Life of Being a Crown Prince in France - Chapter 1553 - 1459: Master Against Master
In the Hall of Mirrors at the Berlin City Palace, a grand banquet is being held to celebrate Prince William III’s birthday.
Not only have the nobles from Prussia gathered here, but many other Northern German states have also sent envoys to extend their congratulations.
However, the Prussian Queen, who should have been one of the focal points of the banquet, left the hall early, citing excessive drinking as an excuse.
But she didn’t return to her bedroom to rest; instead, she appeared in a reception room on the second floor.
The French Governor of Essen sat elegantly on the sofa, smiling at Queen Louise: “Actually, we could have talked about these matters over drinks in the banquet hall, Your Majesty.”
Louise poured him a glass of wine herself and pushed three promissory notes in front of him: “The music is too loud. Some important things are better discussed here.”
Baron Trudeun picked up the promissory notes, glanced at the total amount of 400,000 taels, and showed no reaction on his face: “It seems I have a chance to serve you regarding the Alphonse-Boutin Steel Factory?”
“I would be immensely grateful.”
Baron Trudeun pushed the notes back: “You know, I can’t use these silver coins in Paris. If you could exchange them for francs, it would greatly assist me.
“Oh, and also, half needs to be prepaid. After all, this matter is not easy to handle.”
Louise hadn’t expected him to be so assertive and had to lean forward to retrieve the notes.
“Alright, if you insist…”
She had just spoken halfway when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the Frenchman’s gaze seemed to be slipping over her chest.
A smug smile flashed across her lips. Indeed, no man could resist her “substantial charms.”
She deliberately bent her waist lower, estimated the time, and then quickly sat back up: “But if you could make sure the Hebert Coking Plant doesn’t have to pay an extra 25% when buying coal, I am willing to give you more.”
Baron Trudeun’s eyes were a bit unfocused; after a moment, he replied: “Ah, you know, Your Majesty, getting coal to Cologne is already extremely difficult at the moment.”
Louise flashed a seductive smile: “Such a small matter can’t stump you, can it? Just name your price.”
Baron Trudeun took a sip of wine and shook his head: “Even Prince Charles is keeping an eye on the Alphonse-Boutin Steel Factory affair, so I can’t make big moves, therefore…”
Louise was stunned for a moment and then laughed with an exaggerated tremor: “You don’t need to worry about that. Prince Charles is one of ‘us.’ In fact, he’s also helping me with the technical association’s review issues.”
Baron Trudeun looked extremely surprised: “Prince Charles is helping you too?”
He then asked, puzzled, “Then why come to me?”
Louise waved helplessly: “Though he has a noble status, the people from the technical association don’t listen to him at all.”
Baron Trudeun nodded thoughtfully: “That makes sense. The Alphonse-Boutin Steel Factory issue involves a power struggle between the Technical Association and the Development Fund for control over the Ministry of Industry, mixed with the grudges of the Tax Bureau and the Trade Department.
“Prince Charles is too young, it’s hard for him to understand these complex interests.”
Louise suddenly understood why even her ‘trump card’ didn’t solve the problem, yet Charles couldn’t either.
She looked at the man in front of her again, quickly making a decision in her heart.
The next moment, she slowly leaned forward, let her waist bend a bit more, and said in a soft voice: “Will you help me, won’t you?”
The French Governor of Essen gulped, forcefully averting his gaze: “Well, I can try…”
More than ten days later.
The estate of Count Schloppen in Prussia was brightly lit, with melodious music playing.
Hundreds of nobles gathered here, all dressed in bizarre costumes and wearing various masks, evidently having a masquerade ball.
A lady, her whole face covered by a golden feathered-serpent mask, with a lithe figure, gracefully moved to the side of a man dressed as Dionysus, tiptoeing to whisper in his ear.
Immediately, the two let out a knowing laugh, joined hands, and made their way through the crowd towards the second-floor lounge.
The woman used a key to open the door to room 219, and the man impatiently embraced her inside, swiftly tearing off the masks from their faces, pressing his hot lips against hers.
From beneath the feathered-serpent mask, the stunning face of Queen Louise emerged. When she finally caught a break from the man’s passionate kiss, she breathlessly asked, “Darling, what do you think about that matter?”
The man was none other than Baron Trudeun.
He held her waist tightly, fervently seeking her tender lips, mumbling: “Soon, I’m smoothing things out…”
Indeed, after Baron Trudeun successfully “invited” the officials investigating the Alphonse Boutin Company to leave, and brought tens of thousands of tons of coal to the eagerly awaiting Prussia in Stendal.
This efficiency surpassed Charles by a magnitude.
Louise immediately realized that he was the true local power broker she needed.
At the same time, she keenly noticed the greed in Trudeun’s eyes for her, so she naturally used her best skills, making him kneel beneath her skirts in just three days.
Moreover, Trudeun himself sported a head of golden curls, was tall and handsome, spoke eloquently, and always carried the inherent elegance and romance of the French aristocracy, making her equally fond of him.
Thus, Berlin gained another pair of secret lovers.
What Louise didn’t anticipate was that Trudeun was exactly the one sent by the French Regent to seduce her.
Joseph didn’t just pick randomly.
This Baron’s exploits in Paris were famous in the Palace of Versailles for “adding four new mistresses in a day,” an absolute master in the field of romance.
But he ended up in the godforsaken place of Essen precisely because he simultaneously “bothered” two high-ranking noble ladies.
Louise thought she had “conquered” this master lover, but in truth, it was merely the result of Trudeun’s opportunistic maneuvering. If she hadn’t taken the initiative, Trudeun was still confident in establishing a lover relationship with her within a week.
Hearing this, Louise subtly leaned back her head, gently pushed him away, and playfully said: “Darling, could my sincere love not even compare to this small matter?”
Trudeun roughly pulled her back into his arms, wearing a seductive smile: “If I agree, how will you express your love for me?”
Louise was overjoyed at these words, shyly reaching towards a certain hidden area: “I will make you feel like you’re in paradise.”
Her previous request was to cancel the 25% markup on coal purchases for the Hebert Coking Plant. This would save countless costs for Prussia’s steel factories!
Meanwhile, in the ballroom of the masquerade, a servant painstakingly found his master among the crowd, stepped forward, and bowed: “Your Highness, Mr. Silvio invites you to play cards. Also with Earl Bender. They await you in room 218.”
