I Am the Crown Prince in France

Chapter 484 Take advantage of every opportunity

Clermont gestured to the two-story building not far away: "Your Highness, Baron Frient has converted a warehouse into a teaching building. The ground nearby has been leveled before, so it can be used directly as a playground."

He led Joseph to the students who were training: "As for the teachers, the Dean of Academic Affairs invited some professors of economics and mathematics from the University of Paris, and transferred teachers from the police academy. There are currently 34 teachers in the academy."

He rubbed his hands and said: "This is indeed too few compared to 620 students, but if the teaching time is staggered, it can be maintained."

"620 people?" Joseph was a little surprised when he heard this. The School of Economics has only been preparing for more than a month, and Frient can call so many students?

"Yes, Your Highness. The Dean of the Academy has transferred more than 300 police academy students who have studied mathematics. Oh, and Mr. Robespierre, the lawyer, has also brought more than 30 people."

Joseph nodded. Robespierre still has some reputation in the legal community. It is estimated that he brought some Jacobin "believers". This is quite good. Jacobins are energetic, and this kind of people is needed to promote tax reform.

On the playground, students in black uniforms are practicing fighting, swinging short sticks in their hands.

Not long after, several instructors summarized the training situation and then announced a 15-minute break before shooting training.

Yes, according to Joseph's requirements, these "tax collectors" spend more than half of their time learning about detection, queues, fighting, shooting and other content.

After graduation, they will become the core force of tax bureaus in various places. Calculating tax rates and preparing reports can be done by recruiting clerks, while tax collectors are more responsible for leading people to investigate tax evasion and tax collection, and they must have strong enough combat power.

The tax system had limited manpower in the early stage - the School of Economics should be able to recruit two classes and train about 1,500 graduates - so one person can only do the work of several people. When the manpower is sufficient, Joseph is going to split the tax police department from it, and these tax collectors who have undergone police training can directly serve as commanders of the tax police.

As usual, Joseph had lunch with the students of the School of Economics at lunch time.

Sitting at the table on his left, Robespierre watched His Royal Highness the Dauphin eat the same food as himself and the students, and talked about the significance of tax reform without any airs, and an idea that he had never had before came to his mind.

Perhaps, the king can also lead the people to a better life?

He shook his head vigorously. He immediately denied this idea as he admired Rousseau's thoughts. No, autocracy cannot produce a "rational kingdom"!

However, he immediately thought that if there was no crown prince, the clean and fair tax system he was trying to create would not have appeared so quickly.

Even a government authorized by the people would probably find it difficult to build such a reasonable tax system...

What is better?

Unconsciously, the persistence in his heart had cracked.

Joseph had no idea of ​​the struggle in Robespierre's heart. After giving a brief speech to encourage the students of the School of Economics as the principal, he rushed to the National First Prison two kilometers away.

Well, now the Bastille has been changed into a financial center - so there are no large prisons in Paris, and most criminals are now imprisoned here.

Moreover, the First Prison is close to the Paris Police Academy, which can greatly improve security. There is no need for so many soldiers to garrison as before, and it can save a lot of money.

Not long after, Joseph walked into the First Prison under the leadership of the Marquis de Launay, the commander-in-chief of the prison.

There are only more than ten buildings here. The main part is a prison surrounded by a wall more than ten meters high. It can accommodate about three or four hundred prisoners. However, the bottom is reinforced with granite. The difficulty of escaping the prison is not much lower than that of the Bastille.

In fact, the Bastille is empty most of the time. It was a huge waste to build such a large piece of land in a valuable area near the city center. It was also particularly disgusting to the citizens. It should have been moved out of the city long ago.

In a stone interrogation room on the third floor of the prison, Joseph met the main person of this trip, the Earl of Norfolk, the Governor of Poitou - the highest-ranking official among the more than 40 officials sent to prison by the Bureau of Justice Investigation this time.

The Earl of Norfolk, with disheveled hair and haggard face, saw that it was the Crown Prince who came. He saluted excitedly and said a lot of blessings and greetings first, and then began to cry that he had made a mistake and was sorry for the trust of His Majesty the King, but... begged His Majesty to grant him amnesty.

That's right, according to current French law, the king can pardon anyone with just a signature. This person thought that the queen had sent the crown prince to reprimand him and then pardon him.

Joseph ignored him and turned to the Marquis of Launay and said, "I just passed by the noble prison and saw that the furnishings inside were too luxurious. Now the country's finances are tight, so except for tables and beds, we should save on everything. Oh, it's better to change the cells into single rooms, so that it will be more conducive for prisoners to concentrate on reflection."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will follow your instructions."

Norfolk's face was about to turn green. He was almost going crazy in the three-bedroom cell he was living in for the past few days. If it was changed to a single room and all the furniture and leisure items were removed, what would be the difference between it and hell?

He watched the Crown Prince signal the Marquis of Launay and all the jailers to go out, and then sat down opposite him, and said tremblingly: "Your Highness, your Highness, are you going to..."

"Although your case has not yet been heard, I can be sure that at least you will be exiled to Lorraine." Joseph glanced at him and said indifferently, "But it is more likely to go to Tripoli."

"No, no... I don't want to go there, please help me plead with His Majesty, please..."

Joseph raised his hand to interrupt him: "If you show a repentant attitude, I can consider pleading for you."

"Repent? Yes, repent, I will confess to God every day , from morning to night, I swear! "

"No, you are wrong, you need to repent with practical actions." Joseph picked up the teacup in front of him, as if he was smelling the tea, "For example, expose some of your accomplices, or the criminal facts you know. This is likely to keep you away from North Africa."

Norfolk was startled and said carefully: "Your Highness, what do you want to know?"

"Everything." Joseph motioned to Emman to give him paper and pen, "The higher the official position, the better."

This time there are so many officials involved in the corruption case, the commotion is so big, and he has spent so much energy to deal with it, naturally he will not waste the current situation.

While the heat of the matter is still there, starting with these arrested officials, he began to implement the administrative reform that he has been thinking about for a long time, so as not to waste this opportunity.