I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 172 A Citywide Manhunt

Murdock stared intently at the black machine in front of him as it rumbled loudly.

Finally, Sandel's voice cut through the noise: "Pressure is stable! Throttle is normal!"

Murdock's face lit up with joy. He shouted, "Release the steam!" and then celebrated by hugging each of his assistants.

A factory supervisor ran into the testing shed, calling out to Murdock: "Mr. Murdock, the Prince has arrived!"

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You said that during testing, nothing should interrupt you unless it was an act of God…"

"Well, from now on, include the Prince along with God!"

"Oh, understood…"

After the customary greetings, Joseph smiled and asked, "I think I heard some cheering just now?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Murdock pointed to the massive black machine in the shed, still excited. "We've succeeded! This machine was completely built by our technicians, and it matches the power and coal efficiency of Watt's engines."

"You're truly the best steam engine technician in all of Europe!" Joseph praised him immediately. "In just over two months, you've replicated the world's most advanced steam engine. Congratulations to you and your team!"

In reality, this steam engine was merely a replica of the British product, using many readily available components.

However, it still outperformed any steam engine that France could previously build, and Murdock managed to achieve this while also overseeing the construction of the factory.

Murdock and his team eagerly started the steam engine again, proudly demonstrating it to Joseph.

Sandel, shouting over the noise, said, "Your Highness, with the success of this steam engine, we can now begin manufacturing the new high-pressure steam engines."

Murdock enthusiastically agreed, "Yes! We'll surpass Watt's engines in one leap!"

Joseph thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Right now, a 15-horsepower steam engine can meet most needs. Our goal should be to sell more machines. Once the market is saturated, we can focus on technical upgrades."

Murdock hesitated, then smiled and nodded. "You're right, Your Highness. Recouping costs is indeed the priority."

Joseph shook his head again. "It's not just about making money. The main goal is to cultivate the market, to get people familiar with steam engines so they're more willing to adopt them. High-performance but expensive products will always have limited buyers. Affordable and practical products are what will dominate the market."

Murdock and Sandel nodded in agreement.

Joseph continued, "Your main focus now should be on improving the reliability of the steam engine and making it more compact and tidy for easier transportation and installation. Also, offer various kits that allow the steam engine to be easily adapted to existing water wheels and automatic looms."

He then looked at the black machine in the distance and asked, "Mr. Murdock, how much did this steam engine cost to build?"

"It cost about 13,800 livres, Your Highness."

Joseph's eyes twitched—no wonder it was considered cutting-edge technology of the time, with such a hefty price tag.

"What do you think the cost will be after mass production?"

"We estimate it will drop to around 11,000 livres."

Joseph nodded. "Then let's set the price at 13,000 livres per machine."

"That might be too low, Your Highness!" Murdock immediately protested. "Watt's company sells similar engines for 17,000 livres."

Joseph chuckled. "And how many does he sell each year?"

"Usually 20 to 30 units."

"If we can sell 80 units a year or more, what do you think of that price?"

Murdock's eyes widened. "Your Highness, with all due respect, I think reaching that sales volume might be difficult…"

Joseph patted him on the shoulder, smiling. "What if the wealthy parishes across France were willing to pool their funds to buy steam engines for irrigation? And if the mining districts bought some for pumping water, and the textile workshops in Lyon used them to power automatic looms, do you think we could sell 80 units?"

Murdock hesitated. "Your Highness, those parishes have never bought steam engines before. As for the textile industry, you know that France hasn't produced any automatic looms yet…"

"Don't worry about that. The government will soon issue directives to the provinces, providing low-interest loans to parishes for purchasing irrigation equipment. As for the automatic looms, I'll have someone acquire British models and start replicating them immediately.

"If we still can't reach the sales target, we can introduce a leasing option, where people can use the steam engines first and gradually pay them off."

Watt's steam engines only began to sell widely in the early 19th century, largely because his company was the sole promoter.

But Joseph was using government intervention right from the start to help the French steam engine company break into the market!

With nearly equal technical capabilities, high sales volume would naturally bring in more technical feedback, accelerating technological progress.

Company efforts versus government efforts—Joseph was confident that within a few years, French steam engines could start being exported back to Britain.

…

Joseph's convoy had been on the road from Nancy for less than a day when they encountered a messenger from Paris.

There were two separate messengers, one sent by Fouché and the other by Brienne.

The letters contained similar news: Necker had escaped. Although a formal arrest warrant hadn't been issued yet—Carillon's evidence was still en route—both the secret police and the Paris police had been mobilized for an all-out manhunt.

Joseph frowned. He hadn't expected Necker to slip through such a tight net.

After pondering for a moment, he wrote a letter to Brienne, instructing him to order the governors of the border provinces to closely monitor all exit routes, especially those leading to Britain and Prussia.

A few days later, when Joseph returned to Paris, he found Fouché waiting by the roadside.

Upon seeing the Prince, Fouché bowed so low his head nearly touched the ground, profusely apologizing.

Joseph waved his hand to stop him and gestured for him to get in the carriage. "The tunnel was probably dug long before you placed agents in his house. It seems he was prepared to flee at any moment, so it's not entirely your fault."

Fouché secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Highness."

Joseph then asked, "Have there been any leads on Necker?"

"Not yet…" Fouché shook his head, then quickly added, "But I've set up checkpoints on all roads leading in and out of Paris. We have lookouts in the fields and woods, and we're watching every farmhouse within a league of the city. I believe Necker is still within Paris."

Joseph thought for a moment, frowning. "Should we have the secret police go door-to-door?"

Given Necker's involvement with millions of livres, such drastic measures seemed justified.

Fouché suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Your Highness, aside from the police and secret agents, there's apparently another group looking for Necker. There's even word on the streets that they're offering a 5,000-livre reward for information on his whereabouts."

(End of Chapter)

Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.