Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 837 - 100: Unleashing Fury...

As a series of problems came to light, the colonial bureaucrats were thrown into panic. Although the Emperor did not have an outburst on the spot, everyone there was adept at reading expressions and could tell that Napoleon IV was angry.

Within the Governor Algiers’ Mansion, a group of colonial bureaucrats was conducting a routine meeting. From everyone’s demeanor, it was apparent that this meeting was anything but routine.

A portly middle-aged man said anxiously, "Governor, the Emperor has already refused to accompany us, what should we do now?

You should know that both the current large farm project and the previous Africa development plan have left us with too many hidden problems.

All these issues are now exposed before the Emperor. If accountability is sought, none of us sitting here can escape."

Governor Abulimiti did not answer immediately, instead, he picked up a cup of steaming coffee, took a small sip, and then slowly said, "What’s the panic, the sky hasn’t fallen yet!

Since His Majesty the Emperor did not deal with us on the spot, it means there is still room for maneuver.

By the way, Maimaitiming, what did you just say? The Africa development plan was many years ago, haven’t you done the proper follow-up work?"

The fact that many people are not held accountable is a unique national condition of France, a practice that has been passed down for many years.

If everything were handled strictly according to the law, seven or eight out of ten Parisians would probably be locked up, considering that many participate in protests and invariably do things that are over the line.

If people cannot be punished, then the law must be changed. Even if the legal provisions are not amended, they are artificially altered during the enforcement process.

The money was not swallowed by one or two individuals alone; this time, the involved parties included not only numerous colonial officials but also a considerable number of local personnel.

If we start digging deep, not only will those present be implicated, but any official in the colonies will be dragged into this, and even local bureaucrats will be involved en masse.

If this were to be dealt with, it’s uncertain whether the bureaucracy would change for the better, but the colonial system of France might collapse first.

Maimaitiming answered embarrassingly, "Governor, you are aware of the unique situation here, and the funds allocated by the government are insufficient, so we took it upon ourselves to cancel some less important projects and focused the funding on important ones."

Funding shortages are inevitable, after layers of embezzlement, getting even half to the project managers’ hands is already indicating integrity among the officials.

The lower-level staff also need to eat. After skimming off some for themselves and gifting a portion to their superiors, even less remains for actual use.

Deciding on their own to cancel certain projects may seem like a grave sin, but it is also a necessity.

Without this, not even the face-saving showcase projects could be carried out. Of course, if these guys hadn’t been pocketing money for themselves, their actions would have been more convincing.

Abulimiti, pointing at Maimaitiming with a look of disappointed love, said, "Look at you! Algeria’s conditions are harsh, and the consideration from the home country is not enough, which is somewhat understandable. Everyone should be more sympathetic.

If funds are insufficient, can’t you think of other solutions? You need to fully exercise your initiative. Even if there’s not enough money, you can’t just cancel projects directly.

This incident should serve as a lesson. If everyone had been prepared, even if the tasks given from above weren’t completed and only done to a discount, even achieving just four or five out of ten, I believe His Majesty the Emperor would understand our difficulties."

This was spoken from the heart. There is a complete difference between having done something and having done nothing.

Even if only a reduced version of the projects is completed, there are tangible results to show the money was spent.

When nothing is done and projects are simply cut, while money is still spent, this is an insult to the intelligence of the higher government echelons.

Maimaitiming nodded awkwardly, "Yes, Governor, we will pay attention to this in the future. However, the immediate priority is to get through the current crisis; otherwise, there will be no future."

Being beheaded is unlikely, Napoleon IV is not a ruthless leader, even rebels have been forgiven, let alone the likes of corrupt officials.

Abulimiti countered, "What are your thoughts? The initiative is no longer in our hands; the one who can make decisions now is His Majesty the Emperor."

By this point, the issue had been laid bare, and Maimaitiming slowly said, "The Emperor has not made his stance clear for a while, and everyone is very concerned.

It would be best to find a way to understand the intentions of His Majesty the Emperor. If we could gloss over the past, of course, that would be ideal.

If that’s not feasible, then we must take a risk and seize the king..."

...

After spot-checking more than a dozen projects, and finding serious issues with each, Napoleon IV was completely despondent, his zeal for accountability had even faded.

There was no helping it, too many were implicated, making rash actions unwise.

One must remember this is a colony; if faces were turned, who could predict whether these audacious individuals wouldn’t stage a coup and detain the Emperor?

Perhaps because of an innate gift, Napoleon IV, sensing that something was amiss, discretely changed his inspection route and left Wahran by boat, not giving anyone the opportunity to act.

It’s an irony that within his own colony, the Emperor had to flee for fear of a fallout with the powerful interest groups.

...

In the Temporary Palace of Paris, having abruptly concluded his visit to Algeria, Napoleon IV was noticeably dispirited.

At that moment, he understood why Austria had executed tens of thousands in one fell swoop.

It was entirely because the bureaucrats below were capable of such malfeasance; without executions, there would be no deterrence, and without executing, their minds would not be clear.

Knowing as much, Napoleon IV still only felt envy; if he were to order the mass execution of tens of thousands, he too would balk.

In this regard, France and Austria were starkly different; Austria dared to execute law and order, after many years of continuous anti-corruption by the Vienna Government, the public and bureaucrats had gotten used to it.

France, however, could not do the same. Not to mention the impact on the civilian population, the mere breadth of implicated parties was enough to daunt Napoleon IV.

"I’ve just returned from a trip, and the things I saw were simply unbelievable. You all must know something about it to some degree.

The problem is right before our eyes, now the government must decide how to respond. Let’s discuss it together!"

Unsure of how to proceed, Napoleon IV unhesitatingly kicked the ball to the Cabinet’s court.

Amidst the courteous deferrals of his colleagues, the highly respected Prime Minister Terence Burkin felt compelled to step forward.

"Your Majesty, the corruption in the colony is beyond imagining. Our current situation is like that of a feeble patient, who, if given too strong a medicine, might perish; we can only proceed with gradual recuperation.

Regarding the exposed corruption issues, it would be best for us to make an example of a few, ’Kill the chicken to scare the monkey’, and keep the rest for the time being, observing their subsequent behaviour."

Hearing this approach, Napoleon IV’s morale completely collapsed.

"Kill the chicken to scare the monkey" might seem sensible, but in reality, it meant merely punishing a few scapegoats paraded out in the open, while glossing over deeper issues.

Knowing that officers with issues must remain, seeking accountability was a joke.

One can imagine that the Central Government’s authority over the colonies would drop to its historical lowest after this episode.

Especially, the sovereignty of the Emperor would also be impacted, the last vestiges of reverence lingering in many hearts would be buried as well.

Yet, for the sake of domestic stability, this was a price that had to be paid.

If they were to investigate thoroughly, not to mention whether it was feasible, even if they did get results, did the Paris Government have the resolve to turn the tables?

Napoleon IV had already sensed that the government’s control over the colonies was not as tight as imagined.

The colonial officials were beginning to evolve into local tyrants, forming a vast network in the region.

After hesitating for a moment, Napoleon IV shook his head, "No! If we continue like this and show our weakness to them, it won’t be long before those people will start calling for independence.

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Even if we cannot deal with all of them, we must remove a few leading officials and settle accounts with the rest slowly later on."

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