Liu Che's cart slowly drove into the palace wall of Beique.
He opened the car curtain and looked out at the scenery outside the car.
Liu Che also sighed.
Originally, normally speaking, after Shiqu Pavilion, he could take about a month's leave. He would not return to Chang'an until late May to continue presiding over the government and at the same time review this year's examination questions.
However, the return of a survivor of the Qin Dynasty forced him to end his annual vacation early.
"Go and summon the prime minister, the imperial censor, and the nine ministers into the palace..." Liu Che told Ji An: "Today, I will first talk to the ministers about the world's political affairs during the days when I left Chang'an..."
This is natural. After Liu Che went to Ganquan Palace, except for major matters, all other small matters were handed over to the Sangong and Jiuqing.
This is not only Liu Che's trust in the current system, but also his attempt to promote and explore the Han Dynasty version of the cabinet system.
So far, the system is running normally.
At least, through Xiuyiwei's monitoring, Liu Che didn't find any major problems.
However, unlike the emperors of the Song and Ming Dynasties, Liu Che only delegated power without accountability.
Liu Che has always believed: I give you power just to let you do things. If you have power, you can't do things well, so what do I need from you?
Therefore, every time he returns from vacation, he will summon the three officials and nine ministers immediately and ask them to report on the achievements of the policies implemented during this period.
If you don't have any achievements, you will be reprimanded, fined, or reduced in food, or you will go home to farm!
This is also the tradition of the old Liu family.
This has been the case since the fight against Liu Bang!
However, in Liu Che's hands it became more systematic, detailed and precise.
Ji An heard this and bowed: "Before Your Majesty returns to the palace, I have informed the Prime Minister and all the ministers. Now all the ministers are waiting for the edict in the Xuanshi Palace..."
"Good!" Liu Che couldn't help but nodded with satisfaction: "Your Majesty is my humerus!"
Liu Che used Ji An's ministerial order very smoothly. No matter how big or small the affairs were, Ji An could handle them in a timely manner for Liu Che.
but……
Liu Che looked at Ji An and asked, "Has Aiqing ever thought about going out to serve as a county guard?"
This is also an issue that Liu Che has always been concerned about.
Ji An will definitely not be able to continue to be the minister in the future.
This is not only detrimental to his own development and future, but is also detrimental to the country.
After all, his position is too sensitive and he comes into contact with too many things.
If he occupies the position of Shangshuling for a long time, even if Liu Che can trust him, others may not be able to trust him.
You must know that nowadays, although the rank ratio of Shangshu Ling is only two thousand stones.
However, his authority is comparable to that of the three ministers, and he is known as the "little prime minister".
Because Shangshu Ling does almost everything and does everything.
Internally, the Shangshu Ling is responsible for leading the ministers to communicate with the government offices of the Sangong and Jiuqing as well as the prefectures and states of the world, and compile all memorials and documents.
Except for the memorials of a few people and the memorials of those who have the right to direct memorials, all other people's reports and memorials need to be delivered to Liu Che through the Shangshu Order.
The number of memorials Liu Che read every day was definitely limited.
This means that Ji An can actually decide whose memorial can be presented to Liu Che immediately, and whose memorial will be buried in Lantai's documents, or even be buried in the archives of Shiqu Pavilion, never to be seen again!
Externally, Lantai's responsibilities are even greater.
Almost all memorials to foreign vassals must go to Lantai.
Moreover, Lantai ministers will conduct research on the current situation of the vassal state.
This means that as long as Ji An plays word games, he is likely to determine the future of a vassal state or even a vassal state.
Hearing this, Ji An quickly said: "Everything is just your Majesty's order..."
Of course he couldn't bear to leave his position as Shangshu Ling.
In this position, he not only got great training, broadened his horizons, and thought clearly about many problems that he could not understand in the past.
Ji An even felt that if he stayed in this position for twenty or thirty years, he might become a top academic master like Laozi, Yin Wenzi, and Shenzi.
But he also knows that in the current Han Dynasty, all positions have term limits.
It is said that Prime Minister Zhou Yafu should lead by example and retire early.
Even the prime minister, who has worked so hard and accomplished so much, needs to do this, let alone a little shrimp like him?
Liu Che looked at Ji An and said: "Henan County Governor Chen Wenming will be serving as official this year. I plan to ask you to go to Henan..."
Henan is currently one of the three areas Liu Che is most concerned about.
The other two are Anton and Nanyang.
