The power of the royal house
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince was willing to help them, the officials hesitated no longer and eagerly nodded, saying, "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. We will all listen to you."
"Yes, yes! We are willing to cooperate with the investigation and prove our innocence."
"Praise be to you, Your Highness the Crown Prince. You gave us life."
Joseph raised his hand to signal them to be quiet, and said casually, "By the way, His Majesty the King has just built a new ' Royal Academy of Public Administration.' Why don't you go there to study during your leave of absence? You can learn some management and sociology, and you can stay in Paris to keep up with news about the investigation results."
The officials exchanged surprised glances, none of them understanding the Crown Prince's meaning. But what did it matter if they could get rid of their troubles and spend some time at the university?
So the group of people nodded and bowed in agreement.
Soon, the officials who had been exposed heard the news and were overjoyed, rushing to the Crown Prince for help. They had even gone to Queen Mary, but the Queen, completely unaware of the situation, simply referred them all to Brienne. In other words, the Crown Prince was now their only "way out."
However, the Crown Prince left Versailles Palace, and no one could find out his whereabouts.
The anxious officials learned from their dozen or so colleagues with "successful experience" that His Highness had mentioned sending them to some university for further studies. Unable to find the Crown Prince, they desperately sought help from the Church to inquire about the "Administrative Management University."
Subsequently, the Royal Academy of Public Administration, which was still under construction, received applications from nearly a hundred high-ranking officials. Even the priests in charge of registration received substantial kickbacks every day in order to expedite their enrollment.
Three days later, the first Paris Police parade was solemnly held on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Her Majesty the Queen was present, but His Crown Prince, as the architect of Police Reform, presided over the inspection.
Thanks to the extensive coverage by major newspapers over the past few days, the public's attention has been focused on this review ceremony, and even the heat surrounding the trial of corrupt officials has diminished considerably.
Thousands of citizens gathered on both sides of the Champs-Élysées, peering out with great curiosity about this unprecedented parade.
Following a salvo of cannon fire, solemn and dignified music filled the air.
Then people saw His Crown Prince, dressed in a blue police uniform, standing on Carriage and slowly passing through the center of the square.
Behind him were more than a dozen tall flag bearers, each carrying a Royal House Golden Iris flag and a police badge Flag Bearer decorated with falcons and shields.
Following closely behind were four Four-Pound Cannon pulled by more than ten horses. The muzzles of the cannons reflected the sunlight, causing the onlookers to instinctively raise their hands to shield their eyes.
After the cannons passed, five Phalanx of Paris Police entered the arena one after another. Each Phalanx had 150 men, all carrying brand-new Flintlock Gun, dressed in crisp uniforms, looking imposing and awe-inspiring.
As the Phalanx Police Phalanx passed in front of Queen Mary's position, the Police immediately shouted, "Long live His Majesty the King!", "Long live Her Majesty the Queen!", and "We will defend the security of France to the death!"
The shouts echoed across the square, startling flocks of birds into flight, while the onlookers, in the solemn and dignified atmosphere, unconsciously straightened their posture, awestruck by the imposing presence of the Paris Police.
As Queen Mary rose and waved to the Police Phalanx, the five Phalanx passed the Reviewing Stand and took their positions in the square.
Then, Joseph raised his hand to signal the Phalanx, and an officer immediately gave a loud order. The Police Phalanx on the far left instantly turned into a semi-encirclement formation and began to demonstrate the process of launching an attack on the gang members.
The Police officers moved in unison and with practiced skill, pointing their Flintlock Gun straight ahead and pulling the triggers simultaneously.
Suddenly, a cloud of black Powder Smoke enveloped the square, startling the onlookers. But they quickly realized the guns were unloaded and burst into applause, cheering for the Police ' impressive demonstration.
After the five Police Phalanx demonstrated different training exercises, even the cannons were simulated firing, though of course, no shells were loaded.
The five or six hundred Nobility sitting in the stands listened to the deafening roar of the cannons, but fell silent. Many of them were officials involved in the corruption case, and as they watched the Police display their force, their thoughts inevitably began to churn.
Keep in mind that this is just the Police that Paris can mobilize at any time, enough to immediately calm down anyone with impure intentions. And behind the Police is an even more powerful Royal Guard Legion, which is completely loyal to the Royal House.
Those officials who were initially upset that the Royal House had not followed custom in stopping the High Court and allowed Norfolk and others to attack them suddenly felt a sense of clarity. Their various grievances against the Royal House vanished instantly, and they felt that resolving the issue within the framework of the courts was the most appropriate course of action.
After the Police Force review ceremony concluded, Joseph ascended the Reviewing Stand and praised the Paris Police for their contributions to maintaining order. He then suddenly brought up the newly built Administrative Management University:
"After the university is established, officials will be enrolled in batches to study professional courses related to their duties, thereby enabling them to better perform their jobs."
After saying this, he gestured to Viscount Besançon, the Police Department chief.
The latter bowed to the Crown Prince with his hat, then went up to the stage, first speaking about the Police Force, before turning the conversation to the recent corruption case involving officials:
"Following recent police investigations, it has been largely confirmed that the so-called accusations made by Norfolk, Gaston, and others were merely attempts to smear others in an attempt to reduce their sentences. Of course, further investigations into the officials who were accused will continue; please stay tuned to the newspapers for updates."
On the Champs-Élysées, the officials involved in the corruption case breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. The Queen and the Crown Prince were both present, which should be considered confirmation that the Royal House would not pursue the matter further.
In the following days, the number of applications received by the Administrative Management University increased several times over. The officials were all shrewd people, and through various sources, they realized that studying here was a necessary factor in getting rid of the case, so naturally they dared not delay.
Even officials who weren't on the denunciation list would come to register to reassure themselves if they felt uneasy.
Even before the Administrative Management University opened, the number of students had already exceeded one thousand and was still increasing.
What Joseph didn't expect was that the Administrative Management University actually received donations of more than 1.1 million Franc!
The officials couldn't understand why the Royal House had sent them here for further studies. Later, a "wise" person guessed that the Royal House might want to "pay a fine" to them through tuition fees, so in order to show their proactive attitude, they paid the "tuition fees" in advance.
Joseph naturally wouldn't return the money to them. The national treasury still had a huge hole of 2.2 billion; every little bit helps, even a small amount is still something.
While the France bureaucracy was in a state of flux, Joseph was traveling to Reims to conduct a Police Force review. He would then proceed to Lyon and Bordeaux for similar reviews. Since he had decided to undertake Officialdom reforms, demonstrating Royal House authority to deter officials with ulterior motives was essential.