In the reception room on the west side of the Cathedral, Archbishop Beaumont was full of astonishment, “Your Highness, how can this be possible?
“There’s absolutely no way potatoes could appear on the Passover table…”
He was referring to the scene depicted in the painting of ‘The Last Supper’—where Jesus sat with his twelve disciples on Passover, sharing their final meal together before he publicly announced that one of them would betray him.
Joseph smiled and said, “Archbishop Beaumont, how do you know there were no potatoes on that table then?”
“This…”
“I believe the earliest depiction of ‘The Last Supper’ only showed the Lord holding a piece of bread in his hand. It wasn’t until Da Vinci’s famous painting that the variety of food began to enrich. Therefore, it’s acceptable to add one more kind, right?”
A senior priest cautiously interjected from the side, “Your Highness, as far as I’m aware, there probably were no potatoes in Jerusalem before the day of the Crucifixion…”
Joseph immediately stood up, filled with righteous indignation, “What are you saying? Are you questioning the omniscience and omnipotence of the Lord? How could anything exist in this world that the Lord has neither seen nor tasted—especially something as common as potatoes which even you have eaten!”
The priest was startled, hastily retreating and feverishly making the sign of the cross on his chest, continuously praying for the Lord’s forgiveness for his sins, asserting he did not mean to doubt the Lord.
Archbishop Beaumont was stunned for a moment before he found a breakthrough, quickly saying, “Your Highness, the potato has never been mentioned in the Bible, so I believe it’s not suitable to be included in the painting.”
Joseph turned around and showed him a warm smile, “Archbishop, the tea you drink every day is also not mentioned in the Bible. The corn that the poor people of Paris rely on for survival is also not recorded in the Bible. However, these too are gifts from the Lord, and we have nothing to do but thank Him, Amen.”
He made the sign of the cross on his chest and the surrounding clergy hurriedly followed suit: “Amen.”
“But,” Beaumont, who had been unmatched for decades in interpreting scripture for the faithful, had never encountered someone as cunning as the Crown Prince and immediately mustered the professional spirit of the clergy to rebut, “Your Highness, although many things are not recorded in the Bible, we can still find their like within its pages.
“For instance, tea belongs to the category of tree leaves, and corn is of the same kind as grains. As long as they are of the same kind…”
Joseph, well-prepared on his way over, immediately replied, “Archbishop, you are correct. The Bible records that the root of rotem can be used as food, and the potato is of the same kind. You see, they’re both tuberous things dug out from the ground.”
“That’s not…”
Another senior priest said at length, “Your Highness, all edible crops in the world are formed through the intermingling of male and female, propagating thereafter. Grains, corn, and tea leaves are all thus. But the potato, which does not differentiate between male and female, and can propagate simply by cutting a piece of itself, is surely an object of profanity…”
Joseph turned around, smiling and said, “You might discuss this matter with Count Lamark. I believe he would be delighted to enlighten you.”
Beaumont glared at the priest. Being highly knowledgeable, he of course knew that potatoes also produced flowers and seeds, but that they simply grew too slowly for people to bother cultivating them.
Seeing that the clergy had fallen silent, Joseph waved his hand emphatically, “Everything in this world is created and bestowed by the Lord, and potatoes are no different.
“I trust you all know that potatoes have saved countless lives in Prussia, Austria, and other places. This shows that potatoes are a food the Lord uses to save humanity, a sign of His mercy.
“Your mission is to help people accept the Lord’s gifts, and thereby grow more grateful and devout, is it not?”
He glanced at the many lower-ranking clergy who were eavesdropping outside the room and proclaimed loudly, “This time it’s not just about adding two potatoes to the painting. The government has decided to promote potato cultivation throughout France, and we need the Church to send people to assist, to tell the farmers that this is a gift from the Lord.
All clergy who help with the promotion will receive a subsidy of ten livres per month.
“Moreover, in the regions you are responsible for, if the population has a high acceptance of potatoes, the local Church will also receive a reward of 300 livres.”
Beaumont saw the Priest outside bubbly with excitement, hesitated for a long while, and finally let out a long sigh, saying to Joseph, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, perhaps you are right, potatoes can be added to ‘The Last Supper’.”
However, he silently shook his head in his heart: It won’t make any difference, even if the Church agrees, those people won’t let their land be planted with potatoes.
…
Soon, the new version of ‘The Last Supper’ appeared in the oil painting shops of Paris. In the picture, in front of Jesus, two potatoes conspicuously appeared on the plate, and in front of Peter, a small bowl of mashed potatoes was added.
All the major newspapers in Paris also began to publish this painting. Although it was in black and white, and the engraving was not very fine, those two uneven spherical objects could be recognized as potatoes by anyone.
In front of Barnaby, the Imperial Chef’s “Whirlwind Potato Tart” stall, the citizens were still very hesitant—centuries-old habits were not easily changed.
However, some people who were in desperate circumstances, upon seeing the homeless children who had eaten potatoes in the previous days still frolicking happily without any signs of poisoning or illness, could not help but be tempted.
Finally, someone, with a do-or-die determination, ate a string of free fried potatoes and immediately smacked their lips in delight.
In other parts of Paris, mashed potatoes and fried chips, made by the Imperial Chef, were also quickly taken away for free. Although few dared to try, invisible cracks had appeared on the towering dam.
…
Meanwhile, inside and outside the Tuileries Palace was a bustling scene of activity.
Hundreds of carpenters, masons, and glaziers were repairing doors, windows, walls, and chandeliers. Due to being left unattended for too long, more than eighty percent of the over two thousand rooms needed repairs.
Dressed immaculately, but with a tricorn hat covered in dust, Freselle, the President of the Paris Chamber of Commerce, was commanding his subordinates, coordinating the allocation of personnel and materials.
As the recently appointed chairman of the “Paris Fashion Week Preparatory Committee,” his brown eyes were filled with bloodshot lines, yet he had no intention of resting.
At the Crown Prince’s request, the preparatory committee had made a plan to complete the restoration work of the Tuileries Palace within a month. Now that the financial disbursement was in place, it was time for everyone to work their hardest.
On the east side of the palace square, a large T-shaped stage over 50 meters long, constructed from maple wood, was nearly half completed. Numerous workers, busy as ants, were carrying materials up and down.
Freselle watched all this with excitement. He was very clear about what this fashion event would bring to Paris.
It was prosperity!
Prestige!
And substantial profits!
And in a great hall in the west wing of the Tuileries Palace, Joseph watched the several dozen ladies with beautiful visages but peculiar footsteps and strange limb movements in front of him and couldn’t help but hold his forehead and shake his head.