Nanyang is China's largest state-owned heavy industry base. Starting from this year, the annual iron production is likely to exceed 1.5 million kilograms. At the same time, it can also produce 100,000 kilograms of refined iron and about 30,000 kilograms of crude steel.
The pig iron output of this place alone, converted to later generations' standards, was at least 30,000 tons.
It has reached the combined annual pig iron production of Britain on the eve of the Industrial Revolution!
However, this kind of output is far from enough for a behemoth like China!
The military alone needs hundreds of thousands of kilograms of pig iron every year!
In terms of agriculture, the demand for at least millions of kilograms of pig iron shows that Nanyang's heavy industry base is far from being formed!
Not to mention Anton, where the seeds of the future Chinese bourgeoisie and colonialism are already gestating.
But Henan County is a different template.
Before the Grand Canal was built today, Luoyang in Henan County was the hub of the north-south transportation network in the world.
The business atmosphere back then was very developed since ancient times.
The famous idiom "high debts" is enough to prove that this place was already a commercial area as early as the Spring and Autumn Period.
In recent years, with the large-scale development of Andong and the industrial rise of Nanyang, the environment of Henan County has become more and more complex.
Previously, Liu Che had sent Zhidu to sit in the local area and reluctantly suppressed the local landlords and nobles.
But as soon as Zhidu left, the power of the local landlords and scholar-bureaucrats rose again.
Take a look at the Chongmin School...
Everyone blatantly shouted, "Winds are allowed, rain is allowed, county roads are not allowed," and private property must be protected.
This is certainly impossible in China, at least now, and is destined to be a joke.
Therefore, Liu Che planned to let Ji An go over and educate them well.
At the same time, it also has the meaning of training Ji An.
After all, being able to gain a firm foothold in Henan County means that you can gain a firm foothold in the court.
Don’t believe it yet!
This is indeed true!
Since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, those who have successively served as governors of Henan counties and counties, as long as they have made political achievements, will eventually enter Chang'an and become courtiers or even Jiuqing!
From this aspect, Henan County is the magical capital of the Western Han Dynasty.
Once you've done it, you'll be able to return to normal sooner or later!
However, the local area is also famous for its hornet's nest. If you are not careful, you will get into trouble.
The people of Luoyang have been very proud since ancient times!
Ji An naturally knew that Henan was a touchstone.
And it is the touchstone with the highest quality in the world!
Therefore, he immediately bowed: "Your Majesty, please select your staff and chief officials from Lantai..."
Liu Che naturally nodded his head.
…………………………………………
Half an hour later, Liu Che saw his three ministers and nine ministers in the Xuanshi Palace.
After the ministers bowed respectfully, they each took their seats.
Liu Che, as usual, picked up the report submitted by the nine ministers and read it.
Now, it is already summer and May.
The harvest time of winter wheat is approaching, so the reports from the Shaofu, Da Nong and Prime Minister's Office are all about ensuring the winter wheat harvest.
In Guanzhong, this doesn't take much effort.
Because Guanzhong has the most developed bureaucracy in the world.
For example, although there is still some time before the winter wheat harvest, the official warehouses under the control of the Shaofu and Da Nong are all ready.
All the soldiers transferred from the army have also arrived.
But in the north and Guandong, this matter undoubtedly tested the organizational and coordination abilities of the Han Dynasty.
After all, in addition to harvesting, collecting taxes and warehousing, we also have to step up supervision and encouragement for people to plant soybeans and other crops.
As the planting area of winter wheat continued to expand, such matters gradually became the main annual tasks of the Han Dynasty government.
Liu Che read the reports from the Shaofu, Da Nong and the Prime Minister's Office, and then ordered: "Food is the first priority for the people, and all the ministers should strengthen preparations for harvesting and warehousing winter wheat in Yanzhao and Daishang areas!"
"No!" All the ministers naturally bowed their heads.
"In my opinion, if the Nong, the Shaofu and the Prime Minister's Palace have their own bureaus, they might as well send out a team each, led by the chief officers of each bureau, to go to each county to supervise the people..."
"No!" All the ministers had no objection to this.
The Han Dynasty was not like the Song and Ming dynasties. The scholar-bureaucrats did not like to work at the grassroots level, and they did not think it was humiliating to go to places to do things in person.
On the contrary, the Huang-Lao School and the Legalists, who are currently the main body of the bureaucratic group, both love the grassroots.
Even though Huang Laopai is usually lazy, he is extremely motivated when doing this kind of thing!
In history, Ji An went to the county many times to take charge of disaster relief and relief.
