The Fox of France - Chapter 260 (Patreon)

Chapter 260, The Paris Expo and a Grand Misunderstanding

"What do you mean by a 'model'?" Napoleon inquired.

"I've seen a report on that lovely 'madman,'" Joseph replied, "and there's enough information in there. Well, it floats underwater at a certain depth, and once it's hit, it explodes... Hehe, seeing this description, I pretty much know how it works. It's straightforward, aside from the creativity; there's no real difficulty. The creativity is directly reflected in its appearance. Anyone knowledgeable can tell how it works just by looking at its shape. Do you have paper and a pen here? I can draw it for you right now."

Napoleon pulled out a piece of paper and handed over a sketching charcoal pencil. Joseph took the pen and paper, and with a few strokes, he created a rough sketch.

"Your drawing is truly hideous!" Napoleon furrowed his brows. "When it comes to drawing, Lucien is much better than you. Besides, this thing is quite ugly."

"Napoleon, you see, beneath this device is an anchor chain. Adjusting the length of the chain allows it to remain submerged at the desired depth in the water. The sphere itself is a buoy, filled with explosives. These tentacle-like protrusions are the triggering mechanisms. Well, these triggers are quite simple."

"Simple?" Napoleon exclaimed. "I recall not too long ago, you guys delayed the development of triggering mechanisms for artillery shells due to their complexity and poor reliability. Now, you're saying the triggers are simple?"

"That's because we recently postponed the development of triggering mechanisms for artillery shells, and they are a completely different matter, aren't they? These triggering mechanisms, if placed inside a shell, would explode inside the barrel just due to the acceleration during firing. Can they be the same thing? For triggers like these, with low requirements, I can sketch one out in less than a minute. Look, these tentacles have an outer layer made of lead, which is relatively soft and deforms upon intense impact. Inside the tentacle is a glass jar filled with sulfuric acid. Below the jar is a battery lacking an electrolyte, with its positive and negative poles connected to an electric detonator. As soon as the tentacle is struck, the lead outer shell deforms, the glass jar inside breaks, sulfuric acid flows out, the battery generates current, the current drives the electric detonator, and then it triggers the explosion—this is incredibly simple."

Napoleon wasn't surprised that Joseph came up with a solution that seemed to have no issues in such a short time. He knew that the Military-Industrial Complex's research institute had conducted some feasibility studies on triggering mechanisms. Although these studies hadn't continued, it was clear that many problematic design schemes had been rejected during that process. What Joseph quickly drew was probably one of those designs that had been rejected earlier, perhaps with a slight facelift.

"Very well, have them create the model as soon as possible, and then we'll figure out a way to let the British spies take a look..." Napoleon said.

"Why make it so complicated?" Joseph suggested. "The Department of Foreign Trade is organizing the first Paris International Exposition of Imported and Exported Goods, right? Just bring it there and display and sell it alongside other weapons."

"That's a good idea," Napoleon agreed. "Hopefully, this will make the British rethink their position a bit."

"Napoleon," Joseph looked at him in amazement, "I thought you were eagerly anticipating a war?"

"War is merely a means to achieve glory, not the end," Napoleon explained. "As long as peace can bring us glory, I don't necessarily have to be particularly fond of war."

Of course, Napoleon's current love for peace was a result of the bountiful harvest of the previous year, which had gained him broader support among the peasants. If this year continued in peace, with the improvement of the irrigation system, another bountiful harvest was highly anticipated. A bountiful harvest allowed farmers to live better lives, and it provided cheaper bread for urban workers, further boosting his popularity. In France, there were more and more people shouting "Long live Napoleon!" As long as this trend continued, why wouldn't Napoleon love peace?

Speaking of the Department of Foreign Trade's Paris International Exposition of Imported and Exported Goods, preparations had been underway for several months. The venue was located just outside Paris in the direction of Versailles. In history, this area had been the property of nobles and was confiscated by the revolutionary government.

