Chapter 8: The Challenge
Chapter 8: The Challenge
Three days later.
In the City Commissioner's office:
"Sir, are you aware of what the Prince has been doing with the police reorganization?" Frois asked the City Commissioner, his face full of concern. "The Duke of Orléans intended for the Prince to fail, but now he's making significant progress, and the morale of the police is very high. I'm worried…"
Levesque carefully selected a bottle of wine from his cabinet, then said,
"Relax, Gael. Someone else will take care of this."
"Someone else? Who?"
Levesque admired the purple liquid in the bottle against the light and said calmly,
"I spread the news about what the Prince is doing. I suspect some people are already getting restless."
As he spoke, Chief of Police Guizot knocked on the door and entered, giving Levesque a hurried bow before saying urgently,
"Sir, you must persuade the Prince to stop."
"Oh?" The fat mayor pulled out a corkscrew and asked deliberately,
"Persuade him to stop what?"
Guizot nervously ground his boot into the floor,
"Haven't you heard? His Highness has turned the police force upside down, and this could seriously affect public safety in the Saint-Antoine district!"
He described the Prince's reorganization of the police force and then said with a pained expression,
"Honestly, if anyone else had caused such chaos, I would've fired them already. But this is the Prince we're talking about. What do you think we should do?"
Levesque forcefully pulled out the cork, inhaling the aroma of the wine. He shook his head,
"Viscount Guizot, the Prince's actions are an internal matter for the police department. It's difficult for me to interfere.
"Besides, I'm busy with budget issues. You know, the Chamber of Commerce's funds are limited, and with the Prince adding so many officers, almost half of the police department's budget will have to go to the Saint-Antoine district."
"This can't happen!" Guizot was shocked and shouted,
"He can't take up so much of the budget! You must help me find a solution!"
Levesque pretended to ponder for a moment before handing Guizot a glass of wine, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his mouth,
"Well, there might be a way. If you can make the Prince back down, I'll do my best to support you."
Guizot gave him a long, hard look before downing the glass in one gulp. Nodding forcefully, he left with a grim expression.
As the office door closed, Frois looked at the fat mayor in surprise,
"Sir, how did you know Viscount Guizot would come?"
Levesque handed him another glass of wine and smiled,
"The Prince may be capable, but he's still just a child. He's focused only on what's right in front of him, without considering the broader impact."
"Impact?"
Levesque took a sip of wine and explained,
"Aside from the funds from the Chamber of Commerce, the biggest source of income for the police force is selling positions. I spread the word that the Prince is promoting commoners to police officers. Those who were planning to buy positions will now wonder if they'll even need to buy them in the future. Who would want to spend money now?"
"This is the biggest perk for those in the police force." The fat mayor swirled his wine glass with satisfaction,
"I'll also withhold some of the funds from City Hall that were meant for Guizot. They're bound to be furious. What do you think they'll do?"
Frois's eyes lit up,
"They'll do everything they can to stop the Prince!"
"Exactly."
As the sun set, Chief of Police Guizot's carriage finally arrived at the Saint-Antoine police station.
In Joseph's office, Guizot greeted him respectfully, forcing a smile as he flattered,
"Your Highness, you're amazing! The way you've reorganized the police force has completely transformed it!"
After a round of empty praise, he switched to a worried expression,
"But, Your Highness, those civilian patrol members you've incorporated into the police force can barely handle a sword, let alone a crossbow or musket. They'll need at least three or four months of training. Otherwise, they won't even be able to handle street thugs.
"During these months of training, there will be no one to patrol the areas they were responsible for. You've asked me to bring in 120 officers from other districts, but those districts are already under a lot of pressure and will need their officers back soon…"
Joseph invited him to sit and smiled,
"It shouldn't take that long. I have a simplified training method that can complete combat training in about ten days. Borrowing the officers from other districts for a little over ten days should be manageable, right?"
"Well, yes, of course," Guizot replied, adopting a serious tone, "but training is crucial. It can't be rushed."
"Thank you for the reminder," Joseph said. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Alright…" Guizot nodded reluctantly, still unwilling to give up,
"But, Your Highness, there's another issue. You've brought in over 200 new officers, but the police department doesn't have enough equipment for them…"
"You don't need to worry about the equipment. I'll take care of it."
Guizot was stunned that the "problems" he had carefully prepared didn't bother the Prince at all.
He tried to bring up a few more "issues" with the police reforms, but none of them had any effect. Eventually, he left in frustration, his mind in turmoil. It seemed the Prince was determined to shake up the police department.
He worried that there wouldn't be much funding left for him from City Hall in the future…
But he was overthinking it. Joseph wasn't interested in the police department's limited budget. Besides, relying on the Chamber of Commerce to fund the police was already abnormal. With his modern knowledge and advanced ideas, Joseph had plenty of ways to raise money. After all, he was planning to fill a 20 billion livre deficit for France—funding a police system was just a small task.
As his carriage rolled away, Guizot's eyes grew cold. He had to get the Prince out of the police system as soon as possible and restore things to the way they were!
Shortly after Guizot left, two elegant carriages arrived at the Saint-Antoine police station.
Louis XVI's attendant stepped out, adjusting his gold-rimmed monocle as he examined the dilapidated station. After confirming he was in the right place, he quickly entered with his servants.
When he met Joseph, he first performed the full set of courtly rituals, then respectfully handed him a letter,
"Your Highness, this is a letter from His Majesty the King."
He then signaled to his servants, who opened an ornate wooden box,
"Her Majesty the Queen heard that you didn't bring any of the royal chefs with you and was worried you might not be eating well, so she had these prepared for you."
Joseph looked into the box and saw an assortment of exquisitely made cakes, strawberry pies, cream puffs, and various candies.
He rubbed his forehead and smiled wryly. Just looking at them made him feel overwhelmed, but he knew that all of this was a sign of Queen Marie's genuine care.
He then broke the wax seal on the letter and unfolded the paper, revealing Louis XVI's elegant and flowing Italian script:
Dear Joseph,
I hope this letter brings you my heartfelt thoughts and warmth! As your father, I want to express my deep care and concern for you.
You know, I finally completed the "Salamander Fountain"! I swear to the Lord, it's the finest piece of art… (He went on and on about his lock.) When it was finished, you were the first person I wanted to share it with, and that's when I learned you were working at City Hall. I'm sorry, I've been in the workshop for so long that I didn't even know. How is life in Paris? Your mother, really, you're only thirteen—how could she let you take on such a burden? That's what Brienne and the others should be doing…
Oh, by the way, I heard you finished university! How did you manage that? It's incredible, and I'm so proud of you! My son, you are the pride of the entire royal family! I'm sure you will one day bring back the glory of the Sun King to France… (He went on praising his son for a whole page.)
Joseph, I heard you're now reforming the police department, and you're doing a great job! Keep doing what you think is right. If anything goes wrong, I'll back you up. I'll always support you… But if you ever feel tired, just come back to Versailles. Your mother is always worried you're not eating well…
Lastly, I want to tell you that no matter where you are, you will always be my dearest son. A thousand kisses!
Despite the overly sentimental tone typical of the French, Joseph could still feel the deep love from his father.
He took a deep breath. In his previous life, his parents had passed away during his time at university due to poor health. It had been a long time since he had felt the warmth of family. Now, his heart was filled with warmth, and he hoped that in this life, he could live peacefully with his family for a long time.
(End of Chapter)