In order to help the victims, he even risked his own life to save the people.
After completing the work arrangements for winter wheat, Liu Che shifted the topic to another important issue and asked: "This year's examination is about to take place. What do you think about this year's examination?"
Nearly seven years have passed since the first examination was held.
Over the past seven years, tens of thousands of young people have entered officialdom through examinations.
They gradually became a force that cannot be ignored in the political arena of the Han Dynasty.
Naturally, the government and the public are paying more and more attention to the examination.
The examination has even replaced the annual imperial meeting and has become the most important matter in the world.
For scholars from poor families, they are of course more concerned about the fairness, justice and transparency of examinations.
But for the vast number of princes, nobles and meat eaters, they are undoubtedly more concerned about the fat positions released by the annual examination.
For example, the servants, ministers, and visitors in the palace.
As well as civil servants in important departments such as the Prime Minister's Office, the Yushi Dafu Yamen, the Chariot and Cavalry General's Palace, the Shaofu, and the Tingwei.
Over the years, nobles and nobles have become accustomed to enjoying preferential treatment and extra points.
As for fair and square? What is it? Is it delicious?
This triggered the conflict between the humble family and the noble family.
Although this contradiction cannot be seen yet, in the foreseeable future, sooner or later something will happen!
Moreover, Liu Che dared to conclude that Xungui must have won first and then lost.
The reason is very simple. The military force and power in the hands of nobles are far inferior to those of ordinary people.
However, the resilience and terrifying potential of the poor men must be beyond the reach of the nobles.
What's more, among the nobles, there may be people who sympathize with the poor people.
In order to prevent the confrontation between the nobles and the poor in the future, leading to the Western Han Dynasty version of the Niu-Li party struggle, Liu Che decided to reform the examination system.
Anyway, this system was created by him, so it can be reformed as he pleases.
When the officials heard this, they naturally understood.
Because in the past, the emperor never asked them about their thoughts about the examination before the examination.
Naturally, all the ministers bowed their heads and said: "I will obey your Majesty's orders!"
For such an important matter as the examination, the emperor did not mention anyone by name. Who dared to speak alone?
Liu Che smiled slightly and said: "I plan to take the current affairs paper in the examination this year..."
"The title is based on the world's major events and national edicts since the rise of the Han Dynasty, and tests the scholars' understanding of the world, so as to avoid the appearance of people who are just trying to make up for it..."
Liu Che never believed in the nonsense that you can know the general trend of the world without leaving home!
A very simple truth: if a nerd lives at home and reads a book every day, what kind of bullshit can he know about the general trend of the world?
Liu Che even felt that he might not even be able to understand the general situation in the village!
What's more, as the emperor, Liu Che certainly needed officials all over the world to be able to understand his will and thoughts, and the entire bureaucracy to be consistent with him at all times.
Then, what else can be compared with the great killers of later generations to learn and understand the superior spirit?
In the past, Liu Che had already tried to add some current affairs questions to the exams.
For example, the Jiazi Edict, Taizong's "Edict on Assisting the Common People", etc. have always been required examination questions.
Now, it is not too much to examine these things as a subject alone.
Therefore, all the ministers said: "Your Majesty is wise, and I will obey your orders!"
"Besides..." Liu Che knocked on the back of his hand and said, "I plan to cancel the bonus points for all the princes and disciples of Two Thousand Stones, and only retain the bonus points for the clan, descendants of righteous men and descendants of loyal ministers..."
Liu Che looked at everyone with a smile: "Do you have any comments?"
How could you have no opinion?
You know, in the past, when there were the options of two thousand stones and honorable extra points, the ministers could guarantee that even if their son was a fool, they could come back pretending to be a scholar.
But now, this policy is equivalent to blocking this road.
However……
Everyone looked at me and I looked at you, and they were all a little afraid to speak.
The reason is very simple. The political arena of the Han Dynasty is no longer the political arena of the first year of Yuande and the period of the late Emperor.
Over the past six years or so, the political arena has undergone earth-shaking changes, the most significant of which is the collapse of dozens of princely families and the rise of new military aristocrats.
These emerging military aristocrats are undoubtedly the emperor's die-hard and brainless fans.
This means that the current aristocratic bureaucracy no longer has the ability to maintain its privileged status as it did in the past.
………………
I don’t know why, but I’ve been suffering from insomnia recently. As a result, I feel drowsy during the day and yawn again and again at night. Alas, I’m almost a useless snake.
