Chương 570: Retirement and Reorganization of Officials

The 20th day of the first month of the sixth year of Shenwu.

Luoyang, the Imperial City, the Liangyi Hall.

A regular court assembly. It was originally scheduled for the 15th, but because the 15th of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, Liu Ce generously granted all officials a three-day holiday, and the court assembly was postponed to the 20th.

These past few days, the city of Luoyang still smelled of sulfur from the Lantern Festival fireworks. The lanterns on the streets and alleys had not yet been taken down, and the smiles on the faces of the people had not yet faded, but the atmosphere in the imperial court had become serious again.

The officials had enjoyed a good festival; they were all radiant and full of energy, standing ramrod straight, as if they had taken some kind of tonic.

The main purpose of this court assembly was to reshuffle a number of officials.

To put it bluntly, it means that veteran cadres are retiring to the second line, and young people are taking their place.

Cai Yong, Yang Biao, and others are quite old; the youngest is almost sixty.

Although the start time for work has changed to nine o'clock, at over sixty years old, it's really time for him to enjoy his retirement.

Cai Yong is sixty-six years old this year. His hair is completely white, and he walks with a trembling gait, but he is still in good spirits. He is not deaf or blind, and he practices calligraphy in his study every day.

Liu Ce issued an edict allowing him to retire with the title of Minister of Rites, retaining his salary and benefits, and also bestowing upon him a large mansion and a million coins to support him in his old age.

Cai Yong was so moved that tears streamed down his face, and he said that his life had been worthwhile.

Yang Biao is fifty-seven years old and has been going to court with a cane for several years now; his legs are not very agile.

Liu Ce allowed him to retire with the title of Left Censor-in-Chief, preserving his voice in the court and allowing him to attend grand court assemblies during festivals, without any reduction in his treatment.

Although reluctant, Yang Biao knew that his body could no longer hold on: "Your Majesty, it is time for this old man to retire. However, I have a suggestion that Your Majesty should consider: the newly appointed young people, although knowledgeable, lack experience. Your Majesty should give them more guidance."

Liu Ce nodded and said, "Minister Yang, rest assured, I know what I'm doing."

...

The others are in a similar situation; they are all over sixty years old, physically okay, but their energy is definitely not what it used to be.

Liu Ce arranged honorary positions for them, where they would receive money but not do any work and could do whatever they wanted.

They expressed their deepest gratitude and said they would write down all their knowledge and skills before they died so that they could pass it on to future generations.

The vacant positions were filled by young officials who had performed well during the First Five-Year Plan.

Tian Feng is now serving as the Left Censor-in-Chief.

Tian Feng was an upright and incorruptible man who was impartial and showed no mercy in handling cases. He even dared to investigate members of the imperial family.

With him in charge of the Censorate, Liu Ce was completely at ease.

Later, on his first day as Left Censor-in-Chief, he set fire to the Censorate and summoned all the censors for a reprimand:

"From now on, if anyone dares to embezzle even a single penny, I'll personally impeach them! No matter who they are, no matter how much they've accomplished, in my eyes, the law shows no mercy!"

The censors were so frightened that their legs went weak, and from then on, the atmosphere of the Censorate was renewed.

...

Guan Ning served as Minister of Rites.

Guan Ning was learned, virtuous, and meticulous in his conduct and work; he even walked in a straight line.

When he was young, he taught his students to read and write every day without fail.

It is just right for him to take charge of the Ministry of Rites.

After taking office, his first act was to reorganize the Ministry of Rites. A new official makes his first bold moves...

He said, "The Ministry of Rites is in charge of education, the imperial examinations, and diplomacy; it represents the face of the Han Dynasty. How can we face people if our face is not clean?"

...

Hu Zhao was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Hu Zhao was also a learned man, with a gentle personality and a reliable work ethic.

The two have worked together for many years and have excellent chemistry.

Guan Ning was in charge of external affairs, while Hu Zhao was in charge of internal affairs; the affairs of the Ministry of Rites were arranged perfectly.

