Chương 475: Question and Exchange

Xun Yu laughed and said, "My lord, what you're doing isn't just governing the world; you've meticulously planned every corner of it. From the central government to the local authorities, from officials to the army, everything is governed by law and regulations. If this can be implemented, it won't be a problem for a hundred years, let alone a thousand."

Liu Ce smiled but didn't say anything.

He thought to himself: A thousand years is not a problem? That depends on how you push it.

"The Royal Statistical Audit Office?" Guo Jia waved his feather fan thoughtfully.

"My lord, what does this organization do? Audit? What is an audit?"

"Auditing is simply checking accounts," Liu Ce explained with a smile.

Are the tax revenue, population, and land figures reported by local officials accurate? Are there any false reports or concealments? Is there any corruption or embezzlement?

The Royal Auditor General's Office of Statistics and Accountability specializes in this. They report directly to me, are not under the jurisdiction of any other department, and can investigate wherever and whomever they want.

Jia Xu stroked his mustache and smiled sinisterly: "My lord, this move is ruthless enough. With this auditing agency, which official would dare to embezzle or break the law? If they embezzle ten thousand taels, the auditing agency will find the accounts don't match and expose them immediately. This is even more effective than the Censorate."

"The Censorate oversees the actions of officials, while the Audit Office audits their accounts," Liu Ce added.

"With a two-pronged approach, corrupt officials will have nowhere to hide. One oversees their conduct, and the other oversees their accounts; no one can escape."

After listening, Fang Xuanling remained silent for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "My lord, this... this is too ahead of its time! I can't digest it all at once!"

Du Ruhui nodded and said, "Especially that Royal Statistical Audit Office, I've never heard of it before. Local officials deceiving their superiors and concealing the truth has always been the biggest problem for successive dynasties. Your Majesty's move directly cuts off the source of the problem—it's brilliant!"

Guo Jia waved his feather fan, his eyes narrowing into slits with laughter:

"My lord, have you brought together things from the next few hundred years into today? This system seems to me to be far more advanced than the current one."

Liu Ce waved his hand with a smile: "Stop flattering me."

Then, the council hall fell silent, everyone stunned by Liu Ce's series of plans.

They never imagined that a country could be governed in this way.

Then the group asked questions, which Liu Ce answered one by one.

The crowd frowned and asked, "My lord, separating military and political affairs is good, but what if a rebellion breaks out in the local areas? Wouldn't it be a delay if the central government sent troops over? It's like trying to quench a thirst with water from afar."

"No." Liu Ce shook his head, walked to the map, and pointed to several key locations.

"I will station elite central army troops in strategic locations throughout the country. For example, there will be permanent elite troops stationed in places like Luoyang, Chang'an, Xiangyang, Yecheng, Chengdu, and Wujun."

In case of emergency, the central army could be mobilized within three days via urgent dispatch. Moreover, without military power, local officials would be unable to rebel even if they wanted to.

The previous regional separatism stemmed from the fact that governors controlled both military and political affairs; we must learn this lesson from the bottom of our hearts.

After thinking for a moment, everyone nodded and said, "It was our oversight. Our lord has considered everything thoroughly."

The crowd then raised questions about the land issue: "My lord, this is going to threaten the entire landlord class. Which of those powerful families doesn't own vast tracts of land? They will definitely fight to the death. These people have money, grain, and manpower; if they really rebel, it won't be a joke."

"I know." Liu Ce's eyes turned cold, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

"So for the next twenty years, I'm going to be an iron-fisted dictator. Anyone who dares to resist, I'll kill. I'll kill until they're afraid, until they dare not resist anymore. In times of chaos, harsh measures are used, and in times of peace, the same applies."

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "But I won't do what Wang Mang did and directly confiscate their land. I'll give them money and a way out. They can use the money to do business, set up factories, or become officials."

As long as they don't go against me, I won't touch them. But if anyone doesn't know what's good for them, then don't blame me for being impolite. If they won't listen to reason, then don't blame me for being ruthless.

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "This is not to deprive anyone, but to ensure that all farmers in the world have food to eat."

Those who have stable property have stable minds; when farmers have land, they will not rebel, and the country can remain stable.

Moreover, this way, the country's tax revenue can grow steadily, and it will no longer have to rely on extorting money from the land to make a living. This is a good thing for the country and its people; anyone who opposes it is going against the people of the world.

Everyone said, "Our lord is wise and far-sighted; we admire him greatly."

...

The group then raised questions about modern industry.

Everyone exclaimed, "My lord, is this... is this really possible? Building machines, constructing railways, building ships... we've never even heard of these things. Can it really be done?"

"Yes," Liu Ce nodded firmly, his eyes full of confidence.

"We can achieve this as long as we take it one step at a time. Let's start with the simple things, such as basic industries like mining, smelting, textiles, and papermaking."

Once we've accumulated the technology and capital, we can develop more complex technologies. You can't get fat in one bite, but you can always eat your fill if you take it one step at a time.

Then, everyone opened their mouths again, unable to utter a word for a long time: "My lord... you've worked so hard to build this empire, and you're just... handing it over like this?"

Liu Ce stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the sky outside. His voice was distant and calm, as if it had traveled through a hundred years:

"I conquered the world not for myself, nor for my descendants to become emperors for all eternity."

My purpose is to ensure that the people of this land can live a good life, free from the suffering of war and oppression. This has always been my original aspiration.

"To be a great emperor for all time is certainly glorious. But even the greatest emperor will die. Qin Shi Huang was great enough, wasn't he? Yet his dynasty lasted only two generations."

Emperor Wu of Han was quite powerful, wasn't he? Yet, in his later years, the witchcraft scandal nearly brought down the Han Dynasty. After my death, my descendants may not be wise, and my ministers may not be loyal.

If all power is concentrated in the hands of the emperor, and a tyrannical ruler emerges, the country is doomed. History has taught us too many lessons.

"What I want to build is not a dynasty of one person, but a system that can operate on its own and improve itself."

This system will not collapse because of the death of any one person, nor will it be destroyed because of the incompetence of any one individual. It will carry this country forward, toward a bright future.

He looked at everyone and smiled slightly: "Of course, none of this can be rushed. We can't afford to make a single mistake, nor can we rush things."

Once a reform is implemented, it should be observed for at least ten years until society has adapted before moving on to the next one. It's better to be slower and more stable.