**Chapter 14**
**Military Academy (3)**
It's been a year since I entered the military academy. I've been splitting my time between training, exercise, developing weapon technology, and business, and I'm exhausted.
"Now that my businesses are stabilizing, I need to focus on the conservatives."
For the past year, I've been thinking about how to weaken the conservatives.
I can't make extreme decisions like using force, and even if I could convince Agustin I, it would be the worst choice.
"With the republican forces still alive, if the conservatives turn their backs on us, there's no hope. So, I need to weaken them indirectly."
The method I came up with is "agricultural efficiency."
You might ask, "Why agricultural efficiency when you need to weaken the conservatives?" but it makes sense if you consider the fundamental reason I'm trying to weaken them.
Right now, the conservatives are "on our side," both for me and Agustin I. The fundamental reason I'm trying to weaken them is because they hate "secularization" and "industrialization," which are crucial for the country's modernization.
They need their exploitation to be justified ideologically, and they hate it when their serfs get educated, become dissatisfied with their class, or leave for the city to work in factories.
If someone tries to change the social structure, the landowners will turn their peasants into soldiers and unite with other landowners to attack those who cause social change.
"In the end, if the number of peasants who can be turned into soldiers decreases, the power of the landowner class will weaken."
Of course, the conservatives will never accept it if we just take away the peasants. But what if we reduce the demand for agricultural labor through "agricultural efficiency"? What if one person can do the work that used to require five peasants? The landowners will drive away those who are unnecessary, whether the peasants starve to death or not.
"Then, they can't say anything if those peasants leave for settlement or go to the city to work in factories. They're the ones who drove them away."
The machine that will do that is the mechanical harvester.
Don't you have a picture in your mind when you think of modern agriculture? A huge combine going through rice paddies or fields, instantly harvesting a tremendous amount of crops.
There are differences depending on the crop, but during this time, the harvesting process was the most labor-intensive task out of the three simplified stages of agriculture: planting, growing, and harvesting.
"Modern combines like the ones we have now won't come out for a long time, but around this time, mechanical harvesters pulled by horses or oxen started to be invented."
Of course, you need oxen and horses, but they had already been introduced to Mexico over 300 years ago.
It's a problem that they've become so widespread that bandit gangs have even appeared, but anyway, the environment is in place.
***
Bang! Boom!
The rifling machine project I'm working on with Eduardo has been failing for a year now.
Sigh-
The seventh experimental rifling machine broke. It couldn't withstand the strong pressure needed to cut the rifling.
"This... "
"The pressure was too strong this time."
"Did I underestimate the steam engine?"
"It's better than having insufficient pressure. It means the steam engine itself now has enough output."
"Yes, there's been progress as we've kept working... but I think I'm spending too much of your money. I didn't expect this much funding to be needed."
"···We'll make our money back and more once it's finished, so don't worry."
Eduardo said apologetically. It was true. I thought it would cost a certain amount, but it's been exceeding my expectations.
It was even more so because we were working with a technician brought into the school with the justification of improving weapon technology, with the permission of the headmaster and instructors.
We originally planned to develop it with two people, but we realized it was impossible without a blacksmith.
Eduardo had been interested in weapon development since he was a child, so he had some skill in handling iron, but he wasn't skilled enough to build a full-fledged machine, and the amount of work required was enormous, so we decided it was impossible with just two people.
"Your Majesty, it seems we can't withstand the pressure without using British steel after all."
The technician said.
"···Yes. We don't need to make this machine in large quantities, so it's better not to skimp on materials."
"Yeah. If it turns out as we expect, we can easily make 100 rifles a day, so we only need to make a few."
Unless it's wartime, we don't need to operate 24 hours a day. Assuming we operate for 16 hours a day in two shifts, that's 67 rifles a day.
Then, one machine produces 2,010 rifles a month, and with five machines, we can produce 10,000 rifles a month. So, 10 machines should be enough.
"It's a pain, but there's no choice because Mexico's steelmaking capabilities are still lacking."
Emilio and I are also working hard with professional experts, but it's difficult to catch up with Britain's decades of accumulated technology in a short period.
"If we solve the pressure problem, we're almost there, right?"
"···They say such words bring bad luck, don't they?"
"Oops, sorry."
But I originally thought it would be fine to finish it before graduation, so I think I'll definitely achieve that goal.
"A rifle using the Lorenz bullet, no, the Eduardo bullet."
Once this is finished, no matter what gun you bring, ours will be superior until the proper breech-loading rifle comes out a few years later. With such expectations, I diligently cleaned up the messy laboratory.
"Ouch, this is heavy."