Ma Ping served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

Ma Ping was the top engineering student that year, the stuttering carpenter.

In recent years, he has been doing very well in the Ministry of Works, leading a group of craftsmen to make many inventions and creations.

Although he still stutters a bit when he speaks, he draws blueprints quickly and well, and everyone in the Ministry of Works admires him.

He rose from a carpenter to the position of Vice Minister of Works, something he never dared to dream of before.

Song Yingxing praised him highly: "This kid is really good at drawing!"

...

Other departments also made minor adjustments, such as Zhang San being transferred to Li Si's department and Li Si being transferred to Wang Wu's department. These are all normal job rotations, so I won't go into details.

The officials had no objections to the arrangement; those who were to retire retired, and those who were to be promoted were promoted. Everyone got what they deserved, and everyone was happy.

In short, the principle is: the capable rise, the mediocre fall, the older comrades retire honorably, and the younger generation takes their place.

When the court session ended, several senior officials held Liu Ce's hand and said, "Your Majesty, please take care. Although we are not in court, our hearts are always with Your Majesty."

...

January 30th of the sixth year of Shenwu.

The Imperial City of Luoyang, Ganlu Hall.

Inside the hall, the floor heating system kept it warm and cozy, with heat rising from the floor, making one feel so comfortable that one wanted to doze off.

The gilded bronze incense burner emitted a faint scent of pine smoke, with wisps of smoke drifting like ribbons within the hall.

On the table sat freshly steamed jujube cakes, bright red and exuding the sweet aroma of jujubes, along with a pot of fine Longjing tea, its broth emerald green and its fragrance permeating the air.

Liu Ce slumped comfortably on the cushioned dragon throne, looking as relaxed as a lump of mud.

He held a thick volume of "The First Five-Year Plan of the Great Han Dynasty" in his hand, flipping through it with a rustling sound, reading page by page, and chuckling twice when he came across something he liked.

This report comprehensively summarizes the achievements of the First Five-Year Plan in various aspects, including population, land, food, taxation, industry, transportation, education, medical care, and military.

It's a thick book, filled with numbers that make your eyes dizzy.

Liu Ce had watched it several times, and he couldn't help but laugh every time he watched it.

Finally, Liu Ce snapped the last page shut, threw the thick report on the table, stretched out a big yawn, his bones making a series of "crack" sounds, and he was so comfortable that he almost hummed out loud, like a cat that had just woken up.

He grabbed a piece of jujube paste cake and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it with relish. He mumbled indistinctly, secretly calculating his family's wealth accumulated over the past five years.

These past five years have truly been worthwhile.

When we were fighting a war, we spent money; now we're making money. It feels completely different.

Twenty national-level main roads have been built across the country, connecting the north and south and running through the east and west.

Previously, a trip from south to north would take at least a month, and sometimes up to half a year. Now, with the fast pace of modern transportation, it only takes ten days.

In the past, when people went out, they were covered in dust on sunny days and mud on rainy days; now, walking on cement roads, they are clean and their shoes don't get dirty.

With convenient transportation comes faster logistics; faster logistics leads to more developed commerce; and more developed commerce leads to more tax revenue.

A virtuous circle.

In the past, ordinary people were grateful to have a full meal, and being able to eat meat during the New Year was considered a sign of a wealthy family.

Nowadays, every household has surplus grain. During the Spring Festival, they can not only eat meat, but also buy new cloth to make clothes. Many families raise chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep. While it's not true that they can eat meat every meal, it's common for them to eat meat once every three to five days.

There are several times more meat stalls at the market than before, and the price of meat has dropped considerably, making it affordable for ordinary people.

Once, Liu Ce, traveling incognito, saw an old farmer at the market buying a roast chicken. The farmer was eating it as he walked, his mouth dripping with oil. Liu Ce asked him how he was doing, and the old farmer gave him a thumbs-up: "Great! Thanks to Your Majesty! Before, we couldn't even afford meat for the New Year, but now we can eat it whenever we want!"

...