of Versailles square. According to the design, there were over 5,000 seats. At present, each seat was packed with two people, yet more than half the audience still stood around the periphery, craning their necks to gaze at the stage.
To accommodate the "France's Star" competition, Paris City Hall had specifically mandated that all workshops and shops grant their employees at least one day off during the three days of the finals. This significantly increased the number of spectators.
Joseph made his way through the path carved out by the guard detail in the crowd, arriving at the VIP section of the stands. The common folk along the way, realizing it was the Crown Prince, bowed respectfully to him.
Joseph sat down beside Queen Mary, casually discussing the competition with his mother. He couldn't help but recall the last time he watched a fencing match with Clémentine during Louis XVI's birthday. He suddenly felt that an occasion like this truly needed a little girl chattering excitedly by his side to complete the atmosphere.
However, his cousin's return to Austria also made him breathe a sigh of relief. He was truly afraid Queen Mary would force a marriage upon him and arrange a consanguineous marriage for him. For him, who was familiar with modern Genetics, that would absolutely be a tremendous disaster in his life...
A loud fanfare sounded from all around. Accompanied by drumbeats and strings, Louis XVI's sister-in-law, the Countess of Provence, came to the center of the stage and officially announced the beginning of the "France's Star" finals.
Following that, the host recounted the arduous journey of the qualifying rounds and encouraged the contestants to perform at their very best...
There were hundreds of journalists from various countries in the stands, frantically scribbling notes about the competition. This competition was currently the focus of public opinion; whichever newspaper's report was sent back the quickest would see the highest sales.
The French citizens who came to watch the competition cheered non-stop with excitement, or were moved to tears by the contestants, completely immersed in a carnival-like celebration.
All the daily toil and troubles were forgotten in that moment.
In fact, ever since the preliminary rounds two months ago, their lives had been filled with various contestants and highly praised songs and dances.
It could be said that during this period, the French people were the happiest group in all of Europe. Now, unless they were on the verge of starvation, even if someone tried to incite them into a great revolution, they wouldn't pay any attention.
Joseph gazed at the young people singing and dancing on stage, then glanced at the tens of thousands of captivated citizens around him. He couldn't help but nod inwardly. 'The mass entertainment strategies of future generations truly are effective.'
He then thought, 'After "France's Star" concludes, should I continue with a national French sports festival, or even a pan-European one?'
'Hmm, popular sports should be promoted among the populace. Not only would it allow people to exercise, but it would also provide an outlet for their emotions.'
'It could even stimulate the economy.'
He immediately went through the current sports activities in his mind—riding, fencing, tennis, golf...
'These all seem to be aristocratic sports. Only cricket might be popularized among the common folk.'
He sighed. 'Alright then, it seems I'll have to "invent" football.'
'However, for people of this era, footballs made of cowhide would still be unaffordable for ordinary people.'
Joseph began planning in his mind. 'The treasury could allocate some funds to purchase public footballs for each parish, making them available for everyone to use.'
A smile touched the corners of his lips. 'If so, perhaps I could even see my beloved World Cup in the eighteenth century.'
'Hmm, and could the French professional league also appear ahead of schedule?'
'I could even form a professional team. The Paris Crown Princes? The thought is quite exciting...'
Coupled with the "Louis Award" selection and ceremony already on the agenda, as well as the new Paris Fashion Week and more, France would almost continuously host grand events throughout the year.
Joseph slapped his thigh in excitement. 'Hmm, if so, Paris real estate prices would surely rise again. New real estate projects needed to be quickly arranged. This could be perfectly combined with the Paris-Versailles integration project, developing the desolate land between the two. That's all money!'
...
Three days later.
The "France's Star" competition came to an end. Aurélien Tonnerre, a commoner young man from Brittany, ultimately won the championship.
The runner-up was a merchant from Paris, and the third-place winner was a young clerk from Bordeaux.
It wasn't that the commoners were particularly strong, but rather that most nobles, in their arrogance, were unwilling to compete on the same stage as commoners, and thus hadn't signed up.
However, when the nobles at Versailles saw Tonnerre, amidst the cheers of tens of thousands, personally awarded the trophy and a 30,000-livre prize by the Countess of Provence, and then joined the court orchestra, they were all filled with immense regret. Silently, they made a decision: 'We must participate in next year's "France's Star"! What is noble pride worth compared to 30,000 livres?'
(End of chapter)
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