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Joseph watched her retreating figure, blinked in surprise, and said, “What’s with her… Did she get a stomach ache?”

Palace of Versailles, South Wing.

In the office of the Finance Minister, Brian took the tax reform bill, which was significantly thinner, from Joseph’s hands, and asked with a puzzled tone:

“Your Highness, it seems you have removed many taxes?”

Joseph nodded, “Yes, it’s an attempt of mine.”

Brian quickly flipped through the bill, his frown deepening as he went, and when he reached the halfway point, he couldn’t help but look at Joseph and say, “Your Highness, all the clauses you’ve removed benefit the nobility?”

“Yes, Archbishop.”

Brian put the bill back on the table and shook his head:

“Why would you do that?”

Joseph countered:

“Do you think that by constantly conceding, the bill will pass?”

Brian shook his head.

“Exactly, so we might as well take a different approach. You can submit this version of the bill to the High Court to start with.”

Brian let out a sigh:

“Your Highness, but doing this will only infuriate the nobility and achieve nothing else.”

Joseph smiled and said:

“Have you ever watched a bullfight?”

“A bullfight? Yes, Your Highness, I have.”

“The matador always desperately uses the red cloth to anger the bull because the infuriated bull will lose its senses, thus making mistakes, giving the matador the chance to strike,” Joseph said, “Let those nobles get angry; there’s no harm in it.

“Please trust me, even if it’s rejected this time, this bill will eventually pass!”

Brian still appeared skeptical and asked, “Can you tell me how you plan to do it?”

“Don’t bother reasoning with those people; target their weak points, divide and conquer, and at the same time, control the public opinion so they have no choice but to submit.”

Brian looked at the Crown Prince with a surprised gaze, catching the confident and somewhat sly look in his eyes, and for some reason, suddenly felt that he might not be making a rash move.

After a long moment, Brian nodded, then started to smile:

“Alright then, I will send this bill to the High Court, but please don’t say that these changes were made by you, otherwise those greedy and selfish people will surely bear a grudge against you.

“And as for me, if I can’t get the bill implemented by the end of the year, I should probably leave my position as Finance Minister. With the little time that I have left, I might as well take a risk.”

“I appreciate your trust.”

Joseph didn’t expect to persuade Brian so quickly. He wasted no time and turned to his assistant:

“Please contact the largest newspapers in Paris and reserve prominent space in them.

“Once the High Court rejects the tax bill this time, immediately publish the first tax item in the papers, with a detailed interpretation, such as who will pay this tax, what impact it will have, etc.

“From now on, publish one tax item every day until the entire content of the bill is disclosed in the newspapers and everything is clearly interpreted.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Additionally, organize a group of journalists to report in detail on the proposed law, from the time of its introduction to its rejection by the High Court. Oh, don’t report it all at once, write a little bit at a time to keep the momentum.”

“Yes.”

“And another thing…”

After being busy in the Finance Minister’s office until noon, Joseph finally completed the preliminary preparations for the tax reform bill and then had lunch with the queen. Eman reported that Dr. Lamark was requesting an audience.

Joseph followed him back to his own reception room and saw Dr. Lamark pacing anxiously back and forth.

“Mr. Lamark, is there an issue with the pharmaceutical workshop?”

Dr. Lamark hurriedly bowed respectfully, first nodding, “There is a matter…” then he said nervously, “Your Highness, I heard that last night my daughter offended you. She is young and surely didn’t mean it! Please forgive her.”

Joseph smiled and gestured with his hand:

“Miss Perna has made no mistake; it was I who unintentionally intruded into her ‘laboratory’. Oh, and she even offered me a midnight snack.”

“Thank you for your generous understanding.” Dr. Lamark quickly bowed again and said with a shaking head, “I really shouldn’t have agreed to let her study medicine. That child, she even went into the palace kitchen in the middle of the night to dissect animals…”

“Miss Perna is very talented. Actually, you could let her practice dissection in the Royal Family’s laboratory. Oh, if you don’t want others to know, I can order the guards and servants to keep it a secret for her.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Dr. Lamark’s eyes filled with gratitude, “You are too enlightened. If the people at the Medical Association were half as open-minded as you, Perna would have already earned her medical license and saved many patients.”

Joseph noticed the glass bottle in his hand and asked, “Right, you mentioned there was something about the pharmaceutical workshop?”

“Oh, yes, yes.” Dr. Lamark hurriedly handed over the glass bottle, excitement returning to his face, “That perfume workshop is just perfect! It has a very comprehensive set of equipment, it even has a water mill.

“I only added some high-precision thermometers and condensers, which are enough for the purification of salicin.

“Also, the workers are quite good, skilled, and many of them have experience with purification processes. Look, this was produced last night by the craftsmen, and neither Mr. Laseny nor I intervened.”

Joseph looked at the beige powder, nodded with satisfaction, and then asked:

“How much do you estimate the output could be?”

Dr. Lamark thought for a moment before replying:

“If we have enough raw material, about 2500 grams a day. Once the workers get skilled, it should be possible to double that.”

“Mmm, that’s basically enough for all the patients in Paris, and we should even be able to supply some to the provinces.” Joseph said.

With salicin used for its anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing properties, a daily oral dose of about 0.5 grams meant that for Paris’s population of over half a million, ten thousand doses a day would be sufficient.

Dr. Lamark nodded and said, “Your Highness, Mr. Laseny and I have estimated the costs, each pill containing 0.25 grams of salicin would cost about 3 to 4 deniers to make. We plan to initially sell them for 5 deniers each and then adjust the price later based on revenue, what do you think?”

One livre is equal to 20 sous, and one sou is equivalent to 12 deniers, meaning one livre could buy 48 pills—a very reasonable price indeed.

“You can decide on the price.” Joseph said.

Joseph then remembered his own “Angel Water” and said to Dr. Lamark, “Ah, Mr. Lamark, I have some special requirements. Please purify 300 grams of high-purity salicin for me daily, with as few impurities as possible.”

With only a little over one gram of salicin needed in 200 grams of skincare product, 300 grams a day was enough to produce over 200 bottles, which should be sufficient for initial market probings.

Dr. Lamark readily agreed, “No problem, Your Highness.”

…

On the same evening that Joseph and Dr. Lamark were discussing the pharmaceutical factory matters, 400 kilometers away from Paris in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the leader of the Patriot Party, Dandels, was welcoming guests from France.