Napoleon's eyes fluttered open, and he let out a soft groan.
"Where am I?" he muttered, trying to orient himself.
As his vision cleared, he realized he was in the bedroom of the Palace of Versailles. Memories of the previous evening flooded back, and he recalled the joyous procession through Paris and the warm welcome from the people.
"Oh, you're awake," Ciela said with a playful giggle, looking down at him over her ample bosom affectionately.
Napoleon turned his head to face her. He remembered how she had offered him a lap pillow to rest his head, and he had gladly accepted it. He doesn't know how he fell asleep after that.
"I must have dozed off," he said, trying to gather his thoughts. "Sorry, how long have I been asleep?"
"Just two hours," Ciela said, her fingers gently brushing his cheek.
"Wait…so you're telling me that I dozed off for two hours in your lap?" Napoleon exclaimed with a light chuckle as he rose to sit up next to her. "How is your lap? Did it hurt?"
Ciela shook her head with a smile, "Not at all. Your head was as light as a feather. Besides, it was my pleasure to offer you some comfort after your long and eventful day."
Ciela's cheeks flushed slightly as she playfully nudged Napoleon's arm. "Perhaps," she replied, a teasing glint in her eyes. "But can you blame me? You looked so peaceful and handsome in your sleep."
Napoleon rubbed his hair and chuckled. "Do I?"
"Yeah," Ciela confirmed. "I wouldn't mind if you were to sleep for another hour. Well, now that you are awake my dear, your promise?"
"Ah, of course," Napoleon said as he stood up from the sofa, stretching his limbs. "My promise," he repeated with a grin. "Come to my office."
The two went downstairs, towards the King's Office which is now Napoleon's office. Opening the door and entering the office, Napoleon let out a gasp.
"Do you like it? I personally tailored it to your taste," Ciela said.
"I do. Where did you keep the files?" Napoleon asked.
Ciela smiled and walked over to a beautifully crafted wooden cabinet against the wall. She opened it to reveal meticulously organized files and documents neatly stacked inside.
"Here they are," she said, gesturing towards the cabinet. "I wanted to make sure everything is easily accessible for you. The files are sorted by subject and date, and I've included summaries to help you find what you need quickly."
Napoleon was impressed by her attention to detail and organizational skills. "You've thought of everything," he said, genuinely grateful for her thoughtful efforts.
"I wanted this office to be a place where you can work efficiently and make informed decisions, especially now that you are the First Consul of France," Ciela replied.
"Did you take a peek at the files?" Napoleon asked as he approached the cabinet.
"No, if I did that, I wouldn't be surprised now," Ciela said.
Napoleon searched the specific file for Ciela. Moments later, he found and grabbed it.
"Here it is," Napoleon said, showing Ciela the cover title of the file.
"The Modernization of Paris," Ciela read.
Napoleon walked over to his desk and beckoned Ciela to sit across his desk. "Yes, it's one of the most important matters we need to address," he said, flipping through the pages of the file. "This is the part you were excited about right?"
Ciela nodded eagerly, like a child who just unwrapped a long-awaited present.
"Paris at this point is dirty and a mess I must say. During the decades of revolution, streets were forgotten and neglected. But now that I am in power, we are going to do a major overhaul, a grand makeover, one that would make Paris beautiful and modern."
Napoleon then began to reveal the contents of the file to Ciela. In the early 1800s, Paris looked vastly different from its 21st-century counterpart. The streets were narrow and reminiscent of medieval times. To transform the city, he envisioned the construction of new boulevards and avenues, replacing the cramped medieval streets with broad, straight thoroughfares. These new boulevards and avenues would not only improve traffic flow but also create grand public spaces for pedestrians and gatherings.
Among his plans was the construction of iconic Grands Boulevards, including the likes of Boulevard Haussmann, Boulevard Saint-Michel, and Boulevard de Sébastopol, to name a few. Naturally, the names of these new boulevards would be replaced.
He was also keen on establishing green spaces throughout the city. His vision included the creation of new parks such as the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, providing Parisians with vast and serene natural areas to enjoy. In addition, he sought to enrich the city's charm with enchanting parks like Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Montsouris, Parc Monceau, and the Jardin du Luxembourg.
As for the monuments, Napoleon planned to commission a number of iconic structures that would make Paris, Paris. Monuments like the Arc de Triomphe, Fontaine du Palmier, Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, Vend?me Column, and the Eiffel Tower were among his ambitious projects.
Apart from that, Napoleon aimed to introduce some of the iconic developments from the Haussmann renovation. These included the Palais Royal, Les Halles, and the renowned Haussmann Buildings. Additionally, he envisioned modernizing the city with landmarks like Le Bon Marché, the first department store, and prestigious hotels such as H?tel de Crillon, Louvre Saint-Honoré, and H?tel Ritz.
"This is a lot of projects," Ciela remarked as she just listened to Napoleon speaking for almost an hour.
"Well, we have not even tackled half of it," Napoleon grinned. "Of course, we are not only going to focus on building those iconic buildings and monuments, but we will also overhaul our transportation infrastructure as well."
Napoleon continued flipping through the pages, now exploring the transportation section. At that time, Paris relied on electric trams, steam locomotives, and horse-drawn carriages as its primary means of transportation. However, he envisioned a significant expansion in this area, particularly with the widening of the roads and the establishment of a unified railway system connecting Paris to other major cities in France. They are the Gare du Nord, the Gare de Strasbourg, the Gare de Lyon, the Gare d'Orleans, the Gare d'Orsay, the Gare de Vincennes, and the Gare de l'Ouest Rive Gauche. Unlike other major projects, this railway project will be constructed by their company so as to not burden the treasury should the major overhaul start.
Napoleon then discussed his plans for modernizing the roads. He proposed paving the streets with either concrete or cobblestones, to replace the muddy and uneven roads that dominated most of Paris, and installing proper drainage systems. Additionally, he outlined his vision to construct 25 new bridges.
With that done on the surface, Napoleon proceeded to address what would be beneath it: the sewage and drainage system. He acknowledged that Paris in this era was dirty due to the lack of proper sewage and drainage systems. To rectify this, Napoleon planned to construct a system of pipes and canals that would efficiently carry away wastewater and prevent it from accumulating on the streets. To ensure that the wastewater wouldn't damage the environment where it would discharge, Napoleon included the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in his plans.
But what about water for domestic use? Napoleon also took care of that aspect, as he planned to construct water treatment plants, aqueducts, reservoirs, and pipelines to ensure a clean and reliable water supply for the residents of Paris.
"All in all, based on my estimates, this project would need five million workers, two hundred million francs, and ten years to complete. It can be reduced if there are more workers and public support," Napoleon concluded, closing the file. "It is going to be a huge undertaking to the point I will have to create a new Ministry to oversee its implementation and coordination. I shall call it the Ministry of Urban Development and Infrastructure," Napoleon declared. "I will give you a list of talented engineers and architects for you to find so that they can look at the blueprints and plans that I have made."
"Leave it to me," Ciela said.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l