The Fox of France

Chapter 128: The Jovial Kings

When the news of Robespierre losing his head reached Toulon, Joseph had just completed all the tests for his new ship. The ship's performance was outstanding in every aspect, with one minor issue - it was now rendered obsolete.

The message was personally delivered by Napoleon himself.

"Joseph," he said, "Are the carriages ready for your departure?"

"Everything is prepared," Joseph replied. "A four-wheeled carriage and a detachment of cavalry. I've asked Lecleire to escort you. You should leave immediately."

"Very well," Joseph said. "Wait here; I need to collect something before I go."

Joseph went inside and changed into travel-friendly attire. He emerged carrying a large chest.

"What's in there?" Napoleon inquired.

"Some experimental data," Joseph replied. "It's valuable. Keep it safe, don't lose it or let the little ones get their hands on it."

"I understand. I won't even let Lucien see it," Napoleon assured.

"Better not let him know at all," Joseph emphasized. "Napoleon, what I meant earlier is, you should also avoid looking..."

Joseph was in a hurry to return to Paris for a reason.

Firstly, in Paris, there was no longer a guillotine-wielding tyrant, and he believed it was now safer than Toulon. After all, there were still rebel factions operating in Toulon.

Of course, that was the least important reason. The most significant was that he needed to get back quickly to acquire a treasure that very few would notice at first, but it was the most valuable - the personnel of the "Military Technology Research Institute."

Joseph knew that in the aftermath of Robespierre's fall, Paris was about to witness a period of turmoil. The once-repressed Jovial Kings would surely turn the city into chaos. In such a scenario, even Carnot might not be able to protect the "Military Research Institute." Returning early could secure the most precious treasures.

As Joseph anticipated, the Jovial Kings in Paris wasted no time causing havoc. They immediately abolished all price controls, causing prices to soar. The people of Paris were in uproar, but individuals like Barras and his associates were profiting handsomely. Barras, who was seen as the key figure in toppling Robespierre, saw his status rise, and with the newfound power, he became a millionaire.

Another hero, Talien, gained a position within the "Committee of Public Safety." Although its power was no match for the Robespierre era, it was still significant.

But among these victors, two individuals who played crucial roles in their victories met unfortunate fates.

The first was Fouche, who played a pivotal role in the struggle against Robespierre. Yet his work was mostly behind the scenes, so his contributions were easily overlooked. What's worse, everyone had forgotten his contributions in toppling Robespierre but remembered his notorious speech in the National Convention, proclaiming his loyalty to the Jacobins while declaring himself willing to be their "lapdog." Fouche was branded as a "surviving Jacobin leader."

Fouche tried to seek Carnot's help, but their mutual disdain and Fouche's straightforward nature hindered their collaboration. Left with no choice, Fouche actually tried to revive the remaining Jacobins and become a legitimate "Jacobin leader." Even though there were still Jacobin sympathizers, most were either planning uprisings or fleeing Paris, fearing Fouche was a provocateur. They refused to trust him or believed he was trying to lure snakes out of their holes.

Fouche was expelled from the National Convention, losing his parliamentary status and income. In the original history, Fouche had no option but to work as an informant for Barras, gathering private information about Barras' political opponents to make ends meet.

As for the second unfortunate individual, Carnot, even with his visible contributions, faced a different problem - he attempted to block others from profiting.

The ongoing war between France and the Coalition offered opportunities for lucrative businesses related to the military. The most profitable of all was anything connected to military production. However, during the tyrannical rule of Robespierre and the Jacobins, they imposed strict quality controls that reduced everyone's profits. These wicked policies had to be abolished immediately. Carnot, however, absurdly argued that these policies were excellent and should be maintained.

Moreover, the Military Technology Research Institute, highly confidential and funded by the state, continued to independently develop essential weapons. Wasn't this against the principles of basic economics? These projects were created by the Jacobins - shouldn't they be shut down?

Carnot was unyielding in his stance, even resorting to threatening to resign.

In Robespierre's time, Carnot had often butted heads with the Committee but was tolerated due to his indispensable abilities. Robespierre had even omitted Carnot's name from the list of individuals who had been secretly meeting with Fouche, except for one - Carnot. Robespierre knew that Carnot was indispensable, and he possessed some political cunning, even in his wildest moments.

However, the Jovial Kings were not as lenient. With Carnot obstructing their path, they had him removed from the Committee, which was a severe blow to his authority and influence.

With Carnot gone, the new "Committee of Public Safety" quickly passed resolutions to eliminate anything blocking their path to wealth. Thus, before Joseph arrived in Paris, the Military Technology Research Institute became a ruin. The contents were divided among the Jovial Kings, and as for the researchers, they had no intentions of paying for the group of scientists. Instead, they generously "donated" these experienced high-level researchers to society.

Lavasie also regained his freedom, while his guard, Charles, ended up in prison. Life's fortunes were strange and ever-changing, but Charles should adapt to prison life quite well.

With his newfound freedom, Lavasie discovered that his property had been seized by Robespierre and his associates. His movable assets were gone without question, but Lavasie had lost several immovable properties. He searched everywhere and spent a considerable sum, but none of his real estate was returned. Fortunately, with his status, Lavasie managed to secure a decent job at the University of Paris, which he now depended on to support his family.

The various military technologies from the institute were shared without charge with the newly prosperous arms factories. This included even the technology for nitrocellulose. The leak of these technologies became inevitable, and some factory owners suggested selling "petite melons" to neutral countries interested in buying them in exchange for other goods to alleviate France's economic hardships. This proposal faced staunch opposition from Carnot, but his influence and authority were no longer what they used to be. Despite his protests, the bill passed smoothly. However, the law included a crucial clause: "Prohibited from selling to non-neutral countries."

This gave rise to a new trading method in Europe. Ships would hoist the flag of a neutral country, transport goods to France, exchange them for "Bonaparte's little melons," and then take the cargo to England, Spain, or Italy to sell to the anti-French coalition countries.

Initially, the trade was dominated by English and Italian merchants, but they were soon overtaken by a more competitive group of businessmen - the French.

By the time Joseph arrived in Paris, he was confronted with this new reality.

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