บท 31: Chapter 31: Profits
Chapter 31: Profits
"Envoy Colbert," Dandels glanced at the other leaders of the Patriot Party beside him and sighed, "After a vote by the United Provinces Assembly, we have officially decided to cease hostilities and negotiate peace with the Orangist Party. The negotiations will begin the day after tomorrow."
The "Orangist Party" he referred to were the royalists who supported the former Dutch stadtholder, William V, named after his title, the Prince of Orange.
Colbert frowned and stood up, speaking in a firm tone, "Mr. Chairman, the French cabinet's stance is clear: no negotiations, no compromises! You and your troops just need to repel the enemy in a direct confrontation once and hold out for at least five days. The great nation of France will handle the rest, and in the end, you will surely defeat the Prince of Orange's counterattack!"
Dandels' face turned red as he clenched his fists and said, "Envoy, it's not that we want to surrender! But you know that harlot Wilhelmina, that traitor, she's brought the Prussian army here and is spreading rumors everywhere that we've kidnapped her..."
Colbert cleared his throat and looked away, casually remarking, "In my personal opinion, the Princess of Orange is merely doing her duty. I wouldn't call that treason."
Dandels was momentarily stunned, suddenly remembering that this envoy represented King Louis XVI of France. The irony struck him—here they were, receiving help from one autocrat to fight against another.
But Dandels didn't dwell on the thought for long. He continued, "Now, over 20,000 Prussian soldiers are at the gates of Amsterdam, demanding we release Wilhelmina. God, she's not even in our hands! And we only have 7,000 soldiers, poorly equipped compared to the Prussians."
This was all part of Wilhelmina's plan to help her husband regain power. She had appeared publicly in The Hague, attracting the attention of the rebels, who hesitated to arrest her due to her status as a Prussian princess. She was soon released, but she falsely claimed to be still held by the Patriots, which prompted Prussia to send troops to "rescue" her. In reality, she had secretly fled to the border town of Nijmegen.
Colbert nodded, "I'm not asking you to defeat the Prussian army, just to make them realize they'll face fierce resistance. Also, I've heard that 300 French volunteers, sympathizing with your cause, have come to help. They've brought over 2,000 muskets and possibly some cannons."
"2,000 muskets and cannons?" Dandels' mood lightened. "That's exactly what we need! But where did you get the cannons? And isn't 300 men a bit too few?"
Colbert quickly denied, "The cannons might have been stolen from French ships by certain individuals. Remember, France has provided 600,000 livres in aid, but has not officially sent troops.
"Oh, and don't underestimate those 300 men; most of them are artillerymen. A single skilled artilleryman can change the course of an entire battle. This might be your only chance to preserve your government!"
Dandels exchanged glances with the other leaders and then said to Colbert, "Envoy, we need to discuss this further."
"Please, take your time."
An hour later, the Patriot Party voted to halt negotiations, defend Amsterdam, and prepare for a decisive battle against the Prussian army.
Two days later, a group of people dressed as merchants, craftsmen, and even beggars entered the eastern Dutch border town of Nijmegen through different routes. They soon made contact with two French spies.
In a small house on the outskirts of Nijmegen, these individuals gathered around a table. Lieutenant Foy, who was in charge of the operation, pointed to the eastern side of a map of Nijmegen and said, "Wilhelmina is likely hiding in the Countess of Lippe's estate and rarely leaves. Spend the next few days familiarizing yourselves with the roads and surroundings. We'll make our move this Sunday when she goes to church."
Versailles Palace
Joseph lounged in a chair, basking in the winter afternoon sunlight, and let out a long yawn. The tax bill was still making its way through the High Court, there was no news from Holland, and the police reforms had just started with nothing noteworthy yet...
Since arriving in this world, Joseph finally had a rare moment of leisure. But it seemed Dr. Lamarck was worried he'd be bored, as he had brought the refined salicin Joseph requested.
Joseph quickly assured him that he would send someone to pick it up in the future so Lamarck wouldn't have to make the long trip from Paris.
After seeing Lamarck off, Joseph picked up the large bottle of nearly pure white powder and opened the lid to smell it. There was no alcohol scent, indicating its high purity. He then opened a box in his study containing pre-prepared glycerin, rose essential oil, and other ingredients, along with some measuring tools.
He carefully measured out 1,000 grams of glycerin, 60 grams of rose essential oil, and 22 grams of salicin, mixing them in a large glass flask. The solution turned a pale purple, releasing the fragrance of the essential oil, with no trace of the salicin.
Next, Joseph mixed the solution with water at a ratio of one part solution to three parts water, creating the first batch of "Angel Water."
He frowned at the large bottle of thin liquid. For a cosmetic product, it seemed a bit too plain. He thought for a moment and decided to add a thickening agent. He grabbed a candle made of high-quality beeswax from the table.
As the candle's wax melted into the glycerin, Joseph stirred continuously. The solution soon became thick and opaque.
"Now it looks more like a skincare product," he said, satisfied. He scraped a small amount of "Angel Water" onto his hand and spread it evenly on the back of his hand. It felt smooth and moisturizing, with a pleasant floral scent.
After waiting half an hour without any signs of irritation or allergies, Joseph summoned his beautician to apply some to his face. Then, both the beautician and his assistant were roped into helping Joseph fill the thick, pale purple gel into dozens of 7-ounce round glass jars, which were then placed into beautifully engraved wooden boxes labeled "Angel Water."
Even with their nimble hands, it took until 3 PM to finish filling just over 50 jars. After confirming that the beautician's skin felt fine, Joseph instructed Amon to send 40 of the jars to some of the most well-known luxury stores in Paris to be sold on consignment at 15 livres per jar.
Joseph himself took the remaining 10 jars to see Queen Marie. Who better to endorse a skincare product than her? And she could do it for free.
As he walked down the hallway, Joseph did a quick calculation. Each jar of Angel Water cost just over 1 livre to produce—the glycerin, made from olive oil, was the most expensive ingredient, accounting for 90% of the cost. The main active ingredient, salicin, was actually the cheapest.
With each jar selling for 15 livres and deducting the cost of transport and sales, he would make at least 12 livres and 10 sous in profit per jar!
He couldn't help but think, "It's true—there's no money easier to make than women's money!"
Ma Yun didn't deceive me!
(End of Chapter)
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