Chapter 287: The Happy People of France
Joseph rubbed his ears and set down the draft of the France-Austria Trade Agreement, frowning as he looked toward the large floor-to-ceiling window. Although the window was tightly closed, it couldn't block out the thunderous cheers coming from Versailles Square.
He suddenly remembered that today was the final of the Star of France competition and sighed, realizing that he would need to go to the Tuileries Palace if he wanted to get any work done.
Emond quickly approached and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, the Queen has sent someone to remind you that the competition is about to start."
Joseph nodded, stretched, and let the servants help him change his clothes before heading to the square. Since he couldn't focus on his work, he decided to join his mother and watch the competition—she was particularly fond of these events.
As he stepped out of the doors of Versailles Palace, he heard the loud voices coming from the marble courtyard:
"No, you need to put more emotion into it! Especially the part about your father's passing..."
"At that time, my father had to work five jobs to support my dancing. He worked until midnight and got up at 5 AM to go to the workshop."
"Even though I don't have a right hand, no family, and few friends, I still have my voice. Singing is everything to me..."
"It's true! That day, I heard the voice of God... So I regained my confidence, returned to the competition, and finally succeeded! Thank you, God!"
Joseph shook his head with a smile, realizing that these were the contestants preparing for the final. The marble courtyard was currently being used as their preparation area.
To maximize the drama of the competition, Joseph had previously requested that all contestants share a personal story before their performance—the more emotional, the better.
What he hadn't expected was that the French people of the 18th century were quick learners. After just a few rounds of competition, everyone realized the importance of the "pre-performance story." When two contestants had similar singing and dancing abilities, the one with the more touching story would win. In fact, if the story was moving enough, it could outweigh even raw talent.
As a result, the contestants' stories became increasingly dramatic, and it was rumored that playwrights were now making money by writing "pre-performance stories" for the contestants.
This also greatly increased the popularity of the competition, making it a sensation not only in France but across Europe. The Star of France organizing committee even compiled these contestants' stories into a book, which was selling like hotcakes, with three issues already released.
The temporary wooden grandstands surrounded the large stage in the center of Versailles Square. Designed to seat over 5,000 people, the stands were so packed that each seat held two people, with many more spectators standing around the edges, craning their necks to see the stage.
To accommodate the Star of France competition, the Paris City Hall had even required all workshops and shops to give their employees at least one day off during the three-day final, significantly boosting the number of spectators.
As Joseph made his way to the VIP section of the stands, escorted by the Royal Guard, the crowd recognized him and bowed in respect.
Joseph sat down beside Queen Marie and casually chatted with her about the competition, which reminded him of the time he had watched a fencing match with Clementine on King Louis XVI's birthday. He realized that having a lively companion, like his young cousin, made such events more enjoyable.
However, he also felt a sense of relief that his cousin had returned to Austria, as he was genuinely concerned that the Queen might force an arranged marriage between them, which, given his knowledge of modern genetics, would have been a disaster.
As a loud trumpet fanfare echoed around the square, followed by the sound of drums and violins, the Countess of Provence, Louis XVI's sister-in-law, stepped onto the stage to officially announce the start of the Star of France final.
The host then recounted the ups and downs of the qualifying rounds, encouraging the contestants to give their best performances.
The stands were filled with hundreds of reporters from various countries, furiously scribbling down notes on the competition. This event was the talk of the town—whoever got their article published first would see their newspaper sales soar.
The French spectators were ecstatic, cheering non-stop or being moved to tears by the contestants' performances, fully immersed in what had become a grand celebration. All their daily worries and hardships were momentarily forgotten.
In fact, ever since the preliminaries two months ago, the lives of the French people had been filled with nothing but these contestants and their well-received songs and dances.
During this time, the people of France were arguably the happiest in all of Europe. Nowadays, unless someone was on the brink of starvation, they wouldn't even consider participating in a revolution.
Joseph looked at the young performers singing and dancing on stage, then glanced at the thousands of entranced spectators around him. He nodded to himself, confirming that the strategy of keeping the populace entertained was indeed effective.
He then thought about what events could follow Star of France—perhaps a national sports competition or even a European-wide tournament. Promoting popular sports among the people would not only keep them fit but also provide an outlet for their emotions.
It could even stimulate the economy.
He mentally reviewed the current sports: horse riding, fencing, tennis, golf... They all seemed to be sports for the nobility, with cricket being the only one that could be popularized among the general populace.
He sighed inwardly, realizing that he might need to "invent" soccer for this era.
However, given the time period, leather soccer balls would still be too expensive for the average person.
Joseph started planning in his mind—perhaps the government could allocate some funds to purchase public soccer balls for each parish, making them available to everyone.
A smile crept onto his face as he imagined the possibility of seeing a World Cup in the 18th century. Could the French Football League even start early?
He could even form a professional team. The Paris Prince's Team? The thought excited him.
Coupled with the upcoming Louis Awards and the new Paris Fashion Week, France would be packed with events throughout the year.
Suddenly, Joseph slapped his thigh. Yes, this would undoubtedly drive up property prices in Paris. He needed to quickly plan new real estate projects. It would be the perfect opportunity to develop the land between Paris and Versailles as part of the city's expansion. That would be a gold mine!
Three days later.
The Star of France competition concluded with Aurélien Tona, a young man from Brittany, winning the championship.
The runner-up was a businessman from Paris, and the third place went to a junior clerk from Bordeaux.
It wasn't that commoners were particularly talented, but most nobles were too arrogant to compete alongside them, so they didn't sign up.
However, when the nobility saw Tona receiving his trophy and a 30,000-livre prize from the Countess of Provence amid the cheers of thousands, and being invited to join the royal orchestra, they were filled with regret. They silently vowed to participate in next year's Star of France competition. After all, what's a noble's pride worth compared to 30,000 livres?
(End of Chapter)
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