Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 446 The Starry System Exchanges for Technology: The Blood Edict Delivered from the Blue Star Ghost Temple (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
For Chen Mo, the Nine-Rank System was of course feudal dross.

However, for the celestial sphere, this represents a fairly advanced mode of production.

Inside the tea room, sandalwood incense wafted gently from the exquisite incense burner, its fragrance filling the air. In this elegant setting, the young lord spoke eloquently, while the old prime minister remained completely bewildered.

Compared to the current bureaucratic appointment system in the Celestial Empire, the Nine-Rank System can indeed be considered a significant improvement.

Because its bureaucratic selection model is exactly the same as the underlying logic of the recommendation system, which is to select people with good character and talent.

Oh, right, there's one more thing, called family background! That's also known as "character"!
The standards are divided into nine grades: top-upper, top-middle, top-lower, middle-upper, middle-middle, middle-lower, bottom-upper, bottom-middle, and bottom-lower.

This is the biggest difference between He Xiyue's recommendation system and the new one. This added evaluation dimension is heavily biased towards powerful and wealthy families, thus basically removing obstacles to the implementation of this system in Tianqiong.

The distinction between the gentry and commoners is almost identical to the current situation of the upper and lower classes in the Starry World.

Therefore, limiting the selection of officials to those with "rank" would allow the vast majority of noble families to fully feel the "respect" of the state.

Chen Mo pushed up his glasses again, then picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and took a small sip.

He was organizing his thoughts, or rather, waiting for his bespectacled assistant to give him further instructions. Chen Mo's familiarity with the "Nine-Rank System" was also quite limited, so he had to catch up on his lessons while teaching.

After organizing his thoughts for a while, Chen Mo put forward a key point, or rather, a point to mislead.

"Why do we say that the emperor and the court could influence and control this system? The core lies in the position of 'Zhongzheng Guan' (the official in charge of justice)."

"The extra power to 'order' and 'write' is a new controller."

Chen Mo drew several nested circles of different sizes on a piece of paper and connected them with arrows. "As long as we hold the position of 'Central Justice Official' in our hands, the court can decide whether the selection criteria are strict or lenient, loose or tight at different times!"

“If the pressure from aristocratic families is too great, then we can shift the selection criteria towards ‘rank’. If we can create conflict within the nobility, then we can shift the selection criteria towards ‘character’, that is, character and talent.”

"The Grand Secretary should be very familiar with this method."

It shouldn't be that bad...

Chen Qingyan carefully reviewed this management system.

In theory, the imperial court appointed "Zhongzheng officials," who selected talents based on "rank" and "appearance," that is, family background and moral character. The selected personnel were then appointed as officials by the imperial court. Both ends of this process were under the control of the imperial court.

All that noble families could do was hand over their children to the court for selection.

"What was originally a single appointment of officials has been split into three parts. With His Majesty's wisdom and the intelligence of the court officials, finding a balance between the top and bottom should not be too difficult!"

Chen Qingyan nodded repeatedly.

The old man certainly didn't think the imperial court would be unable to control the officials it appointed, and at the same time, he was truly amazed by the ingenuity of this system.

"Wonderful... Absolutely wonderful!"

“The sons of noble families are naturally superior to others. This is tantamount to giving them great convenience, and it also reflects His Majesty’s favor and consideration. They should be grateful!”

“As long as the ‘Central Censor’ is appointed and dismissed by the imperial court, and the power to ‘determine ranks’ is in hand, it can prevent the official positions in prefectures, counties, and cities from being completely controlled by powerful families below and becoming their private property.”

"That's not all!"

As the old man spoke, he couldn't contain himself any longer and stood up, pacing back and forth in the not-so-spacious tea room.

“Using this power of ‘ranking,’ we can win over and divide the various powerful families, forming a balance of power and influencing the ranking of families. Today we can elevate the Zhang family to suppress the Li family, and tomorrow we can support the Wang family to counterbalance the Zhao family.”

