Chapter 484: Seizing Every Opportunity
Clément quickly gestured towards a two-story building not far away. "Your Highness, Baron Friant converted a former warehouse into a teaching building. The surrounding ground was already leveled, so it's now being used as a training field."
As he led Joseph towards the students who were training, Clément continued, "Regarding the faculty, the head of academics has brought in some professors from the University of Paris who specialize in economics and mathematics, and some instructors have been transferred from the police academy. Currently, we have 34 teachers for the entire academy."
He rubbed his hands together. "It's a bit of a stretch for the 620 students we have, but by staggering class times, we're managing."
"620 students?" Joseph was surprised. The Economics Academy had only been in preparation for just over a month, and yet Friant had managed to gather so many students?
"Yes, Your Highness. The head of academics transferred over 300 students from the police academy who had already studied mathematics. Oh, and Mr. Robespierre brought in over 30 students as well."
Joseph nodded. Robespierre was somewhat respected in legal circles, so it made sense that he had attracted a group of Jacobin "disciples." This was quite promising, as the Jacobins were known for their fervor, and such enthusiasm was exactly what was needed to push forward the tax reforms.
On the training field, students dressed in black uniforms were practicing combat drills, the sound of their short sticks slicing through the air. After a short while, the instructors gathered the students, reviewed the training session, and announced a 15-minute break before they would begin shooting practice.
As per Joseph's orders, these "tax officers" spent more than half their time learning skills like investigation, marching, combat, and shooting. After graduation, they were expected to become the core of the tax enforcement agencies across the country. While clerical staff could handle tasks like calculating tax rates and preparing reports, tax officers needed to be strong enough to crack down on tax evasion and recover unpaid taxes.
Given the limited manpower in the early stages of the tax system reform—the Economics Academy could only graduate about 1,500 students after two terms—each officer would have to handle the work of several people. Once enough personnel were in place, Joseph planned to create a separate tax police department, with these well-trained tax officers serving as commanders.
As was customary, Joseph had lunch with the students at the Economics Academy.
Sitting at a table to Joseph's left, Robespierre observed how the Prince was eating the same food as everyone else and how he humbly discussed the significance of tax reform with them. This stirred in Robespierre a thought he had never entertained before.
Perhaps the King could indeed lead the people to a better life?
He shook his head vigorously, dismissing the idea. As a staunch follower of Rousseau's philosophy, he firmly believed that an absolute monarchy could never produce a "rational republic"!
But then he considered that without the Prince, the honest and fair tax system he was working so hard to establish would not have come about so quickly. Even a government empowered by the people might struggle to build such a rational tax system...
What, after all, was the best way forward?
Unbeknownst to Joseph, a battle was raging in Robespierre's mind, challenging his deepest convictions. After giving a brief motivational speech to the students as the academy's headmaster, Joseph hurried off to the First National Prison, two kilometers away.
The Bastille had now been converted into a financial center, leaving Paris without a large prison. Most criminals were now held at the First National Prison.
The proximity of the First National Prison to the Paris Police Academy greatly enhanced security, reducing the need for a large military presence and saving the state some money.
Before long, Joseph, accompanied by the prison's commander, Marquis de Launay, arrived at the First National Prison.
The prison consisted of just over ten buildings, surrounded by tall walls, capable of holding three to four hundred inmates. The walls had been reinforced with granite, making escape as difficult as it had been from the Bastille.
The Bastille had been largely empty most of the time, and keeping such a large area in a prime city-center location was a huge waste, as well as a source of public resentment. It should have been relocated outside the city long ago.
Inside a stone interrogation room on the third floor of the prison, Joseph met the primary target of his visit, the Governor of Poitou, the Earl of Norfolk—the highest-ranking official among the 40-plus officials recently imprisoned by the Public Integrity Bureau for corruption.
Earl Norfolk, his hair disheveled and his face haggard, became frantic when he realized the Prince had come to see him. He frantically attempted to bow, showering Joseph with blessings and then tearfully confessed to his mistakes, pleading for the King's pardon.
Indeed, according to current French law, the King could pardon anyone with a simple signature. The Earl fully expected that the Queen had sent the Prince to scold him and then grant him a pardon.
Joseph ignored his pleas and turned to Marquis de Launay. "I noticed that the noble prisoners' cells are still too luxurious. The country's finances are tight, so aside from a table and a bed, everything else should be removed. Oh, and the cells should be converted into single rooms to help the prisoners concentrate on reflecting on their actions."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will follow your orders."
The Earl's face turned pale. Even with the current three-room cell, he was on the verge of losing his mind after just a few days. If they converted it into a single cell and removed all the furniture and leisure items, it would be nothing short of hell.
He watched in terror as the Prince dismissed Marquis de Launay and all the guards before sitting down across from him. "Your… Your Highness, what are you going to do to me?"
"Your case hasn't gone to trial yet, but I can tell you that at the very least, you'll be exiled to Lorraine," Joseph said calmly, glancing at the Earl. "But it's more likely you'll be sent to Tripoli."
"No, no… I can't go there! Please, plead with the King on my behalf, I beg you…"
Joseph raised a hand to silence him. "If you demonstrate a genuine willingness to repent, I might consider pleading for you."
"Repent? Yes, repent—I'll pray for forgiveness from morning till night, I swear!"
"No, you misunderstand. You need to show your repentance through actions," Joseph said, picking up the teacup in front of him and appearing to savor the aroma of the tea. "For example, by exposing some of your accomplices or revealing other crimes you know about. That might keep you out of North Africa."
The Earl hesitated, cautiously asking, "Your Highness, what do you want to know?"
"Everything," Joseph replied, gesturing for Eymard to hand the Earl a pen and paper. "The higher the rank, the better."
With so many officials implicated in this corruption scandal, Joseph had expended a great deal of effort in dealing with the situation. Now, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
Taking advantage of the current momentum, he would use the captured officials as a starting point to begin the civil service reforms he had long been planning. This way, the opportunity would not go to waste.
(End of Chapter)
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