Jiuxi

Chapter 1007 Chapter 1005 [Travel Together]

There is a navy blue building in Xuanzhengfang in the southwest of the imperial city. This is the Reform Department responsible for formulating new policies, and it is not far from the six ministries.

At noon, outside the gate of the Innovation Department, a group of officials were waiting eagerly, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.

"coming!"

When hundreds of riders appeared in sight, everyone hurried forward and saluted in unison, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The person who came was Lu Chen who had just come out of the palace. Beside him were the chief officer Li Liangyu and the deputy chief officer Cui Hao. As for the Minister of Rites Kong Yingdong, he had been stripped of his official uniform and taken into custody. Another group of elite men rushed straight to the Kong Mansion.

Lu Chen turned over and dismounted, nodded slightly and said: "No need to be polite."

When he arrived at the main hall surrounded by a group of officials, the Minister of Revenue Gao Huan, the Left Vice Minister of Personnel Ding Hui, the Left Chief Censor Liu Yuan and the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture Chen Xun, as well as the heads of the Bureau of Construction, the Bureau of Medical Affairs, and the Academy of Agricultural Affairs, who had received the notice, came one after another.

"Everyone sit down. Let's have a meeting behind closed doors today."

Lu Chen sat in the main seat, looking at these officials who followed him unswervingly, and smiled, "I have already petitioned His Majesty to upgrade the Innovation Department to the Prime Minister's New Policy Department, and will be in charge of the implementation of the new policy in the future. In other words, it is finally time for you to realize your ambitions. I know that you have been unwilling to give up in the past six months, and always feel that you have the power but cannot use it. You will no longer have this concern in the future."

Everyone was excited, and Ding Hui immediately praised: "Your Highness, once you take action, everything will go smoothly! I have long felt that those people lack courage, and each of them is like lukewarm water. I dare not offend this one, and I dare not investigate that one. If it weren't for Liu Zhongcheng's ability, I am afraid that even the task of cleaning up the bureaucracy would be difficult to achieve."

Liu Yuan did not respond to Ding Hui. As one of the earliest celebrities who joined Lu Chen, he had devoted himself to helping Lu Chen with general affairs over the years and was a civil servant whom Lu Chen relied on and trusted very much. However, he would never take advantage of his talent. The reason why his attitude was rather cold at the moment was simply because he did not like Ding Hui.

In his opinion, Ding Hui was a pure bureaucrat who was good at flattering others. Perhaps he was indeed capable, but his character was hardly commendable.

However, Liu Yuan knew that it was precisely because of the existence of Ding Hui and Gao Huan that the aristocratic families behind them would force their swords against themselves, thereby strongly supporting Lu Chen's reforms. Moreover, their connections among officials at all levels could also help Lu Chen solve many problems.

Based on these considerations, although Liu Yuan would not be enthusiastic about Ding Hui, it would not intensify the conflict. At most, they would not have any contact with each other.

Lu Chen knew the situation of these two people very well. He did not force them to become close friends. As long as they did not interfere with their work, this situation might not be a bad thing.

Looking at Liu Yuan's increasingly solemn face, Lu Chen said gently: "Lord Bingyuan, I know you have been very hard-working in the past six months, and you have accumulated a lot of anger in your heart."

Liu Yuan bowed his head and said, "Your Highness, don't you know how difficult reform is? From ancient times to the present, those who want to carry out reforms have always faced many difficulties, because getting those powerful people to willingly hand over the interests they have embezzled is often more difficult than killing them. I dare not lie in front of Your Highness. To this day, I am indeed angry, but I have no resentment, and I have no intention of retreating due to fear of difficulties."

"I know that this little difficulty cannot scare you, Liu Bingyuan."

Lu Chen smiled and continued, "I have just warned Zhang Cang in the palace. He will definitely behave himself. If he dares to trip you up again, I will personally make him understand what it means to be unstoppable. But before that, as long as he acts like a clay puppet, let him continue to serve as the Imperial Censor. He will be able to protect you from the storm at critical moments. I hope you can understand my intentions."

Upon hearing the news, Liu Yuan did not show any joy on his face. He said calmly as usual: "Your Majesty, I do not seek official positions or wealth. As long as I can do something practical, I will be satisfied."

"Well, now there is something practical."

Lu Chen briefly introduced the Enke fraud case and said to Liu Yuan, "I want you to use this major case as an opportunity to officially kick off the establishment of a strict administration of officials. This time, we can no longer make small moves like we did in the past six months. The Censorate must show enough courage and conduct a thorough investigation of the entire official system from top to bottom. Of course, this heavy responsibility cannot be placed entirely on your shoulders, Cui Hao."

"The subordinate is here."

Cui Hao stood up and accepted.

Lu Chen looked at him and said, "From today on, the new government office of the Prime Minister will have an inspection department. You will be the first person in charge, and Wang Han will be your deputy. The Censorate will continue to be responsible for supervising officials at all levels of the central government and local governments, while the inspection department will be responsible for handling cases related to the new policy, such as the major fraud case of the Enke exam that needs to be dealt with urgently. This king knows that this may cause unclear responsibilities and influence each other at the beginning, but problems should be solved when they arise. There is no such thing as a permanent solution in this world. This king hopes that you can cooperate sincerely to escort the implementation of the new policy and select the best and eliminate the worst."

Liu Yuan, Cui Hao and Wang Han said in unison: "We will obey the prince's order!"

Lu Chen nodded slightly, then looked at Ding Hui with a smile: "Sir Ding, I heard that countless officials and gentry wanted to visit you in the past few months?"

