Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

After the Holy Roman Empire officially acknowledged France’s jurisdiction over the Rhineland, all the socially significant individuals here went out of their way to please the new leader.

The reason there are fewer than 500 people present to watch the game today is not primarily due to the high ticket prices, but because this hastily constructed cheap stadium can only accommodate 500 people.

The Crown Prince’s Guard also occupies dozens of seats.

Yes, Joseph personally went to the Rhineland region to watch the preliminary match of the “World Football Hercules Cup” to enhance its popularity. At the same time, he could inspect the mineral resources here.

Today’s match is between the Wurttemberg Team and the Palatinate Team.

Under France’s call, all Mediterranean Security Organization member countries, as well as the Rhein Trade Alliance member countries, together with Switzerland and Venice, sent teams to participate.

Meanwhile, the Rhineland region was divided into two teams to participate: the Palatinate and Lower Rhine teams.

Joseph leaned languidly on his chair, occasionally glancing at his pocket watch.

The match had been underway for 25 minutes, with more than an hour remaining until it ended, assuming there was no overtime.

He sighed silently in his heart: Why was he tormented by the men’s soccer team of Eastern countries in his previous life, and now he still can’t escape the torture of watching lousy matches?

After all, these players on the field have at most only a year of football experience, and many only started learning to play after discovering the “World Cup” prize money was as high as 30,000 francs.

It would be miraculous if they played well.

However, although Joseph, a seasoned fan, was enduring torture, the audience was enthusiastically absorbed in watching.

Suddenly, the referee blew the whistle vigorously on the field, pulling apart two players in conflict.

However, he was immediately elbowed by a Wurttemberg player.

While the referee was doubling over in pain, groaning, players from both sides were already cursing each other and engaged in a full-on brawl.

The audience immediately went wild, all standing up, raising their arms to cheer and shout, with some throwing gold coins onto the field, “Yes, just like this! Hit him!”

“Harder, break the nose of number 8!”

“Come on, I’ll reward you each with 20 florins if you win!”

Joseph put his hand to his forehead, lines of black frustration on his face, but made no intervention. If this could quickly boost the attraction of football, then so be it.

Before the substitute referee could enter the field, the Wurttemberg Team had already gained full advantage, chasing the Palatinate Team around the field.

Sitting slightly behind Joseph, two nobles loudly discussed, “Those Wurttembergians are like beasts!”

“Of course, it is said most of them are serfs, and if they lose the game, they’ll be sent by Carl Eugen to the quarry to dig stones for life.”

Joseph was quite shocked by these words.

Unexpectedly, what seemed like a joke in his previous life, has become a reality here! But given the human rights situation in the eighteenth century, this could be considered normal.

Finally, after the referee handed out 7 red cards and 10 yellow cards, the brawlers resumed playing football.

Actually, according to the 21st-century competition rules, he should have given out 28 red cards because the substitutes from both sides also joined the fray…

Joseph barely endured until the end of the first half, just when he was about to take a breather, he suddenly heard faint gunshots coming from the southwest.

Kesode immediately ordered the Crown Prince’s Guard to enter the stadium for precaution, while also sending people to investigate the situation.

Not long after, the municipal commissioner of Worms brought a large group of sweating officials to Joseph, first bowing and saluting, then signaling the Director of Police Services to explain the situation.

The Director of Police Services, who was transferred from France, though equally nervous, managed to speak clearly:

“Your Highness, please rest assured, there is no riot here.

“Just now, the smuggling team discovered someone carrying ‘special contraband’ across the border, hence the gunfight with the smugglers…”

Joseph immediately frowned slightly.

France categorizes contraband into several levels, even firearms and ammunition are just level one contraband.

He remembered that special contraband included items like “key technical parts of high-pressure steam engines” and “alkali-making equipment”. According to French law, those smuggling these goods could be shot on sight.

He curiously asked, “What were those people smuggling?”

The Director of Police Services quickly replied, “Sugar beet seeds, Your Highness. Over 1,000 kilograms were seized.”

Sugar beet is currently a strategic crop for France, not to mention the tens of millions of francs in annual profit; it can also be used to strike at the British economy and maintain the stability of the franc.

So it is not surprising that sugar beet seeds are classified as special contraband—this is a French-exclusive high-sugar-content beet.

Moreover, Joseph knew that just over a kilogram of seeds is enough to sow an acre of beets. A thousand kilograms is no small amount.

His face turned grim immediately: “Do you know where they intended to smuggle it?”

“According to those smugglers’ confessions, it was to be taken to Magdeburg.”

Magdeburg is a city in southern Prussia.

Joseph then remembered that the Intelligence Bureau had reported to him the extensive beet cultivation in Prussia.

But he always thought Prussia was growing ordinary beets, which have a sugar content more than 50% lower than the variety bred by Franz Achard, making it hardly competitive.

Yet if they are smuggling French seeds, the situation would be completely different.

Historically, Prussia was the birthplace of beet sugar production, with soil and climate very suitable for growing beets with a considerable yield.

If this development continues, in a few years, Prussia’s beet sugar will severely impact the French sugarcane market share.

Joseph first considered exerting diplomatic pressure on Prussia.

But he immediately shook his head to himself.

With the extremely high-profit margins in the sugar beet industry, Prussia would continue pursuing it, even at all costs.

Moreover, they would claim they were only growing ordinary beet.

Could France possibly send people to dig out each plant for inspection?

He glanced at the soccer players still on the field, commended the Worms smuggling team, and then let those officials disperse autonomously.

The football match resumed.

Joseph, having little interest in watching the game in the first place, simply went to the lounge to ponder how to deal Prussia’s beet issue.

A week later, while Joseph was inspecting a potash mine on Donnas Mountain, northwest of Palatinate, Eman suddenly hurried over, speaking softly to him, “Your Highness, Mr. Achard has arrived.”

Joseph immediately interrupted his inspection, taking a carriage back to the temporary palace.

The “Father of Beet Sugar” had been waiting at the door for a long time, and upon seeing him alight, hurried forward to respectfully greet him.

“Your Highness, I heard from the gentlemen of the Intelligence Bureau about the Prussians smuggling beet seeds.” He walked beside Joseph toward the drawing-room, “This was almost inevitable, you know, there are over a hundred thousand farmers growing beets.

Joseph nodded, “Can you estimate the number of seeds smuggled?”

“That’s very difficult, Your Highness.” Achard shook his head, but immediately added, “But I bring good news this time, I have developed a beet with even higher sugar content. In no more than half a year, its traits will stabilize.”

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