Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 444 Zhao Yuan (4)

Of the civil officials who bowed and saluted, how many were truly submissive?

How many people would truly dedicate themselves to her work and devote themselves wholeheartedly to her?

Is it enough to just spout a few empty words to be considered a loyal minister?
Regardless, this first act served as a warning to the officials, instilling fear and respect in them. It was a good start.

Pei Qinghe smiled slightly, his tone much gentler: "I've been the one doing all the talking just now. Now, I'd like to hear your thoughts as well. Prime Minister Pang, you go first. How do you plan to govern the Ministry of Personnel and ensure its clean governance?"

Prime Minister Pang calmly replied, "Since Your Majesty has inquired, this old minister will humbly speak of my plans and intentions. With the new dynasty newly established, stability should be the priority."

"The governors, prefects, and magistrates of each prefecture will remain in their original positions for the time being. The Ministry of Personnel will compile some regulations and distribute them to the prefectures and counties, so that officials can act in accordance with the rules of the new dynasty. They must not arbitrarily levy taxes, nor create pretexts to exploit the people. They must not arbitrarily conscript laborers or perform corvée labor, thus preventing the people from resting and recuperating."

"Evaluations are conducted every six months. Those who pass the evaluation continue to serve, those who are outstanding are promoted, and those who fail are dismissed from their posts."

Pei Qinghe thought for a moment and said, "Very well, I'll give them six months. After six months, I will lead troops to inspect the military camps and also tour the various prefectures and counties. If I encounter any officials who are not doing a good job, I will personally deal with them. A few decrees alone cannot restrain all the officials. We must kill a group of people and let the civil officials see blood. Only when they know fear will they truly restrain themselves."

Then, he looked at Minister Qin and asked, "Minister Qin, do you have any plans or intentions for the Ministry of Rites?"

Minister Qin secretly rejoiced that he had been prepared, and replied without hesitation: "A new dynasty should bring about a fresh start and new etiquette and rules. I will lead the officials of the Ministry of Rites to formulate the new regulations."

"Furthermore, I would like to offer this suggestion. When the Emperor first ascends the throne, he should hold a special imperial examination. This would not only benefit the northern regions, but also allow for the selection of talented individuals to serve the Emperor."

Pei Qinghe's eyes lit up: "What Minister Qin said is exactly what I wanted. The Ministry of Rites can issue an official notice to hold a special imperial examination in April, and all those with the title of Juren can take the exam. I want to select talented people from among them."

Minister Qin bowed and agreed, then added, "I have heard that all soldiers in the Pei family army are required to read and write. Enlightening everyone is a great merit. I think this should be promoted, and elementary schools should be established in various counties, with the government recruiting teachers to enlighten children."

Pei Qinghe said with approval, "Minister Qin is indeed very thoughtful. If this matter can be accomplished, it will be a great deed that will benefit future generations. Building a school and recruiting teachers will probably cost a lot."

Eyes have now fallen on the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Fashion Secretary.

Fashion Book was drunk yesterday and acted recklessly in the middle of the night, so he is somewhat listless today. But when it comes to serious matters, he is much more energetic: "This is a good thing that benefits the country and the people, and it is worth it no matter how much it costs. After the court session, I will go to the Ministry of Revenue and discuss this matter with the officials there. Then we will prepare a detailed report to present to the Emperor."

Pei Qinghe nodded slightly and then instructed, "Military expenses also need to be calculated in advance. Right now, war preparedness should be the priority, and military expenses should be prepared first. Other matters can be dealt with later."

Fashion books should be presented with open arms.

Minister Meng of the Ministry of War, without waiting for the emperor to ask, took the initiative to speak: "There are currently twenty armies in the north, as well as the Pei family army under the emperor's command and the emperor's personal guard. I intend to first organize the troop registers, calculate the total strength, and then make further plans."

This means that the goal is to eliminate the vagrants and reorganize the entire army.

These words clearly struck a chord with Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe immediately nodded in agreement: "Minister Meng, just go ahead and do it. If anyone objects or causes trouble, I will handle it."

Meng Bing was greatly encouraged and accepted the order with clasped hands.

The military officers felt a chill run down their spines once more. Next, the Minister of Justice spoke. The Ministry of Justice would, based on respect for the law, adjust and formulate new laws to clear up old and wrongful cases.

The Ministry of Works planned to renovate palaces, build military camps, and dredge waterways, among other massive projects.

Pei Qinghe said, "The palace doesn't need to be rebuilt for now. We should focus on using manpower and resources to clear the waterways and build military camps."

The Minister of Works respectfully accepted the order.

After the civil officials had spoken, it was the military officers' turn. Pei Qinghe called out Pei Yun's name: "General Pei Yun, what are your plans and ideas? Please speak first."

Pei Yun, without hesitation, declared loudly, "This humble general does indeed have some ideas. I am stationed in Bohai County, and there are many surrendered soldiers in the camp. They were originally undisciplined, and it was common for them to oppress the people and extort the wealthy. They were unwilling to exert themselves or fight to the death in battle. It's like their spines have been broken; they're rotten to the core. No matter how much effort we put into training them, the results are mediocre. I want to recruit more new soldiers and train them slowly. In the future, we can gradually drive out all the lazy and unruly soldiers in the camp."

Mao Hongling's troops are all direct subordinates of the Pei family army, trained under strict military regulations. She doesn't have this problem.

Pei Xuan felt a deep sense of agreement after hearing Pei Yun's words and couldn't help but step forward and say, "There are also quite a few such slackers in the Fanyang army. I would also like to remove some of them from the camp."

He hasn't committed any major offenses, but he repeatedly skirts the edge of military regulations. He says "yes, yes, yes" all the time, but then turns around and starts cursing. Keeping someone like that in the military would be a disaster.

Pei Feng also chimed in, clearly annoyed by the matter.

Pei Qinghe did not immediately agree, but looked at General Song: "General Song, do you agree to this kind of cleanup of the military camp?"

Why ask General Song?

Because a military officer named Jiang Huan under General Song was riding recklessly in Yan County, trampling and injuring innocent civilians, and was caught red-handed by the emperor. Clearly, there were more than just one or two such people in the Pingyang army.

Even General Song, with his thick skin, felt a little embarrassed and quickly bowed, replying, "This humble general thinks General Pei Yun's method is excellent. After returning, this humble general will strictly regulate the military camp. Those who repeatedly fail to correct their ways and disobey military discipline will all be expelled from the camp."

Pei Qinghe remained calm and asked General Fei, "Are there any such scoundrels in the Taiyuan army?"

"Your Majesty, there are such people, and quite a few at that," General Fei replied solemnly. "However, conscription is difficult, and raising and training soldiers is no easy task either. They are, after all, veterans who have trained for several years. I think it would be better to keep them here for now and give them more supervision and training."

"General Fei is right," General Lu chimed in. "New recruits need one or two years of training before they can barely go into battle. Veterans always have an advantage. In case of war, they can go into battle at any time."

The other military officers nodded in agreement.

Training elite troops is easier said than done.
Let's just make do! They never had such grand ambitions to begin with. If they had put in this much effort into recruiting and training soldiers, how could Pei Qinghe have conquered the Northern Lands so easily?
Pei Yun frowned, about to speak, when Pei Qinghe glanced over.

Pei Yun then shut her mouth.

Pei Qinghe said to the generals, "We'll discuss this matter later."

The military officers breathed a sigh of relief, more or less.

(End of this chapter)