Ding Hui only felt that this smile was particularly scary, but fortunately he had nothing to hide, so he said frankly: "Your Highness, please be clear. Since I became the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, my house has suddenly become lively. I can see the gift lists quietly sent in almost every day. I dare not deceive Your Highness. If I say that I have never been tempted, it would be a lie. Even if I only receive gifts for one month, it is more than the past seven years as the Minister of War. But I have to admit one thing. I can't be so superficial when working with Your Highness. If I only think about money and wealth, how can I be worthy of Your Highness' trust and cultivation?"

Lu Chen knew that he was not lying. In fact, he was a little surprised when Yin Shangfu reported these details. He thought that Ding would not be so obedient. Now it seems that this guy has been standing firm for many years and is indeed quite capable.

He suppressed his thoughts, put away his smile and said, "I recommend you as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. I'm sure you already understand the real intention. Whether it is the Censorate or the Supervisory Office, they can only play the role of supervision and correction. If they want to get things done, there must be enough outstanding officials. I suggest that the court add more special examinations this year. Its symbolic significance is far greater than its practical significance. After all, we cannot expect this group of Jinshi who are about to enter the officialdom to play the role of the backbone. Therefore, the Ministry of Personnel must really take action to discover and promote those officials who are truly capable and dare to take on responsibilities. I will say hello to Yao Chong, and you will be responsible for this matter." Ding Hui immediately felt the pressure like a mountain, but he knew that he had no room for refusal, and this should be the most precious opportunity in his life. As long as he can complete the task assigned by Lu Chen, he will surely rise to the top in the future.

Thinking of this, the slippery old bureaucrat felt warm in his heart and said solemnly: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do my best!"

"Okay, I believe you understand the importance of this matter."

Lu Chen looked directly into Ding Hui's eyes and said sternly, "But I still want to remind you. If you do your job well, I will ensure that you and the Ningtan Ding family will have a bright future. If you feel that you are not capable enough, please tell me as soon as possible and change to an easier job. I will not treat you unfairly. But if you occupy this position and delay the new policy, don't blame me for not being merciful."

Ding Hui fell silent for the first time.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, if I can't do this job well, I will be beheaded."

Maybe Ding Hui just wanted to be promoted, but it was not important to Lu Chen. He certainly appreciated loyal ministers like Liu Yuan more, but he also knew that not everyone could have such noble moral integrity.

After encouraging Ding Hui for a few words, Lu Chen continued to analyze the current problems and solutions of the new policy, from the household classification system, agricultural development, the establishment of schools to commerce and trade, and had in-depth discussions with the responsible officials one by one.

This conversation lasted more than two hours.

"You should now understand the general framework of the new policy, as well as your respective tasks and responsibilities."

Lu Chen drank half a cup of tea to moisten his throat, and then said: "In the past six months, this king has deliberately suppressed you. On the one hand, it is to give the Secretariat a chance, so that those clean officials in the court will not think that they can really accomplish this. On the other hand, it is to let you learn and summarize more. Now that His Majesty has delegated power to us, this is the time for everyone to show their talents. But before that, this king still wants to talk to you about the significance of the new policy itself."

All the officials sat upright, staring at Lu Chen intently.

"In the past six months, I have heard a lot of discussions about the new policy. Some people say that I am trying to win people's hearts, while others say that I am using the new policy to exclude dissidents, cultivate my own party, and steal the power of the court."

Lu Chen spoke slowly, then smiled as everyone looked at him, "I have thought about it secretly, and these statements are not without reason."

Chen Xun immediately said: "Prince——"

"Don't rush, Dezun."

Lu Chen interrupted him directly and said frankly: "I did have many concerns before. But after thinking about it carefully, I still feel that I can't look ahead and behind. After all, how can there be a successful reform without offending people in this world? I will tell you what the meaning of the new policy is now. Putting aside the previous statements, what I want is for the people to have food to eat when they are hungry, clothes to wear when they are cold, and medicine to take when they are sick."

"For thousands of years, the people living on this land have been kind and simple. They always give a lot but want little in return. You are all well-educated people who are familiar with history. You should know that what I said is true. There are many talented people in history books who want to improve the conditions of the people. Some failed and some succeeded briefly. Now it is our turn to come to this juncture. We must do something to make our lives count."

"I know that not all of you understand this ideal, and I don't mind what your original intention is in following me. After so many years of observation, I believe that everyone present here today wants to leave something behind after death, whether it is to bless future generations or to leave a name in history. Only by asking for something can you achieve something. This is why I chose you."

"Now I want to ask you a question. In order to create a truly prosperous era, are you willing to follow me and overcome all obstacles along the way?"

Liu Yuan was the first to stand up, followed by Chen Xun, Gao Huan, Li Liangyu, Ding Hui, Cui Hao, Wang Han, Wei Xiyun, etc. Dozens of officials with different qualifications, ages and backgrounds all stood up.

They bowed to Lu Chen and said in unison: "We are willing!"

"If anyone asks you what the so-called new policy is for, I think I can answer it like this."

Lu Chen slowly stood up, bowed to everyone and said word by word: "Establish a mind for the world, establish a destiny for the people, inherit the unique knowledge of the past sages, and create peace for all generations! I would like to share these four words with you all!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at Lu Chen with eyes full of respect. Scholars like Liu Yuan, Chen Xun and Cui Hao were so excited that they had tears in their eyes and were trembling all over.

Even Ding Hui could feel the heart beating violently in his chest.

The surging emotions in everyone's heart gathered together and burst into a uniform and resolute shout.

"I am willing to die for the prince!"

(End of this chapter)