[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france":3,"chapter-life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1410":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Life of Being a Crown Prince in France",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},386907,646,"Chapter 1409 - 1315: Stimulating Consumption","life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1410",1410,"\u003Cp>Soon, the elegantly dressed waiter pushed a copper cart and brought the first course—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a rich red lamb minced wheat soup, and garlic-covered oysters baked to a golden hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Walsh warmly introduced to her cousin and his wife: \"These are the most popular dishes in the Palace of Versailles. The Chorba soup from North Africa, with a slightly spicy flavor. And the ever-popular ’Crown Prince Oysters’, truly a gift from Jesus.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skills of the former Imperial Chef were absolutely impeccable. Brode swallowed a few mouthfuls so eagerly that he nearly forgot basic etiquette, his knife and fork a blur of motion. His wife coughed softly beside him to remind him to mind his manners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second course was roast pigeon and Spanish almond puff pastry cream, followed by a dessert of nut-crust chocolate ice cream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s said this is the Crown Prince’s favorite dessert; he almost eats three servings every day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Brode was done with the meal, Walsh tipped the waiter 5 francs—a sum so large that it pained Brode. Well, if he knew the meal cost a staggering 180 francs, he might not have been able to hold back a shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they got into the carriage, Walsh pointed to a brightly lit street not far away and winked at Brode:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, let’s start the real entertainment. I promise you’ll enjoy it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter assumed they were about to experience some \"unspeakable\" activities and quickly gestured with his eyes at the two ladies sitting opposite them, whispering: \"Cough, shouldn’t we send them back first?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Back?\" Walsh shook his head, \"They’ll have their fun, and we’ll go to another place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brode’s eyes went wide, with only one thought in his head: The French sure know how to have fun, but if that’s the case, Sylvia is sure to have a huge argument with him when they return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... is this really okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, it’s okay,\" Walsh said as their carriage stopped in front of a shop with flashing neon lights at its entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured for his cousin to step out and told his wife, \"We’re going in. You and Sylvia can head to the usual place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, dear. See you later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nervously, Brode walked under the colorful gas lamps into the shop, stealing a glance at the two pretty young ladies holding the door open for him. A thought ran through his mind: The girls in Paris sure are prettier than those in The Hague!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walsh greeted the shop owner warmly: \"This is my cousin; please prepare the most expensive service for him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Certainly, esteemed Earl.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walsh had spent a fortune to buy himself an Earl title when France’s nobility sales were still unchecked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brode turned his head toward the two girls by the entrance, swallowed hard, and thought to himself: Now that I’m already here, I can’t let my cousin’s kind intentions go to waste. Sylvia will surely understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than ten minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brode lay on a soft recliner, letting out a satisfied hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How’s the pace, sir? Want me to speed it up a bit?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brode raised a hand to wave him off, humming, \"Just like this, keep going, don’t stop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blond young man standing behind him nodded with a smile. He scraped up a handful of lather from Brode’s chin and applied it on his forehead, then started rubbing Brode’s cheeks vigorously using a cleanser mixed with yogurt and essential oils for lubrication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, the blond youth paused to mix a powder with oil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brode exhaled deeply as Walsh, lying next to him, introduced: \"This is the ’Oriental Cleanser’ brought to the Palace of Versailles by the Crown Prince. How is it, pretty nice, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, this actually originated from a time when Joseph, busy with work, wanted to relax by doing a facial treatment he had tried in a past life—an Indian-style cleanser. He didn’t expect it to become a nationwide leisure trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Brode could respond, the face-washing technician applied a paste to his face and began the second round of rubbing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After who knows how long, with his face scrubbed to a shiny glow, Brode followed his cousin out of the Oriental Cleanser shop, feeling as if a layer of his skin had been scrubbed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced again at the young lady by the door, eagerly asking: \"Where to next?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just across the street.\" Walsh pointed confidently towards the opposite side of the street, \"This will be even more pleasant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside, Brode was quickly seated in a chair. A barber-like man applied something unknown to his hair and then set his head on fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brode was so frightened he nearly jumped up, but the barber was experienced enough to hold him down: \"Don’t worry, sir. There’s no danger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a rapid combing motion, the fire on the Dutchman’s head was extinguished, leaving his hair slightly curled at the ends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, after the Indian-style facial cleanser became popular, Joseph had introduced the Indian-style fire haircut, though he never tried it himself—after experiencing it during travel once in a past life, his hair smelled burnt for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the haircut, it was time for a hair wash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just any simple wash, but with a special cleansing solution, repeatedly massaged and washed, taking a full half-hour to complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his entire head feeling rejuvenated, Brode was again led by his cousin into an adjacent massage parlor for a luxurious full-body massage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Mrs. Walsh and the other lady were just stepping out of a beauty spa, chatting and smiling as they walked into a nearby nail salon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just half the evening, the four of them had spent over 300 francs on this street alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, boosting the economy isn’t just about expanding industrial production; stimulating consumption is equally important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This street was the most famous spot in Paris for \"Elegant Living\" leisure and entertainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, there were just a few barber shops and Hindu-style face cleansing parlors. Under Joseph’s planning and promotion, it expanded to take up most of the street, featuring over 60 different types of specialty leisure venues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even during the first half of this year’s wartime, it contributed 17,000 francs monthly to France’s treasury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the war’s end and tourists from provinces and foreign countries flocking to Paris, revenue here is set to multiply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far to the north of \"Elegant Living Street\" lay the Champs-Elysees, which has become a shopping paradise in Paris.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joseph also instructed Paris City Hall to plan a \"Gourmet Street\" on the eastern side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, as Brode sat in a carriage, he was still reminiscing about the previous night’s extravagant enjoyments, which were far more entertaining than the usual banquets and balls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walsh, still full of interest, continued talking about the play they were about to see—they were heading to the Royal Theater of France.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brode finally remembered the most important reason for his trip to Paris and, seizing a break in the conversation, awkwardly interjected: \"Um, dear cousin, I actually have something quite challenging to deal with, but right now only you can help me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He went on to describe the difficult situation of his family’s business: \"If you could lend me 7,000 British Pounds, oh, even 5,000 would do, it would be like saving my life. I’m willing to pay you 8% interest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1221,"2026-05-30T06:21:40.395Z","2026-06-01T04:30:32.127Z",1,"novelbin.me","661cc8f3a246705e4160d840065c6ce93e8fedc3609095e161b0ab90fff9b227","life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1411","life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1409",1568,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flife-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-cover.jpg"]