Chapter 489: The First Step of Civil Service Reform
In the province of Reims, located just east of Paris, Viscount Durand, the market inspector, watched in awe as hundreds of well-disciplined police officers marched past in perfect unison. He couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.
He clearly remembered that just a year ago, the police in Reims were hardly different from the street thugs they were supposed to keep in line. Back then, it was hard to get them to even stand up straight, let alone march in perfect sync as they were doing now.
Now, these police officers had higher salaries, strict discipline, and were directly controlled by the police department, no longer under the authority of the city council.
Durand sighed inwardly, realizing that the police were now completely out of the nobles' control.
Joseph had originally planned a grand police parade in Reims, similar to the one held in Paris, but the police in Reims weren't as well-trained. The police department had asked for an extra month of preparation to meet the Prince's standards. Instead, Joseph changed the event to a city-wide police march. With many citizens following behind to watch, it ended up as a massive parade of thousands, rivaling the spectacle in Paris.
"Hey, did you hear?" A man in a long black coat with pronounced cheekbones leaned toward Viscount Durand, nudging him with his elbow and whispering conspiratorially. "The reason Norfolk and the others started revealing names in court was because they were pressured by the intelligence bureau..."
Viscount Durand's face instantly changed. He exaggeratedly rubbed his ear and said loudly, "Baron Chevalier, the drums are too loud! What did you say? I couldn't hear you."
"I said—"
Baron Chevalier was about to repeat himself when Durand turned away and greeted a middle-aged man, "Mr. Gerard! It's been a while, nice to see you here."
Chevalier, feeling frustrated, tried telling his story to another official, but that man too quickly made an excuse and left. Now feeling even more annoyed, Chevalier spotted his brother-in-law, Baron Arex, the finance assistant of Reims, in the crowd. He hurried over and waved, "Henry, so good to see you."
"By the way, about the people caught up in the corruption case, I heard that the intelligence bureau—"
Before Chevalier could finish, Arex sternly interrupted, "Stop talking!"
Looking around nervously, Arex leaned in closer and whispered, "I've told you before, don't listen to rumors, and definitely don't spread them."
"But it's not a rumor! Viscount Charles Bernay said—"
Viscount Bernay was one of the 40 high-ranking officials currently under investigation for corruption.
Arex glanced nervously at the line of police officers nearby, muskets slung over their shoulders. He covered Chevalier's mouth and said quietly, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? The royal family has already put a stop to this; that's the best outcome we could hope for. If you keep talking like this, you'll bring the Public Inquiry Bureau down on us!"
Lowering his voice even more, he added, "Remember, the High Court only judged four people so far, but already over a hundred officials have been implicated. Once they finish with the other 40, we might be next on the list! We can't afford to be investigated. None of us—whether it's you, me, or the city's trade coordinator—can survive such scrutiny. So, all we can do is cooperate with the royal family and keep our heads down. Don't cause any more trouble."
Seeing Chevalier nod in understanding, Arex finally released his grip and advised, "Prepare yourself. In a few days, we'll go to Paris together to enroll in the Royal Administrative University."
After the police parade ended, Baron Arex pondered for a moment and then directed his driver to take him to the police department.
Soon, he was reporting to a police official, saying, "I would like to report that Viscount Charles Bernay is spreading false rumors and slandering the intelligence bureau..."
Meanwhile, in a nearby office, Viscount Durand was making the exact same report.
...
After overseeing the police parade in Bordeaux, Joseph returned to Paris. Before heading back to the palace, he stopped by the Royal Administrative University to give a speech on behalf of King Louis XVI at the school's opening ceremony.
Yes, thanks to generous donations from various officials and their eagerness to start, the university had been established in just a month and a half, and classes were ready to begin.
The first group of students numbered over 600—far exceeding the original plan. And to be part of the first class, many officials had even gone through back channels within the church. Meanwhile, over a thousand more were anxiously waiting their turn to enroll.
As Joseph left the university, he noticed a "For Rent" sign hanging on a nearby building. The rent was an astonishing 40 francs per month, equivalent to a regular civil servant's entire monthly salary.
He smacked his forehead in frustration, regretting that he hadn't thought of this sooner. He had missed out on an excellent real estate opportunity! This was prime school district property—selling a building here for two or three thousand francs would be no problem at all.
After all, the people moving in would all be officials, who could easily afford the price. Even if they didn't live there themselves, they could rent it out for a high price. Savvy businessmen would definitely see the potential and buy property here.
If he developed a residential complex nearby, it could easily bring in over a million francs in profit!
Excited by the thought, Joseph immediately instructed Émon to buy up all the land surrounding the university. It wasn't too late to capitalize on this missed opportunity. After all, every bit of extra revenue helped support the ongoing tax reforms.
The next day, during a regular cabinet meeting at Versailles, the discussion turned to one of the Prince's proposals.
"Next, we have a proposal from His Highness, the Prince," Briand said in his calm, measured tone as he looked over the documents in front of him. "The Prince suggests that officials responsible for roadworks, waterworks, and similar fields—since their jobs require specialized knowledge—should attend university to receive the proper training. If they fail the professional exams, it would indicate that they are unqualified for the role, and someone else should be appointed in their place."
Mirabeau immediately nodded in agreement. "His Highness has thought this through very carefully. It's hard to imagine how a road supervisor who can't even read a construction plan could build decent roads."
Briand glanced around the room at the other ministers. "Then, according to the Prince's proposal, we'll have these officials attend the Royal Administrative University in batches. In the future, any position that requires specialized knowledge will require study at the university, and only those with a relevant degree will be eligible for the post."
The ministers all nodded in agreement. Since the waterworks and roadworks positions were relatively few and didn't hold much power, no one felt the need to object.
Then, as one, they all turned to look at Queen Marie. She had been distracted, watching a beautiful bird outside the window—now that the Prince handled most of the work, she found herself caring less and less about state affairs. It wasn't until Briand cleared his throat that she snapped back to attention, smiling awkwardly.
(End of Chapter)
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