Chương 506: Local and Military Systems

His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, his voice steady and powerful:

"Gentlemen, from this day forward, the new court of the Great Han Dynasty is officially established. I do not care whether you were scions of noble families or commoners before;" Are you a merchant, a farmer, or a craftsman? Are you an old comrade who followed me from Youzhou, or a general who surrendered halfway? As long as you have the ability to serve the Han Dynasty and bring benefits to the people, I will give you important positions.

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "However, let me make this clear from the start."

The air inside the hall instantly became heavier.

"First, the capable rise, the mediocre fall. If you do well, you'll be promoted, make a fortune, and secure a position for your wife and children; if you don't, you'll be out of a job immediately, and there will be plenty of people to replace you. I don't need people who occupy positions without doing any work. If you want to gain a foothold, you have to show real ability."

"Secondly, the corrupt will die. Anyone who dares to embezzle, break the law, or oppress the people will be investigated by the Audit Bureau, impeached by the Censorate, and sentenced by the Supreme Court. At that time, don't say I'm not giving you face; I might even confiscate your property and exterminate your entire clan. I mean what I say."

Upon hearing this, many officials felt their legs go weak and cold sweat streamed down their backs.

"Third, the salaries of officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Commerce will be 20% higher than those of civil officials of the same rank. From now on, whoever can increase grain production, whoever can produce better products, and whoever can fill the national treasury will be promoted and richly rewarded by me. What I want are doers, not just talkers."

Upon hearing this, the officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Commerce all brightened up, eager to get started and full of enthusiasm.

"Your Majesty's teachings will be firmly remembered! We will certainly fulfill our duties diligently, devote ourselves wholeheartedly, and serve until our dying breath!"

The officials shouted in unison once again, their voices filled with enthusiasm and hope.

Those officials who came from humble backgrounds and climbed the ranks through their own abilities had their eyes shining; those who wanted to coast along by relying on connections were secretly sweating bullets.

...

Then, Liu Ce tapped on the armrest of the dragon throne, and the hall fell silent.

"The central framework has been established; the next step is the local and military systems. Let's clarify everything along one line, so that all departments can coordinate accordingly, without any detours or disputes."

He gestured to the eunuch to hang up the architectural diagram that had been drawn up in advance.

It was a huge map, on which the relationships between administrative and military institutions at all levels were clearly marked with different colored silk lines.

Liu Ce pointed to the words above and explained them clearly:

"First, let's talk about local administration. It's directly connected to the central government, so whoever's business it is, they're in charge, and whoever's accountable is responsible if problems arise."

The governor-general, a second-rank official, was not appointed in normal times. He was only temporarily appointed during times of war or major disaster to oversee the military and political affairs of two or three provinces. Once his duties were completed, he would immediately return to the capital and relinquish power. He was not allowed to make it a permanent position.

The governor, a second-rank official, is the head of a province. He is only in charge of administration and has no military or financial power; he is just an administrative official.

The province was divided into three officials of equal rank, all of the third grade: the Provincial Administration Commissioner was in charge of civil administration and finances, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner was in charge of judicial supervision, and the Provincial Military Commissioner was in charge of the local garrison. The three kept an eye on each other, and none of them could become too powerful.

They would discuss matters together, and if they could not reach an agreement, they would report to the central government.

Below that is the prefect, a fourth-rank official, who governs a prefecture; below that is the county magistrate, a seventh-rank official, who governs a county.

From now on, all local officials will be appointed and dismissed by the central government, serving three-year terms, and will not be allowed to serve in their hometowns. After serving six years, they must be rotated to other positions.

"If you've just successfully governed a place, you have to be transferred away to take your experience elsewhere. Anyone who wants to stay and establish themselves in a local area has no chance."

Upon hearing this, the civil officials below nodded in agreement.

Many people were worried about the recurrence of regional governorships, but now with this separation of powers, the military, government, and judiciary are independent, and local officials have no chance to rebel.

Even if someone wanted to rebel, they couldn't mobilize troops; even if someone wanted to be corrupt, there was an inspector watching over them; even if someone wanted to form cliques, they would be removed from their posts every three years before they could even establish themselves.

Fang Xuanling was the first to step forward, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and saying, "Your Majesty is wise! This not only ensures efficiency in local affairs but also eliminates the possibility of local separatism at its root. I learned this the hard way when I was in Youzhou; if military and political affairs are handled by one person, trouble is bound to arise sooner or later. On behalf of the people of the land, I thank Your Majesty!"

Jia Sixie quickly raised his hand, like a student eager to answer a question: "Your Majesty, do the Ministry of Agriculture's decrees go directly to the agricultural officials in the provinces, and then to the counties? Don't they go through the provincial governor?"

"That's right," Liu Ce nodded.

"From now on, all departments will be under vertical management. The Ministry of Agriculture will manage agricultural officials nationwide, the Ministry of Commerce will manage commercial officials nationwide, and the Ministry of Justice will manage judicial officials nationwide. Whoever's people are in charge, and whoever's affairs are responsible."

The provincial governor is only responsible for coordination and cannot interfere in specialized matters. This ensures smooth policy implementation and prevents delays caused by intermediaries. It also avoids situations where laypeople direct experts.

Shen Wansan nodded in agreement, his eyes sparkling: "That would be best! In the future, tax collection will go directly from the Ministry of Revenue to the province to the county, and no one in between can intercept it. The national treasury will definitely become more and more abundant."

Previously, local officials always used various pretexts to embezzle tax revenue. The imperial court couldn't collect the money, and the people were overcharged, suffering from both ends. Now, with vertical management, anyone who dares to embezzle tax revenue can be immediately found out by Lord Jia's auditing office.

Several officials who had previously harbored wishful thinking and hoped to make some extra money in the local area turned even paler.

I was originally thinking of going to a local area to become a local tyrant, since the emperor was far away anyway.

Now things are really messed up. The three officials are keeping an eye on each other, and there are also various central departments directly in charge above them. The provincial inspector is checking the accounts every day, and Jia Xu's auditing office may even come down to conduct spot checks.

Forget about making money; even the slightest mistake could get you fired.

...

"Now that we've covered the local issues, let's talk about the military, which is what everyone is most concerned about."

As soon as Liu Ce spoke, the generals below straightened their backs instantly, their eyes shining, and even their breathing became heavier, like a pack of wolves that had smelled meat.

Zhang Fei was so excited he almost stood up, but Guan Yu held him down.

Liu Ce pointed to the military section of the organizational diagram and shouted:

"The military system is vertically integrated with the Privy Council. I myself hold the title of Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces of the Realm, but it's just a nominal position. I don't handle any specific matters; it's just a title."

The title of Grand General, a first-rank official, was only established during wartime. After the war, the military power was immediately returned to the court, and the title was not frequently held in peacetime.

Below them are the General of the Cavalry, the General of the Chariots, and the General of the Guards, all of the first rank. These are the three commanders of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the elite troops surrounding the capital.

Below them are the four generals (front, back, left, and right) and the war zone commander, a second-rank official who is in charge of all the troops stationed in a war zone.

For example, the Northern Xinjiang Theater Command, the Southern Xinjiang Theater Command, etc., each have their own theater commanders.

Deputy Commander of the War Zone, rank 2...

Third rank: Army commanders and guard commanders.

Then came the ranks: fourth-rank: division commander; fifth-rank: brigade commander; sixth-rank: regimental commander; seventh-rank: battalion commander; eighth-rank: company commander; and ninth-rank: platoon leader.

The hierarchy is clear, with each level supervising the next; it's obvious who is whose leader.