From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

"That's easy, Your Excellency."

Mayor Josip patted his chest and promised that Marseille is already a prosperous free port city, and those bourgeois have countless merchant ships. Mayor Josip only needs to go and say hello, and with the guarantee of the city hall, he will soon be there. Several large merchant ships can be borrowed easily.

"very good."

Lawrence raised his glass with satisfaction and touched Mayor Yosip again. After thinking for a while, he said:

"Then, we can start our second cooperation. I am ready to make a large-scale investment in Marseille."

Mayor Yosip's eyes lit up as he was waiting for Lawrence's words.

Having served as a city councilor in a commercial city like Marseille for more than ten years, City Councilor Josip knows very well that the behavior that can best gain support from businessmen, industrial owners, small citizens and even workers is undoubtedly investment promotion. Attract investment.

After all, no one would hate being hit on the head by a lot of livres, and no one would refuse the flow of capital being poured into his body.

Based on outside financial estimates of the Corsican Silver Company and financial reports disclosed by the Paris Stock Exchange, Mayor Josip speculated that Lawrence had at least 15 million livres in liquidity, and even only half of this money flowed into Marseille is enough to set off a carnival among the bourgeoisie of the city.

Mayor Yosip suppressed the excitement in his heart, squeezed the quill in his hand, and asked in a trembling voice:

"Marseille welcomes all capital injections, sir, especially your investment."

This is not a compliment. The Corsican National Silver Company owned by Lawrence has become a presence that cannot be ignored in the eyes of investors in Paris and even France. Under this circumstance, Lawrence’s new round of investment is bound to attract investors. Many investors paid attention and followed up.

The benefits brought by this reputation effect will even far exceed the benefits brought to Marseille by Lawrence's own investment funds.

"So, where do you want to invest? Marseille is truly a city of opportunity, Your Excellency."

Mayor Yosip enthusiastically recommended Lawrence:

"Agriculture is the first choice of many nobles. After all, they don't understand business and capital at all, hahaha, but it is indeed a very good choice. Buying land, hiring tenant farmers, and managing manors. Investment in land is always a sure profit. Of course, if you feel that the return on land investment is too slow, you can also try ocean trading. A merchant ship traveling between Marseille and Guangzhou, China can bring a profit rate of 400%, but the risks involved require you to It’s up to you to measure it; there’s also handicrafts, we have the best craftsmen and inventors in France.”

Listening to this series of introductions, Lawrence couldn't help but sigh. Mayor Josip has indeed climbed from a low-level official to his current position step by step. He can be said to be well aware of the development of business and trade in Marseille.

However, Lawrence has already had his own plans for the initial investment layout in Marseille.

After Mayor Yosip spoke for a long time like he was singing an opera, Lawrence took advantage of the break when he was drinking to soothe his throat and interrupted with a wave of his hand:

"It sounds like there are many opportunities in Marseille, but I already have my own ideas, Mr. Alderman."

"Really? Please let Your Excellency Bonaparte make it clear. I will immediately coordinate the merchant guilds and industrial owners to select the most suitable investment target for you."

Mayor Josip looked at Lawrence curiously and said, he was also a little curious about what kind of investment insights this Monsignor Bonaparte, who was stirring up trouble in the Paris financial world, would have.

However, to the city official's surprise, Lawrence said slowly:

"I want to open an arsenal in Marseille."

"arsenal?"

Mayor Yosip really didn't expect this answer.

In his opinion, the weapons and equipment of the French Army are produced in designated military factories. The weapons produced by private military factories can almost only be sold to mercenaries or exported abroad, and the market is very small.

Even this tiny market often faces competition from the excess production capacity of the royal arsenal.

Moreover, the production of muskets in this era does not actually have much technical content. It basically relies on the hands of gunsmiths. Even the so-called high-quality standard equipment is just made by some experienced craftsmen who try to follow the same standards. Just production.

This situation was still the case in the Napoleonic era. After all, the technical content of musket production was not high.

It was not until later, due to the invention and popularization of mercury flash caps and striker guns, that the mechanical precision requirements for firearm production were greatly increased, and firearms evolved from a handicraft product to a modern industrial product.