In the original timeline, to become emperor, Napoleon attempted to compromise with these old nobles and allowed them to return to France, returning a portion of their property. However, in this alternate timeline, Napoleon's path didn't require compromising with these individuals, and the land remained public property.

Napoleon sold the land at low prices to retired soldiers to gain control over the rural areas. In this region, more land was preserved for future facilities of the "Roman Empire." The location of the Paris International Exposition was chosen as the site for a civic square that Napoleon had prepared for the future.

A few months ago, this area was just wasteland. However, two new technologies had rapidly transformed the environment.

The first technology was cement.

The cement technology was not originally developed by the French. In 1756, British engineer J. Smithson discovered that to obtain hydraulic lime, limestone with clay had to be used for burning. The ideal mixture for mortar used in underwater construction was hydraulic lime and volcanic ash.

Based on this, in 1796, the British created the so-called "Roman cement" from marl. However, due to the high demands on marl, it wasn't widely used.

It wasn't until 1824 that the British, Joseph Aspdin, produced what's known as Portland cement (silicate cement) by burning limestone and clay. Cement technology finally gained widespread use.

However, since there was Joseph, destined to make future students hate him, the technology, with its limited complexity but significant impact, had to make its debut in France.

Napoleon also had a deep appreciation for cement because it could not only be used to construct sturdy fortresses but also to build wonders at a very low cost.

All those "great rulers" or "notorious tyrants" with a bit of a "spectacle" or "great achievement" syndrome, regardless of race, age, or culture, from Egypt's Khufu to Babylon's Nebuchadnezzar II, from China's Emperor Qin to Sui Dynasty's extravagant profligate, from the Khmer Empire's Suryavarman II to India's Shah Jahan, were enthusiasts of such grand spectacles. Of course, they all, to varying degrees, confirmed the later saying: "Your Majesty, grand spectacles can ruin a nation!"

Although Napoleon also had a great love for grand spectacles, he, being well-versed in history, was well aware of the rule that "grand spectacles can ruin a nation." So he had been striving to restrain his desire to create a spectacle.

During the wars with Britain, Prussia, and Austria, Napoleon captured many cannons. He had long wanted to emulate the Rhode Islanders and create a grand spectacle from captured enemy weapons. (In history, this was the Arc de Triomphe.) However, his brother heartlessly shattered that dream. The captured enemy weapons were indeed melted down, but they were turned into wires or something else.

But the appearance of cement once again made Napoleon see the possibility of creating wonders at a very low cost. Just think about it, the grand spectacles of ancient Rome were constructed by stacking enormous stones, each requiring cutting, carving, and hauling. One couldn't even imagine the amount of manpower and resources that went into it. But with cement, things became much easier.

The second technology, of course, was steel. With the development of steelmaking, there came steel rebars. Combined with cement, you got reinforced concrete. The business of the first steel mill was doing so well that the second steel mill of the Lorraine Iron and Steel Company quickly started production. With sufficient funds, there would be a third steel mill, a fourth, and so on.

Since Joseph and Napoleon mentioned the advantages of reinforced concrete construction, Napoleon's dream of creating wonders temporarily died but then resurrected. However, Joseph consistently emphasized that steel could make money and should be used where it could make money, which temporarily held back Napoleon's desire to create a spectacle.

But later, the plan for the Paris International Exposition of Imported and Exported Goods by the Department of Foreign Trade finally gave Napoleon a legitimate opportunity to create a spectacle.

Napoleon took the lead and gathered a group of artists and architects to design a large market with a Roman flavor. If it weren't for reinforced concrete, Napoleon estimated that this project would probably take decades to complete. With these materials, calculations showed that the first phase of the project could be completed in a few months, given a steady supply of materials. Most importantly, the idea of creating this grand market received unanimous approval from Joseph and Lucien.

Now, the first phase of the grand market project was almost complete, with only some finishing touches remaining. The first Paris International Exposition of Imported and Exported Goods would officially open here in just one month.

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