"Over time, in order for their sons to obtain high ranks, aristocratic families had to curry favor with the officials in charge of the Imperial Censorate, which in reality meant currying favor with, compromising with, or making deals with His Majesty the Emperor behind the officials in charge of the Imperial Censorate."

At this point, Chen Qingyan suddenly understood the words his grandson Chen Ye had written to him.

"This 'uncle' is adept at doing things by adding more items while reducing them. He uses large-scale, small-scale additions to suppress the minority, while his high-intensity reductions always go smoothly and without any obstacles!"

What does this mean? It means complicating a simple problem and coating a cannonball with sugar.

The reduction of power is packaged as a new item that provides more benefits and affirmation of status to everyone. This makes most people see the increase, while leaving those whose power has been reduced isolated and helpless, unable to resist.

For example, if the country has 10,000 yuan, and it is divided up among 100 families, each receiving 100 yuan, then according to the simplest logic, if the country needs 1,000 yuan to do something, it should collect 10 yuan from each family.

This will definitely trigger a collective backlash.

However, Chen Mo's approach is different; he might give it to them first.

Add 20 yuan to each of the five most influential people, and 2 yuan to each of the fifty less influential people. Do the "additional items" first, and then 55 people will be on his side.

When it comes to "reducing" the number of people to the remaining 45, the pressure is much less. We can easily recover 20% or 30% and successfully achieve our goals without causing too much backlash.

He would often compensate these guys in other ways, such as in Xiyue, using the "profits" from factories and infrastructure to buy back the "power" of local management, so that those who suffered losses could also find some psychological comfort.

Returning to the "Nine-Rank System," if applied well, it becomes an ingenious taming device.

Elevating the value of the "rank" of aristocratic families is essentially clarifying and institutionalizing the previously vague unspoken rules, making them feel that their status is more secure and their privileges are more prominent.

The powerful and wealthy families were happy to accept this system that confirmed their family's superiority and would become their full supporters; the middle-class families would gain some and lose some and would at most choose to wait and see; as for the families whose interests were harmed, what kind of storm could they stir up in the face of the emperor and the powerful families?
The power to appoint officials was like a wedge driven into the body of aristocratic families. In the future, the imperial power could use a hammer to break this wedge and pry open new cracks at any time.

The old man became more and more excited as he thought about it, pacing back and forth in the tea room like a cheap, untrained robot vacuum cleaner that would turn around and run away whenever it encountered an obstacle.

Chen Mo stopped explaining at the right moment, letting the clever old man fill in the blanks himself.

Of course, Chen Mo knew perfectly well what was going on. This thing sounded great, but in practice, it wasn't so easy to control.

The officials in charge of determining rank and status must have a good understanding of the local talent pool. Therefore, although they are appointed by the imperial court, they will most likely be active in local prefectures and counties for a long time.

In many cases, even the "Zhongzheng official" had to be selected from among the most prestigious people in the local area. Given enough time, with the development of vested interests, this position could easily become sieve-like, infiltrated by local powerful families.

History has long proven that the recommendation system eventually led to a situation where "those recommended as scholars were illiterate, and those recommended as filial and incorruptible had fathers who lived separately," and the Nine-Rank System eventually led to a situation where "the upper ranks had no poor families, and the lower ranks had no powerful families." This was never a problem with the original design of the system itself, but rather a problem with the people involved in its implementation.

Human problems are the most troublesome!
Once any system is established, no matter how clear or perfect its conception, it may be swayed by people's greed, laziness, clan ties, and local interests during its implementation, veering off course in a direction you never imagined and completely contrary to your expectations.

This is the core reason why many seemingly wonderful systems must first undergo small-scale pilot programs and be fully demonstrated before being rolled out.

Thanks to the ancestors of Dongxia, they tried almost every governance model and power strategy that human society could experiment with over the long course of development. Moreover, they were particularly good at recording and summarizing, leaving behind a vast "mistake book" and "reference collection" full of experience and lessons for future generations.