"Your Excellency Bonaparte, are you sure?" Mayor Yosip scratched his head in confusion and said cautiously:

"There are indeed several firearms workshops in Marseille, and some large industrial owners will also include firearms production as part of their business scope. However, what they produce are exquisite handicraft firearms. It is difficult for these workshops to form a prosperous industry. That is, Because profit margins are too low and the market is too small.”

In the opinion of the city official, whether it was to pursue profits or to arm the Corsican army, Lawrence did not need to set up a special arsenal. After all, if it was for the latter, he could completely rely on imported weapons to arm them. There were only a few Thousands of Corsican troops.

Lawrence chuckled and nodded to confirm that his request to establish an arsenal was naturally not for profit.

As early as two years ago, when Lawrence was still a major in the National Defense Forces, he collaborated with Major Cui Fali, a gunsmith, to invent the Mini bullet that could be initially used in actual combat. There is now a team of dozens of people on the island of Corsica. A team of precision shooters at scale.

This new type of bullet with its tail filled with sawdust has given the already lonely rifled gun its actual combat performance, and in the past two years, Major Trifali has basically completed the redesign and transformation of the old rifled gun so that it can Better adapted to Mini projectile firing.

In Major Trifali's test, the loading speed of this new rifled gun is almost the same as that of an ordinary smoothbore gun, and there is no difference in the loading process. It does not require soldiers to carry a hammer to hammer bullets into the chamber like the old rifled guns. Go inside.

In other words, when these new rifled guns are put into the hands of veterans with rich actual combat experience, they can achieve a rapid rate of fire of three rounds per minute like smoothbore guns, but the accuracy of the new rifled guns is far beyond Of muskets.

Higher accuracy means longer engagement distance, higher killing efficiency and a more significant impact on morale.

When a group of precision shooters fully equipped with new rifled guns appears on the battlefield, their attack on the line infantry will be devastating.

Today, the situation in the Mediterranean is still tense, and the situation in the Kingdom of Naples shows no signs of improvement. The British are also constantly strengthening their presence in the central Mediterranean, which makes Lawrence have to consider strengthening Corsica's own military power.

For the Corsican Defense Force, which has reached 4,000 people, expanding the army in a short period of time is of little significance. On the contrary, it will further increase the financial burden.

Therefore, improving the strength of the National Defense Forces in terms of weapons, equipment and new tactics has become the most feasible option.

The reason for setting up an arsenal in Marseille to produce new rifled guns and Mini bullets is also very simple. There is a shortage of gunsmiths in Corsica, and the acquisition of production raw materials is not as convenient as in Marseille. What Lawrence cares about is to make this new weapon available as soon as possible. To equip the troops, they can only choose Marseille, which is more productive.

After the situation stabilizes, development issues can be considered. Only then can Marseille's industries be gradually transferred back to Corsica to provide Corsicans with jobs with higher value.

As for whether this new weapon would be imitated by other countries and used against him, Lawrence was not too worried.

After all, in this era of the 18th century, countries were not so sensitive to technological progress. Historically, the Mini bomb was rejected by the British Army several times after its invention, and it was not popularized by all countries until thirty years after its invention.

Even in the mid-19th century, when the Prussians invented the epoch-making breech-loaded striker gun, a Swiss officer showed strong resistance to it, saying, "A gun, like a person, should be eaten with the mouth, not with the mouth." Eat with your butt”

It can be seen that those useless officers who came from aristocrats and entered the army relying on their blood and family could not realize the impact of weapon changes on war from the beginning.

By the time other countries learn from the experience and decide to imitate new rifled guns, Lawrence believes that he will be able to iteratively produce a new generation of precision firearms by then.

"I need to produce a new type of weapon in Marseille." Lawrence shrugged and did not explain much to Mayor Yosip.

"New weapons? That's it." After hearing this explanation, Mayor Yosip also understood a little bit.

Marseille is a city full of innovation. Hundreds of inventors and craftsmen live here to explore new possibilities in mechanical technology. Even more than ten years ago, an inventor from Marseille made a steam-powered advancement. The front of the car.

