Chapter 1642 - 1548: Oil Fields Are a Good Thing

Chapter 1642: Chapter 1548: Oil Fields Are a Good Thing

The sound of a baby’s cry came from the bedroom.

Joseph gestured for Talleyrand to wait a moment and turned to enter the room.

Hmm, Little Mishu had a bowel movement...

The two nurses’ eyes lit up, pouncing towards the crib like hungry wolves fighting for food.

Madam Cruddiey clearly had the upper hand, maintaining her walking posture according to court etiquette throughout, yet reaching the swaddling just before the jogging Lady Laisade.

The "champion" wore a smug smile as she skillfully unfastened the safety pin on the oil-soaked silk outside the diaper, then swiftly folded the brown-stained fine flax inner layer and stuffed it into the maid’s bag before the smell spread.

Then came cleaning, dusting wheat flour on Mitchell’s little bottom, applying almond oil, padding a new inner diaper layer, wrapping with silk outer layer, and finally securing it with a pin.

Joseph hadn’t reached the crib yet, and the little prince was already asleep again, sucking his thumb.

Joseph was so amazed by Madam Cruddiey’s dazzling actions that he gave a silent thumbs up, thinking even with modern disposable diapers, he couldn’t be faster than her.

At this thought, he couldn’t help but pause. Hmm, how had he forgotten about making disposable diapers before?

Of course, disposable diapers were not for Little Mishu — no matter how high-end, disposable diapers couldn’t be more comfortable on the bottom than top-grade fine flax and flannel cloth diapers — but they had one huge advantage: they consumed quickly.

Even the priciest flax cloth diapers would suffice with four or five for a baby, whereas disposable diapers were used and tossed away.

Three a day, which means over a thousand a year!

That’s a massive business opportunity.

As for people finding them too expensive and continuing to use cloth diapers?

As long as Little Mishu used them twice in public, all the nobles in the Palace of Versailles with babies would buy several boxes the next day.

Plus, with slogans like "discard after contamination to maintain absolute purity," wealthy Europeans would surely follow suit.

Hmm, Little Mishu was only two days old, and he was already making waves in the business world.

Joseph gently closed the bedroom door, and Talleyrand apologized with a guilty face: "Your Highness, it must have been my voice that woke Prince, or should I come back in the afternoon?"

Joseph waved with a smile: "Please continue. Letting Mitchell listen to diplomatic affairs is good, let it be an early lesson."

Talleyrand sat back on the sofa with him, controlling his volume: "Your Highness, the rebellion in Haniz is about to be quelled, and Constantinople surely hopes to continue controlling their Holy City.

"Their envoys will likely propose that our country help persuade the Governor of Egypt to withdraw from Hijaz."

He paused, looking towards the Regent: "And your previous Middle Eastern strategy is to secretly support the Egyptians. I reckon the envoy from Cairo hopes Ali can be appointed Governor of Hijaz, or at least manage it on their behalf. This requires us to convince the Ottoman Sultan.

"So we need to determine our diplomatic direction for the future..."

Joseph nodded: "You also mentioned the envoy from Diriyah earlier. Their aim is to have us mediate so they can reach a ceasefire with Egyptian troops?"

Talleyrand pondered: "They probably wouldn’t overestimate their international standing. I suspect that Saudi merely wants our country to persuade the Egyptians not to annihilate them. They are utterly cornered to consider coming to Paris..."

Joseph signaled Eman to bring two cups of tea, then asked the Foreign Minister: "What would they use to persuade me?"

Talleyrand was surprised: "Your Highness, if I may say, it’s best not to engage with the people of Diriyah, as it would offend both the Ottomans and Cairo."

But Joseph continued: "Would Saudi offer to lease a small piece of land to us in exchange for Diriyah’s safety?"

"This..." Talleyrand, already used to not keeping up with the Regent’s thoughts, chose to give up thinking, "I think if you’re aiming for Qatif, he might hesitate, but for Daman or Avale, he would most likely agree."

Joseph picked up his teacup, smiling: "What about the Zaheeran area?"

"Za..." Talleyrand was a bit embarrassed, "Please forgive me, Your Highness, what location is this?"

Even less frequently mentioned places like Safra and Liva were somewhat familiar to him, but Zaheeran was a name he couldn’t recall.

In fact, it was not his lack of expertise, because Zaheeran, which would later gain worldwide fame as the Persian Gulf "super oil tank," was currently desolate. Apart from passing through here when heading east from the Arabian Peninsula to Qatif, it was rarely mentioned.

Joseph said: "A wasteland southeast of Qatif, spanning about 100 kilometers."

Talleyrand marked this area in his mind and nodded without hesitation: "Your Highness, I believe the Diriyah people would be willing to give you this land."

"Very well." Joseph had expected this response and instructed, "You were right, we should not directly contact the envoy from Diriyah.

"Have someone contact them and say..."

Talleyrand’s eyes widened immediately: "Your Highness, how is this possible?"

Joseph gestured for him to drink tea and continued: "Diplomatic protocol demands we show the necessary respect to the Ottomans, allowing only the Sultan’s envoy to attend Mitchell’s birth celebration. The Egyptian envoy will observe outside the Hall of Mirrors.

"Arrange for me to meet the Egyptians secretly at the hunting ground in four days."

...

November 14th.

Joyful yet dignified music resonated in the Hall of Mirrors, showcasing the remarkable skills of the court musicians.

Even during the day, all the gas lamps in the hall were lit, the pure white light illuminating the exquisite murals on the walls and ceilings, making the figures within seem ready to leap out at any moment.

Long tables were set along the hall, silver tableware and Sèvres porcelain plates arranged as neatly as the formations of the French Guard. The bustling servants placed various delicacies on the tables.

The birth celebration of the Crown Prince’s eldest son was almost the most significant event in Europe at the time — countries had sent representatives to be stationed in Paris as soon as the Crown Princess became pregnant, all to come and celebrate now.

Soon, the surrounding music softened, and Louis XVI, surrounded by nobles, delivered an opening address spanning seven sentences.

Following that, Papal Envoy Archbishop Antonelli reached the front of the hall, raising his hands slowly and said: "By the grace of Jesus, Your Majesties, the Holy See offers its most sincere praises to you and the Queen. Jesus blesses the Lily Royal Family, bringing forth the rightful heir and continuing the divine kingship from Saint Louis..."

Then the representatives from other nations rose in succession.

"This divine gift of offspring is not only a blessing for the House of Bourbon but a portent for all of Europe..." This from the Spanish Foreign Minister.

"May Jesus grant the Prince longevity, wisdom, and justice, bringing glory to this blessed land..." This from the Prince of Parma.