The first step in reforming officialdom

Reims, a province bordering Paris to the east.

Durand Viscount, the market inspector, watched hundreds of imposing Police march past him in perfect unison, and a sense of awe settled over him.

He clearly remembered that just a year ago, the Police in Reims were no different from the street thugs. Let alone hundreds of people walking with the same sound as they do now, they could hardly even get them to stand up straight.

These Police are now highly paid, very disciplined, and directly commanded by the Police Department, not by the City Hall.

He sighed inwardly; the Police were no longer entirely under the control of the Nobility...

Joseph originally wanted to hold a Police Force review ceremony in Reims similar to the one in Paris, but the Police training level here was still a bit lacking. The Police Department said that it would take a month to prepare in advance to barely achieve the effect he wanted.

So he had to change the inspection into a Police parade around the city. Unexpectedly, because a large number of citizens followed to watch, it eventually turned into a large-scale parade of thousands of people, which was not much weaker than the Paris.

"Hey, have you heard?" An official in a long black coat, with prominent cheekbones, suddenly leaned close to Durand Viscount, nudged him with his elbow, and said mysteriously, "The reason the Earl of Norfolk and his men exposed other officials in court was because they were pressured by the Intelligence Bureau..."

Viscount Durand's expression changed drastically. He rubbed his ears dramatically and shouted, "Baron Chevalier, the drumming is too loud! What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly!"

"I mean..."

Just as Chevalier was about to repeat himself, he saw Durand turn around and greet a middle-aged man, "Mr. Gerard, it's been a long time, you've come too."

Helpless, Chevalier turned to another official to tell him about the "big thing" he had heard, but the latter quickly avoided him with a strange expression.

He was a little annoyed, but just then he spotted his cousin-in-law, Baron Alex, the Finance Assistant to Reims, in the crowd. He squeezed through the crowd, waved to him, and said, "Henry, it's so good to see you."

"Um, regarding the person recently implicated in the corruption case, I heard that it's Intelligence Bureau..."

He was only halfway through his sentence when his cousin-in-law interrupted him sharply, "Stop talking!"

The latter looked around, then said in a serious voice, "I always remind you not to listen to others' nonsense, and even more so, not to spread rumors."

"No, this isn't a rumor; it was Viscount Charles Bernie who said it..."

Viscount Bernie is one of the more than 40 high-ranking officials being tried in this corruption case.

Baron Alex glanced nervously at the line of Police carrying Flintlock Gun not far away, then covered his mouth with his hand. "The Royal House has already suppressed this matter, which is the best outcome. Are you trying to provoke the Public Notary Investigation Bureau investigating us by saying these things?"

He lowered his voice even further. "The High Court only tried four people before, and hundreds of officials were implicated. Once the remaining 40-plus people are all tried, we'll likely be on the list of those exposed!"

"Most importantly, none of us—you, me, the Municipal Commissioner, the Trade Coordinator —can withstand an investigation... So we just need to cooperate with the Royal House and avoid causing any unnecessary trouble!"

Seeing Chevalier nod, he released his mouth and then instructed, "After you go back, prepare yourself. In a few days, you'll come with me to Paris to register for the Royal Academy of Public Administration..."

After the Police patrol ended, Baron Alex pondered for a moment and then instructed his coachman to head to the Police Department.

A short while later, he said to the Police Department officer who received him, "I want to report that Viscount Charles Bernie is spreading rumors and framing the Intelligence Bureau..."

Meanwhile, in the office next door, Viscount Durand was also reporting the same thing.

After presiding over the Police Force parade in Bordeaux, Joseph returned to Paris.

He first made a detour to the Administrative Management University, where he delivered a speech on behalf of Louis XVI at the opening ceremony.

Yes, with generous sponsorships from numerous officials and constant urging, the university completed its preparations at lightning speed in just one and a half months and was ready to begin classes.

The first batch of trainees numbered over 600, far exceeding the original plan.

Moreover, to be among the first to attend classes, one had to pull strings at the Church, with thousands of officials waiting in line behind them.

As Joseph left the school, he looked up and saw a "For Rent" sign on a house across the street, with a rent of a whopping 40 Franc a month!

This price is almost equivalent to a month's salary for an average civil servant.

He slapped his forehead, filled with regret. How could he have not thought of such a great Real Estate project before?

This is a top-tier school district property; a single one could easily sell for 20,000 to 30,000 Franc.

Keep in mind that those who stay here are all officials, so they can easily afford this amount of money. Moreover, even if they don't live in the property themselves, they can easily rent it out at a high price, and some shrewd businessmen will also invest in buying properties here.

If a new residential complex were built in this area, it would earn at least tens of millions of Franc!

Thinking of this, Joseph hurriedly instructed Eman to send people to buy up all the vacant land near the Administrative Management University. It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost; wouldn't this raise more funds for tax reform?

The next day.

A routine Cabinet Meeting is being held in the Conference Hall of the Versailles Palace.

"Next is His Crown Prince's proposal," Brienne said calmly, looking at the documents in front of him. "His Highness suggests that officials in charge of road administration, water conservancy, and other related fields should be sent to universities for further study, as these areas require extensive professional knowledge."

"If these officials fail their professional assessments, it proves they are unsuitable for the job, and others can be reassigned to the position."

Mirabeau immediately nodded in agreement. "Your Highness's consideration is very thorough. It's hard to imagine that a Director of Road Administration who can't even understand roadbed construction drawings could build a road of acceptable quality."

Brienne looked around at the Cabinet Minister: "Then we will follow His Highness's suggestion and have officials in these fields enter the Administrative Management University in batches for further studies."

"Furthermore, for positions requiring high levels of professional knowledge, candidates should first complete the necessary training and obtain the relevant degree before taking the job."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

There weren't many official positions in water conservancy and road administration, and the power they wielded was limited, so no one paid much attention to them.

The ministers then all turned to look at Queen Mary.

The latter was still admiring a beautiful bird outside the window—now that the Crown Prince could handle most things for her, she was becoming increasingly reluctant to bother—until Brienne coughed lightly, she suddenly turned around and smiled somewhat awkwardly.