The gunsmiths living here often come up with imaginative inventions. From shield guns with built-in shields to six-barreled muskets that can fire six bullets at a time, almost all kinds of strange new weapons can be found here. Mayor Yosip thought that the new weapons Lawrence was talking about were nothing more than this.

"Okay. The arsenal is also a good choice, especially since you have such a close relationship with the Duke of Choiseul. You might be able to get a special supply right for the army. That way you won't have to worry about sales and price."

Mayor Yosip hesitated again and again, but still did not continue to dissuade Lawrence, so he had no choice but to say:

"Are you planning to set up a new factory or acquire a workshop? Marseille's gun workshops are famous for building high-quality firearms. A large workshop has almost hundreds of craftsmen."

"The production capacity of hundreds of people is almost enough." Lawrence made some calculations, nodded and said:

"Then I would like to ask Mr. Mayor to choose a suitable workshop for me to purchase. The price is not an issue."

The full acquisition of such a firearms workshop would not cost more than 300,000 livres. For Lawrence, who was in urgent need of new rifled guns to be put into production, the price would be completely acceptable if the price fluctuated a bit.

"It is my honor to serve you, Your Excellency." Mayor Yosip said as he wrote. After confirming for the last time that the contents of the memo were correct, he breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and bowed:

"Then, Your Excellency Bonaparte, please stay temporarily in the city hall. I will send someone to contact the relevant property owners for you."

The next day, September 13th

Mayor Yosip's work efficiency was really satisfactory. Before ten o'clock in the morning, he sent someone to Lawrence's residence and informed him that he had contacted a qualified property owner who was willing to sell his workshop.

In the afternoon of that day, Lawrence, accompanied by Grosso, went to visit the large firearms workshop with Mayor Yosip.

The workshop is located next to the Port of Marseille, with a hardened road leading directly to the dock, making logistics and transportation very convenient.

The area of ​​the workshop itself is estimated to be more than 2,000 square meters. It is a large double-story red brick factory building with a basement. There are several vacant lots for sale around it. Mayor Yosip promised to sell these lands to Lawrence first. It will also be very convenient to expand production scale in the future.

The owner here is a property owner in his sixties, and this workshop is also his only property. Because he is old and has no energy to run it anymore, he wants to sell it to get money for retirement.

When he learned that it was indeed His Excellency Bonaparte who came to purchase his workshop, the industrial owner was enthusiastic and flattered. He personally led the group to visit every corner of the factory and showed Lawrence the products they produced. Samples of pistols and muskets.

Although Major Trifari, who is a skilled gunsmith, is not around, Grosso is also a well-informed and experienced gun user. In his opinion, the production quality of this workshop is indeed high enough to be called superior. .

"I dare say that every sailor wants a pistol like this in his belt." Grosso said with some fondness, holding a gold-inlaid pistol with a nanmu handle.

With Grosso and Mayor Yosip speaking highly of each other, and Lawrence himself having a good impression of the workshop, the subsequent acquisition negotiations went extremely smoothly.

Lawrence made little counter-offer and quickly reached an acquisition price of 245,000 livres. He signed the contract on the spot in the presence of Mayor Josip and signed a bank draft directly to the man. An ecstatic property owner.

After completing the acquisition, Lawrence immediately wrote a text message and entrusted his entourage to send it back to Corsica, ordering Major Trifali, who was stationed in the southern town of Figari, to immediately set off to Marseille and begin taking over the workshop to produce the new rifled gun he designed.

Since the Battle of Figari has been over for some time, and Lawrence has learned that the southern landowners did not escape successfully but were imprisoned by Baron Bertula, there is no need for Major Trifali in Figari. Having led a heavy garrison, Lawrence could safely summon him to Marseilles.

For this major who has put countless efforts into the design of firearms, he must have been waiting for a long time, hoping to put his design into practical production and let the name Cui Fali bloom with the flames of the gun in front of the people of the entire European continent. .

Looking at the red brick factory building in front of him, Lawrence vaguely felt that the first appearance of these new rifled guns was most likely on the land of the Kingdom of Naples.