Chapter 486: Stirring Up a Storm
As for priests participating in politics, this has a long history in France. There were excellent statesmen like Archbishop Richelieu in the past, and "active" ministers like Brienne and Talleyrand now.
Therefore, giving the Church some quotas for substitute officials would not have a significant impact on the French political scene.
In fact, judging from past situations, priests who entered politics generally transformed into pure bureaucrats, with their ties to the Church gradually fading. After all, where your butt sits determines your head's thinking.
Moreover, this batch of priests entering politics would inevitably take the lead in pursuing further studies at the University of Public Administration—it was a university built by their own Church, so they had to show some support, right?
Archbishop Beaumont, hearing that the Church could "allocate" official positions, immediately beamed with a smile. "It is also the Church's duty to help His Majesty the King govern his subjects."
He cautiously inquired, "Your Highness, approximately how many people will be appointed? The Church needs to prepare in advance."
Previously, priests who held official positions were generally chosen by the King for their exceptional individual abilities, and their numbers were not large. Especially for local positions, it was even rarer for priests to serve.
Beaumont knew very well that with over 40 officials arrested this time, all of them high-ranking local officials, this was an extremely rare opportunity for the Church!
Joseph glanced at him, drawing out his words:
"Depending on the progress of the University of Public Administration, there might be even more."
Beaumont was immediately overjoyed. If the Church's estate was renovated for the university, the construction cost wouldn't exceed 200,000 francs. The previous 500,000 francs had included 'grease money,' so this deal was extremely cost-effective.
He quickly said, "Please rest assured, I will personally oversee the construction of the University of Public Administration. I will certainly ensure your satisfaction!"
Joseph continued, "By the way, the positions the Church is filling this time were left vacant by officials previously dealt with for corruption. I also want to take this opportunity to clean up the bureaucratic system, and I hope the Church will cooperate."
Beaumont quickly adopted a solemn expression befitting a clergyman. "Those corrupt individuals will not ascend to heaven. The Church has always enlightened the world with God's teachings, and one of the Ten Commandments is not to covet wealth. This time, the Church will severely condemn their crimes and praise His Majesty's just punishment of them."
"Thank you for your warning words." Joseph smiled and nodded, then pulled the Archbishop aside, saying, "Later, there will also be University of Public Administration branch campuses in Lyon and Bordeaux, which might also require the Church's assistance..."
A week later.
Outside the Parlement of Paris, nearly a thousand people gathered, craning their necks to peer through the iron railings.
Today was the day Count Norfolk, Governor of Poitou, was to be tried.
Although it wasn't a public trial, the newspapers had previously carried overwhelming propaganda, and even the Church had publicly condemned the recent rampant corruption twice. Consequently, the public was extremely concerned about the trial's outcome and gathered there early in the morning, awaiting the results.
In the courtroom on the ground floor of the High Court, Duport, acting as the presiding judge, listened to the shouts of "Punish the corrupt officials!" from outside the window. He then looked at Norfolk, who hobbled onto the defendant's stand, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Clearly, the Crown intended to kill the chicken to scare the monkey. But to hand down a severe sentence to a governor meant he would inevitably face discontent from the bureaucracy in the future, as the fox mourns the death of the hare. It was common knowledge that in the past, if a high-ranking noble official merely embezzled a few hundred thousand livres, they only needed to repay the money, and at most, they would be dismissed from their post, without even facing public prosecution.
He took a deep breath, read the opening statement as per procedure, and then commenced the trial.
While he was still contemplating how to satisfy the Crown while also giving Norfolk as light a sentence as possible, the prosecutor had already finished their opening statement, and the defense lawyer began to speak.
The lawyer glanced at the Governor of Poitou and said to Duport, "Your Honor, my client has something to say."
Norfolk, gritting his teeth, immediately declared loudly, "I want to expose others, hoping to reduce my own culpability through this."
Recalling the list he had given the Crown Prince earlier, he said, "First, there's Baron Berant, the financial assistant of Angoumois. He once bribed me with 8,000 livres to help him..."
Those words made over a dozen nobles in the gallery widen their eyes, speechless with shock.
Such an act of implicating others in court was an absolute taboo in official circles! Norfolk wasn't just offending Baron Berant alone; he was making an enemy of the entire bureaucratic class. From now on, not only could he forget about holding any public office, but whether he chose to engage in business or farming, as long as he remained in France, there would be people secretly trying to harm him, never resting until he was dead.
Unexpectedly, Norfolk was completely "letting loose." After finishing with Berant, he began to expose the Assistant Municipal Commissioner of Angoumois...
And so, the listening nobles watched, their faces filled with shock, as Count Norfolk ceaselessly reeled off name after name, having lost count of how many people he had implicated.
In short, the entire officialdom of Poitou province was certainly going to fall.
Duport's hands trembled slightly. 'Why is this happening in my courtroom?'
'Will these officials dragged down by Norfolk later blame me? God, who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?'
He listened to several hours of these revelations, eventually declaring a temporary recess, with the trial to resume tomorrow, his mind utterly blank. Then, as if he'd seen a ghost, he fled the courtroom and drove directly to the Tuileries Palace.
The clerk beside him stared at the dozens of pages of testimony he had filled, frozen, unsure of what to do.
Meanwhile, in several other courtrooms nearby, a similar scene was unfolding—officials involved in corruption frantically exposed their colleagues. In just this one morning, over a hundred high-ranking officials were implicated.
As the news from the courtrooms spread, the area outside the High Court immediately erupted.
Reporters, like hungry wolves, pounced on the nobles who had just observed the trials, demanding information about the exposed officials, nearly tearing them apart.
The public, furthermore, was furious, shouting "Hang them!" and "Send the corrupt officials to hell!" along with the names of the officials on trial, as they began to march along the streets outside the High Court.
As more citizens heard the news and joined the procession, their numbers quickly doubled.
Then someone shouted, "Petition His Majesty the King!" and the protesters immediately surged towards the Palace of Versailles.
That afternoon, highly efficient newspapers published the names of the officials exposed in court that day—the Press and Publication Bureau had long received Joseph's instructions to give such news the green light.
...
Tuileries Palace, second floor.
Duport, President of the High Court, entered the Crown Prince's office, his face ashen, forgetting to even bow. He exclaimed, "Your Highness, it's—it's terrible! Norfolk implicated over 30 people in court, no, perhaps 50! All for corruption, dereliction of duty, and the like..."
Joseph merely smiled at him. "Mr. President, if I'm not mistaken, you have another trial this afternoon, don't you? Oh, please sit and have some tea, then you must return quickly."
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