Chapter 397: Paris's New Symbol
The gambling at Mars Hall continued until 1 AM. Queen Mary, flushed with her winnings, looked at the small mountains of gold coins piled on the table, stifled a yawn, and then contentedly rose, preparing to return to the Petit Trianon.
According to court etiquette, the King and Queen were supposed to hold their coucher ceremony at 10:30 PM — where nobles would observe them retiring for the night — but because Louis XVI often "worked overtime" at the Royal Workshop, this custom had long since become a mere formality.
She stretched languidly, glancing at the empty seat beside her, and turned to ask the Countess of Debeninac, "Where's my little Petersburg darling?"
The Countess quickly leaned in and whispered, "Your Majesty, she went to bed at ten o'clock."
"Look at me, I completely forgot," Queen Mary chuckled, tapping her forehead. "She's still growing."
Leaving Mars Hall, she hadn't gone far when she heard the voices of several noblewomen chatting from around the corner of the corridor:
"Have you noticed that Russian Grand Duchess too?"
"It's impossible not to notice her lately. I wonder whose good graces she's earned; she's been appearing by Her Majesty's side quite frequently these days."
"I actually think Her Majesty quite likes her. I've heard Her Majesty call her 'little darling' several times in the evenings."
"Most likely. Look at her, she wears the most fashionable dresses of the season, but still can't hide her rustic air, like trying to cover candlelight with a coarse basket."
"Haha, that's incredibly apt..."
The noblewomen, still chattering, rounded the corner and came face-to-face with Her Majesty the Queen. They instantly recoiled to the side of the corridor, bowing their heads and curtsying deeply, barely daring to breathe.
Queen Mary shot them an irritated glance and walked past with her head held high, yet their mocking words echoed in her ears. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she began to inwardly reproach herself.
'I truly hadn't been considerate enough of Joseph before—he wasn't shy or timid at all, but rather worried that choosing a Russian fiancée would subject the royal family to the nobles' gossip. Ah, he's truly a good boy, always thinking of the bigger picture!'
Queen Mary was acutely aware of the French people's self-proclaimed superiority complex. Even she, a Habsburg princess, had been looked down upon by them in the past, let alone a young Russian girl with Tatar blood.
Recalling the bitterness and hardship of being secretly called the "Austrian Whore" by those French nobles, she immediately made a decision: 'She had to work even harder to help her son and the lovely Russian princess forge a bond! After all, the rain she had weathered shouldn't fall on her children too!'
The next morning, Queen Mary was discussing a script with her theater troupe's leader when she saw the Crown Prince approach quickly, led by a maidservant.
After Joseph bowed, she immediately stepped forward and embraced her son, saying with a smile, "My dear, you can't always be busy with work. Necessary social engagements are also a vital part of life, especially for members of the royal family."
Joseph detested social events and balls the most. He quickly gave a perfunctory agreement and swiftly moved to the main topic: "Dearest Mother, next month Paris will hold the inaugural ceremony for the Gas Streetlights. If you are available, I hope you can attend."
In truth, the gas distillation plant had only just begun construction, and gas lamps hadn't yet entered mass production. However, Murdoch had already completed the distillation, gas supply, and gas lamp testing.
So Joseph planned to install a small number of Gas Streetlights first to build momentum for the gas lamp industry. Building on attracting private investment, he could also leverage this buzz to launch real estate projects.
Indeed, gas lamps themselves leaned more towards infrastructure development and wouldn't generate much direct profit, but real estate could.
He had already purchased all the public land around the Tuileries Palace Gardens, and that area would become the pilot site for the first batch of Gas Streetlights.
It was easy to imagine: Once night fell, the streets of Paris would be plunged into a hazy darkness, with, at most, a few oil lamps casting a dim glow. But around the properties in the Tuileries Palace Gardens, bright Gas Streetlights would shine. People would be able to see the luxurious villas there from several streets away and would find it hard to suppress their envious drooling.
Combined with the supporting infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and public transport systems built around the time of Paris Fashion Week, the wealthy residents of Paris would undoubtedly flock to snatch up houses here.
Villas in the previous "Royal Garden" development had already sold for 70,000 Livres each. Houses enhanced with Gas Streetlights would surely sell for at least 100,000 Livres, wouldn't they?
And don't even think it's expensive, as Paris currently had thousands of foreign tycoons pouring in. Such luxurious properties could be snapped up in minutes.
It's worth noting that the urban area of Paris had expanded twice in the past two years, yet it still appeared increasingly crowded. Its excellent environment and public order attracted a large number of outsiders to settle. The Minister of Census's population statistics presented to Joseph two months ago indicated that Paris's population had now exceeded 700,000.
However, Joseph estimated that tens of thousands of lower-class people had likely not been counted. After all, these individuals worked from dawn till dusk, making it difficult for census officials to "catch" them.
Such a massive influx of people generated astonishing demand for real estate.
After Gas Streetlights ignited a boom in high-end properties, he would next develop mid-range housing aimed at ordinary nobles and have major banks launch real estate loan programs to stimulate capital flow throughout France.
"Gas Streetlights?" Queen Mary was somewhat surprised. "I often hear Count Mirabeau mention that term. But my dear, it's just a lamp. Why would our Crown Prince and Minister of Industry attach such importance to it?"
Joseph smiled and explained to her, "Mother, this is completely different from the oil lamps we have now.
"Firstly, it's incredibly bright. And unlike the yellowish glow of oil lamps, it emits a white light closer to that of the sun. In a couple of days, I'll have Mr. Murdoch send one over to you. You'll understand once you try it. After using it, you'll surely want to throw all the candles and oil lamps in the palace into the trash.
"Secondly, it's fueled by gas pipelines. This is far more convenient than candles or oil lamps. As long as the gas bill is paid, it can be used continuously without needing to replace candles or refill oil."
Queen Mary showed a very interested expression. "Hmm, that certainly sounds excellent."
"Yes, it will usher in a new wave of fashion," Joseph said confidently, "and thereby become another symbol of Paris."
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