SWDnovel Chapter 118 Prince Conte
Chapter 118 Prince Conte
Chapter 118 Prince Conte
You can make a profit by operating land.
Engaging in trade yields three times the profit.
Investing in industry can yield tenfold returns.
Investing in finance can yield returns of a hundredfold.
Investing in politics and nations can yield returns of tens of thousands of times!
This principle was already demonstrated by Fan Xin and Lü Buwei two thousand years ago.
So how should one invest in politics in mid-18th century France?
It's certainly not about finding leaders from the early days of the French Revolution and then investing in them.
On the contrary, the right thing to do is to establish personal relationships with the current French royal family and nobility and gain their support!
This sounds like it's going against the tide of history?
But this was a choice Chen Wenbin made after careful consideration.
The reason is not complicated: the variables involved in investing in Danton and Robespierre are simply too great!
First, Chen Wenbin was unsure whether these people would rise to prominence in the same way as in the original timeline. Second, even if they did rise to prominence, it would be after the American Revolutionary War, and there was no guarantee that they would keep their promises—how many of those who become trendsetters in the tide of history are good people who keep their promises?
Betrayal and betrayal are the standard practices of politicians.
But establishing relations with the current French royal family and nobility, and gaining some of their support, is a completely different story.
Not only will it be much easier to recruit artisans and scholars in France.
More importantly, once the North American independence movement rises, Chen Wenbin's personal relationship with the French royal family could become the key to breaking the deadlock in the North American colonies!
In the early stages of any rebellion, the person who controls a strong channel for external support, even if not the leader of the group, is definitely a member of the core leadership.
In the original timeline, this role was played by Benjamin Franklin, who, as a diplomatic ambassador, represented the Continental Congress in Paris to negotiate the Franco-American alliance and aid to North America.
He successfully completed his mission, helping Washington, the commander of the Continental Army in North America, secure substantial French aid and mercenaries.
However, because Franklin was neither from a prominent New England family nor a core member of the Virginia gang, and had little influence within the Continental Army in Washington, he ultimately did not leave behind a powerful Franklin family.
All of this was not a problem for Chen Wenbin. He had sufficient wealth and status, and plenty of time to develop farms, industry, and militia in the west. Furthermore, he had control of French aid channels—
Although he is unlikely to become the first president, there is still a great chance that he could, like the John Adams family, train his son to run for president and establish an American "Robin Chen" dynasty.
At noon on November 9th.
Chen Wenbin and Franklin, dressed in their finest attire, left their royal residence to attend a salon hosted by Countess Bouvet at the Palais des Saintesses in Paris.
Countess Buffle was the mistress of Louis-François de Bourbon, the sixth Prince of Conti. This prince was first appointed as the commander of the army by Louis XV in the War of the Austrian Succession in 1741 and achieved some results. Polish nobles once elected him as king, but he did not succeed to the throne.
In 1755, on the eve of the Seven Years' War, Prince Conti firmly opposed Madame de Pompadour's policy of allying with Austria and waging war against Prussia and Britain, thus offending Louis XV, who did not allow him to command any battles in the Seven Years' War. Their relationship deteriorated further after the war.
What the prince enjoys most now is spending time in salons with Enlightenment thinkers such as Diderot and Hume, offering them patronage.
Even after Jean-Jacques Rousseau openly humiliated Madame de Pompadour in his works and was wanted by France, it was Prince Conti who sheltered him and sent him to exile in Prussia.
It is no exaggeration to say that this cousin of Louis XV is tirelessly undermining the foundations of Louis XV and the French monarchy, seemingly without any concern that the Bourbon family's rule in France will one day collapse and crush him along with them.
As soon as the two sat down in the carriage, Franklin noticed that Chen Wenbin wasn't wearing a ring, so he raised his hand and gestured, "—Robin, didn't I tell you to wear a ring? It's our membership certificate. Prince Conte is also a member, and wearing a ring will make him trust us more."
The ring he was referring to was, of course, a Freemason's ring.
Chen Wenbin also had one, which he received when he joined the organization in Providence. It was given to him by the old fat man himself, but he felt that the thing was really useless, so he casually tossed it to Diana for safekeeping.
Anyway, now that Doctor Chen is traveling in Europe, he can receive the courtesy of European royalty and nobility as long as he reveals his name, without having to use his Freemasonry status to make connections.
Would Prince Conte, a Freemason and his major financial backer, make things difficult for him just because he wasn't wearing a ring?
Are you kidding me?
Modern Freemasonry is essentially a semi-public club composed of a group of marginal elites in Europe and North America (including nobles, intellectuals, and businessmen). Joining is like joining a social group and gaining access to a network of connections.
That's right!
At this time, Freemasonry was an open association!
In the UK and North America, Freemasons can openly recruit new members and hold meetings.
Although there were bans in France and the Protestant states of the Holy Roman Empire, no one cared, and Freemasonry was basically open about it. It was only banned in Spain, Portugal, and places where the Catholic Church was powerful.
Therefore, Freemasonry is no different in essence from all other small circles and secret societies. It is only because of the inclusion of these nobles and elites that Freemasonry appears so powerful, not because Freemasonry itself is so great.
Given Lord Chen's current status and position, even if he weren't a Freemason, he would still have friends who would actively invite him to join the circle.
So when he heard Franklin's question, he just shrugged indifferently and said, "I gave the ring to Diana for safekeeping, I don't have it with me."
Benjamin, it doesn't matter whether we have a ring or not. I think we should think about how to persuade the Prince to invest in real estate and plantations in New Orleans!
I've heard that Prince Conte is famously wealthy within the French royal family!
Upon hearing this, Franklin said helplessly, "Robin, do you know that New Orleans has been secretly ceded to Spain by France?"
How could Prince Conte possibly listen to you and invest in real estate and plantations there?
"Why is it impossible?"
Chen Wenbin smiled slightly: "As long as the project has a promising future and high profits, there will be people willing to invest."
New Orleans is located at the mouth of the Mississippi River, with Cuba and Jamaica, major sugar and tobacco producing countries, to the southeast. This geographical location determines that it is bound to become a rising new continent city, and investing there now will surely yield rich returns.
Moreover, of New Orleans' more than two thousand residents, half were enslaved Native Americans and a small number of free people, the rest were French immigrants. I think Prince Conte would certainly not tolerate them being bullied by the Spanish.
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