Chuckle-
Eduardo laughed as I patted my waist and picked up a piece of scrap metal.
"What's so funny?"
"It's so different from the image of the Crown Prince I had in mind."
"···Ugh. I'll be able to someday..."
I just come up with ideas and tell the technicians to develop them.
I give them enough time and budget, but why aren't they getting results? I scold them.
"I imagined that."
"What?"
"Nothing."
People who have done the work themselves are good at directing it. This is also a helpful experience. ...Right?
***
"Did you hear about that?"
Lorenzo asked me while we were eating.
"What story?"
"The California story was true. Apparently, there are a lot of people who have come back with gold."
"Wow, I didn't believe that."
It wasn't just Eduardo who didn't believe it. A year ago, everyone didn't believe it.
"They say someone came back with a gold nugget the size of their fist. I should have gone if I knew."
"Eh? That's probably an exaggeration, right?"
"It's not just one person. There are over 10 people who have returned to Mexico City with gold. They're now recruiting people to go back with proper preparation, so everyone's going crazy about going to California."
A year ago, I had my escort soldiers spread rumors to artificially create a gold rush, but the rumors didn't spread as well as I thought.
"I was shortsighted. I should have given the soldiers gold as their wages and showed it to them, but I gave them Pesos."
But there were also people who were close to the soldiers, and some people left for California because they were tempted by the possibility.
They were mostly young men who were alone.
About a hundred of them took a chance and went to California, and they got gold.
"The main gold mining areas are all mine, but I let them mine freely after they mined the most profitable areas."
Anyway, a few people can't mine much. Those who went without proper equipment came back to Mexico City.
It would be most beneficial to keep this high-level information to yourself, but how often does that happen in life? You get drunk and accidentally brag, but people don't believe you.
You can just let it go, but as a man, your pride is hurt. You show them the glittering gold in front of them, and there's no way they can not believe you.
"Has it really started now?"
"How many people would actually go all the way to California? It takes at least five months to walk there if you don't have a horse."
I casually asked, and Lorenzo, as if he knew something, confidently replied,
"It seems like there are over a thousand people who want to go right now. My uncle joined a group that was recruited by someone who went to California the first time, and there are over 100 people in that group alone. There are several groups like that, and if you consider the people who want to go individually..."
"Hmm... It's definitely over a thousand."
"The term Gold Rush (fiebre del oro) has even come up. This information is spreading to other cities, so it will only increase from now on."
Lorenzo's assurance was true.
Two months later, Alfonso received a five-line letter with the following contents:
[Your Majesty, this is Alfonso Rios.
I am writing to inform you that the demand for courier and passenger transport between Mexico City and California is rapidly increasing.
In response, we have been operating transport routes mainly around major cities, but we have now opened a new Mexico-California route.
This route covers a considerable distance, and we have invested most of our business funds so far. However, due to the anticipated high demand, these funds are expected to be recovered soon.
Alfonso Rios.]
"He's still concise."
I replied concisely, saying that he had worked hard and was doing well.
The news of the Gold Rush was even reaching the closed-off military academy, so I could imagine its impact on society.
"In the original American Gold Rush, 300,000 Americans participated over seven years. Mexico won't reach that level, but I wonder how many people will go."
After Alfonso was the first to receive a letter, Emilio, who produced agricultural and mining equipment, and Ramon, who produced sturdy workwear and tents, received letters around the same time.
In short, they said that Emilio's mining equipment, Ramon's workwear, and tents were selling like crazy.
"Soon, I'll be getting letters from Hernando, who went to Sacramento, and Isidro, who went to San Francisco."
The harvest has come.
***
As the rifling machine was nearing completion, I pondered how to officially introduce the rifle and the Eduardo bullet into the Mexican army.
"Should I just ask my father to adopt them? That won't work."
He might buy some if his son asks, but my goal is to supply the entire Mexican army.
Even my father, the Emperor and Commander-in-Chief of the Empire, can't just decide that like giving out pocket money.
I have to make him see firsthand how much difference the rifle using our Eduardo bullet makes compared to flintlock muskets.
"I'm going to invite my father, members of Congress, officers, and civil servants to a demonstration. And I'm going to demonstrate it myself."
Wouldn't it be more persuasive if the Crown Prince, who attends the military academy, demonstrated it himself?
"What if the Crown Prince himself demonstrates with a rifle he modified, and he shoots further and more accurately than the instructor standing next to him, and the loading speed is almost the same as a musket? Wow!"
Of course, even if we demonstrate, there will be a verification process, but if it passes, we could get a large order to supply the entire army soon.
"I'll register a patent before that."
I planned to actively use my status as the Crown Prince.
I wrote a letter to my father.
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