2026-01-04 23:04:18
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Chapter 194
Joseph first visited Mala to inquire about his injuries, then he headed for Nancy.Toul is less than 5 miles away from Nancy, so just after noon, his convoy had already arrived at the newly established Nancy Industrial Development Zone.The development zone is located by the Morte River, encircled by a formidable grey stone wall that seems to stretch endlessly, covering an area of about five to six hundred acres.Still a distance away from the development zone, Joseph could already see smoke rising into the sky from the zone—coal mines were ubiquitous here, so coal was commonly used as fuel in production. After the introduction of steam engines, the consumption of coal had greatly increased.The officials of the industrial development zone, upon learning of the Crown Prince's arrival, hurriedly put aside their work and convened at the western gate to welcome him.The principal person in charge of the development zone was named Alexander Ramo, who was not a local official of Nancy but
Chapter 193
Clementine limped over, feeling that it was her own bad luck that had involved others, and with a sense of guilt, took out a handful of candies to share with the injured miners:"Are you all right? Please have some candy, it won't hurt after you eat it."The miners were flattered and scrambled to their feet, taking the candy but bowing their heads, not knowing how to properly express their gratitude.After a long while, a brave worker stammered:"May, may God bless you, kind Miss."At the moment, candy was a very expensive item. These people had hardly ever tasted candy in their lives, not to mention such high-grade sweets. Some were already calculating in their hearts to save the candy for their children as Christmas gifts, certain it would leave them with unforgettable sweet memories for life.The maid Rosalia followed her young mistress, handing out a few silver coins to each of the injured miners.The mine owner breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Clementine's retreating figur
Chapter 192
or some reason, when Joseph heard the figure "ten million livres," he felt no anger in his heart, but instead a bizarre sense of "comfort" surged to the top of his head.He leaned in towards Carolina, quite expectantly asking,"Is that the amount Necker pocketed himself, or the total sum of the problematic funds?""It's the profit Necker made from these transactions, Your Highness. Of the financial loans that passed through his hands at the time, more than half might have been abnormal."Joseph suddenly felt as though the whole world lit up, and he even heard the joyful singing of little angels by his ear.You see, during Necker's tenure as head of the treasury, France's borrowing from banks had increased by nearly one billion livres.If what Carolina said was true, even by the most conservative estimate, that would mean there could be illegal operations involving as much as five hundred million livres worth of loans.Joseph's heart raced—just by getting hold of this illegal evidence,
Chapter 191
Joseph glanced at Carolina's expression, then added "fuel to the fire":"This time, the Justice Investigation Department and the Secret Police have combined forces, with over 60 people responsible for this case. They're expected to conduct a thorough investigation of all individuals and matters related to the case.Viscount Carolina, during this process, it's hard to guarantee that they won't dig up some matters that you'd prefer to keep secret."Carolina could no longer maintain his composure and pleaded:"Your Highness, I swear to God, I have nothing to do with the death of that investigator!"You see, could you possibly spare me the disturbance of those people in my already miserable exiled life..."Joseph stared at him and said:Viscount Carolina, I do want to help you, but the prerequisite is that we build mutual trust."As long as you are honest with me, I can assure you that, no matter what it is, I can keep you safe."Carolina, trembling, took out a handkerchief and wiped his
Chapter 190
Joseph's forehead creased with lines of vexation as he tried to explain, "You see, I have urgent matters to tend to in Lorraine, and I really can't spare the time to take you to see the coal mines."Clementine shook his hand as she pleaded, pouting, "Please, take me with you—""But..."The little girl suddenly stepped back, pointing to her delicate, tender neck, and said with a grievance, "I listened to you and gave up 'Star's Wish'. That was my absolute favorite necklace! Don't you think you should compensate me a little for that? Please—"Joseph couldn't help but let out a long sigh to the heavens.A few days ago, when he saw 'Star's Wish' around the young girl's neck and asked about it out of curiosity, he found out that his frivolous mother had spent nearly 700,000 livres on it, adding to his cousin's 560,000 livres for a necklace that turned out to be a total scam.He immediately told the young girl that he had never worn the necklace and advised her to return it posthaste.Cleme
Chapter 189
She had always appreciated Carolina's abilities and was even more satisfied with his loyalty to the Royal Family—if it hadn't been for the pressure from the Assembly of Notables, she would certainly not have exiled him.Now that even Brienne didn't oppose granting Carolina absolution, she was naturally happy to go with the flow.Brienne subtly nodded to Joseph, then bowed to the queen and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty.""Oh, your broad-mindedness commands even more of my respect," Queen Mary smiled back at him, "In a way, Viscount Carolina is your competitor, yet you suggested I grant him absolution without hesitation, for the sake of the royal dignity.""Thank you for your commendation. Serving the Royal Family loyally is my duty," he replied.Brienne suddenly felt he had made a profit; in just half an hour, he had earned favors from both the Crown Prince and the queen.The queen's Clerk quickly drafted the letter of absolution following the established format. After
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