Chapter 372: A New Divine Tool
Joseph had no idea that Queen Marie had already arranged a new "match" for him—this time, a very young girl.
During the evening banquet, he was cautious, expecting his mother to continue pressuring him about marriage, but the Queen only gave him knowing glances, avoiding the topic altogether. Instead, she chatted about Russian customs and culture.
At the subsequent ball, Joseph became the center of attention among the nobles.
A prince not yet sixteen years old who had personally led troops on the battlefield and repeatedly defeated the Prussian and Hanoverian armies—it was inevitable that the nobles would compare him to the Sun King, Louis XIV.
Some even boldly declared that "the Prince will surely surpass the Sun King."
Previously, when Louis XVI mentioned building a statue of the Prince, some ministers had opposed it, arguing that the King himself had no formal public statue. But after news of the Guard Corps' victory over Charles II reached Paris, there were no further objections. Artists from all over flocked to Versailles, eager to sculpt the statue of the Prince.
The ball began with the triumphant music of "Victory" and was filled with war and victory-themed melodies throughout. The nobles abandoned their usual refined demeanor, engaging in military-style dances with great enthusiasm.
Halfway through the ball, a well-known poet took the center of the Hall of Mirrors and loudly recited a poem in praise of Joseph, pushing the atmosphere to its peak.
As Joseph watched the excited nobles, showering him with praise, he couldn't help but reflect: Victory in foreign wars is truly the best stimulant for a nation. The discontent and opposition from the nobles due to the abolition of their privileges had largely subsided, at least on the surface. Now, the nobles' support for the royal family had grown significantly. He hoped this would reduce the resistance from the nobles when it came to implementing the land redemption policy.
The ball lasted until late at night before Joseph could finally retire to his quarters. The endless socializing left him feeling more exhausted than fighting on the front lines for three days.
The next morning, Joseph had a simple breakfast before dragging his tired body to the Royal Arsenal, located by the sycamore grove southeast of Versailles.
The British Foreign Minister was still about a week away from arriving in Paris. Joseph wanted to use this time to develop the long-planned bulletproof insert plates.
As he stepped out of the palace, Joseph saw that both sides of the spacious corridor were lined with elaborately dressed noblewomen. In an instant, he was bombarded with flirtatious glances from every direction, making his scalp tingle.
Emon leaned in and whispered, "Your Highness, most of them have been waiting here since three or four in the morning. Some even stayed after the ball ended..."
Perna, who had just finished Joseph's routine check-up, happened to follow him out. The noblewomen's gazes instantly turned icy and filled with murderous intent, scaring her into a hasty retreat back to the second-floor royal physician's office.
Ignoring the dazzling sights along the way, Joseph quickly made his way out of Versailles.
Once he reached the square, he rubbed the stubble on his chin, mentally vowing: Let them flirt! When I'm through puberty, I'll definitely "teach" a few of them a lesson!
The Royal Arsenal's director, Martineau, seemed to anticipate the Prince's arrival and was waiting at the entrance with the management team.
Joseph nodded in acknowledgment of their bows and immediately got to the point: "Mr. Martineau, are all the items I requested ready?"
Martineau quickly gestured toward a workshop on the west side: "Yes, Your Highness, everything is prepared and stored there."
While in the Southern Netherlands, Joseph had sent a letter listing the materials needed to manufacture bulletproof inserts, along with simple production instructions, to the Royal Arsenal.
Inside the workshop, Martineau directed the workers to display boxes of iron plates, ceramic tiles, and silk before the Prince, proudly saying, "Your Highness, I've had craftsmen create iron plates of different hardness and thickness for you to choose from. The ceramic tiles were custom-made by the two top workshops in Sèvres, and I also had a batch made in Quimper."
Sèvres, located in the western suburbs of Paris, was renowned for its ceramics. Nobles who couldn't afford oriental porcelain or didn't want British goods often opted for products from Sèvres. Quimper, in Brittany, was known for its colorful pottery, catering mainly to ordinary families, though some workshops there had unique firing techniques.
Joseph nodded in satisfaction. The Royal Arsenal, personally overseen by his father, still proved to be very reliable.
He then asked the most crucial question: "And the adhesive? Did Mr. Lavoisier have any recommendations?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Martineau pointed to a large glass jar on the table. "Mr. Lavoisier recommended this special casein glue."
"Casein glue?" Joseph looked curiously at the jar of milky yellow, viscous liquid.
"It's an adhesive made from processed milk," Martineau explained eagerly. "First, the milk is fermented to remove the fats, then alkaline substances, water glass, and quicklime are added to solidify it, followed by filtration..."
Joseph had never heard of an adhesive made from milk before, but he had no choice but to trust Lavoisier for now.
He immediately began sorting through the iron plates, ceramic tiles, and other materials, instructing the craftsmen to start production.
He recalled seeing a documentary on bulletproof inserts and gave the craftsmen specific instructions: "Please glue the iron plates, ceramic tiles, and silk together in sequence. Make sure to press them as tightly as possible. For you, place the silk on the outer layer, followed by the iron plate and the ceramic tile, with silk again on the back. For you, use the iron plate on the outside, then the silk..."
Unsure how well these 18th-century substitute materials would perform, Joseph had the craftsmen create five different combinations. Each combination used different thicknesses of materials and varying amounts of adhesive, resulting in over 40 test samples.
By around 3 p.m., a craftsman informed Joseph that the casein glue samples dried using a heating method were ready.
Joseph took a piece about the size of a modern tablet and tried to pull the iron plate and ceramic tile apart with force.
It didn't budge—extremely solid. He breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed this milk-based adhesive was indeed usable.
Not being an expert in adhesives, Joseph didn't know that casein glue, with its high viscosity, fast curing, and strong bonding, was still widely used in the 21st century.
Lavoisier had specifically adjusted the manufacturing process to maximize bonding strength. Trying to pry the materials apart by hand was simply impossible.
(End of Chapter)
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