Standing at the starting point of something and flipping through history books, you can often see what the end point will look like.

"Lord Chen."

"You said?"

"When I was your age, I was just a lowly local soldier, living in constant fear, learning the rules of officialdom, and trying to figure out what my superiors were thinking. But you... are already a chess player making moves on the board, and with a wave of your hand, you can influence the fate of a nation and the destiny of a century!"

"I truly admire you!"

Chen Mo nodded, "Thank you. When can I have the double-weave fabric?"

"..."

"Tomorrow...we'll make the arrangements tomorrow!"

Over the next few days, the HanHai team was extremely busy.

Because of the time constraints, the technicians at Hanhai demonstrated their ability to work tirelessly, even while copying data inside the Sky Tower.

They work in pairs, one as the main person and one as the assistant, cooperating with each other to quickly take notes. Usually, the assistant takes down a book, while the main person in charge straightens the camera to focus on the pages, freezes a close-up of the cover, and then quickly "browses" the book at a very even speed of about three pages per second.

These individuals were originally professionals with physical abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people. However, in order to ensure better work efficiency and prevent issues such as missing or misplaced pages, the two of them had to be constantly vigilant. Therefore, HanHai's technical team prepared sufficient supplies for them.

Coffee, tea, energy drinks, sports drinks, cola, matcha, cocoa, chocolate, guarana, lemon, black garlic, chili oil...

In addition to those that can be ingested, there are also those that can be used externally.

Mentholatum, peppermint nasal inhaler, cooling balm, stun gun, oxygen concentrator, acupuncture device, and... adrenaline injection pen!

Of course, these people were making the most of every second. When they were a little sleepy, they didn't want to waste time going to the side to catch up. Instead, they pinched their own skin and twisted it, and their eyes instantly became clear.

On the Sky Dome side, they had already mentally prepared for the Vast Ocean team to use the magic stone tablet to record things. They had specially set up a magic array in the library to suppress the activity of spiritual energy, so that the spiritual energy density inside the library was lower than that outside, just to create a small obstacle for this kind of "magical recording".

Seeing their actions, Chen Ye, who was in charge of the liaison, felt a deep sadness welling up from the bottom of her heart.

Is the recording equipment used by Han Hai the same as those bulky, clumsy magical props that require constant calibration and pressing to capture images?
This is truly a disgrace to a petty person...

In short, the HanHai team completed a "plundering" record at the Sky Tower in the Sky Dome. On the first and second floors of the Sky Tower, where they were allowed to move around, they greedily swept away all the books and volumes, and even the registration list on the service desk, the duty roster on the wall, and the discarded papers in the trash cans.

They truly achieved "leaving no trace behind them," completing the complete digitization of the entire area.

Meanwhile, the technical experts and engineers brought by Hanhai are also working intensively on the relevant content of 'double-texture weaving'.

In this regard, the Empire was more cautious. After all, it was a top-secret "national treasure," so the Sky Dome adopted a strategy of limited cooperation, providing only low-level samples and not high-level products; only displaying the magical patterns and not explaining the operating principles;

Chen Mo was mentally prepared for this.

Whether it's blocking others' experience or having others block your experience, Dongxia is in a league of its own.

On Earth, the modern Eastern Xia encountered the so-called Wassenaar Arrangement during its growth, which lasted for decades and involved a comprehensive and inescapable technological blockade. However, Eastern Xia remained calm and tackled the challenges one by one, gradually building up its capabilities from scratch.

For Dongxia, this is child's play.

It is important to know that during the prosperous history of Dongxia, the most famous Dongxia technologies, such as silk and porcelain, were locked away from foreign countries for several or even more than a dozen centuries.

While this is related to the fact that communication between the ancient world and the modern world was not as smooth, the main reason is that the Eastern Xia's execution strategy was effective.

Silk and porcelain sold extremely well throughout the planet Earth, following a policy of "open trade, technology secrecy." Goods could be sold in large quantities, cultivating a rentier class in various countries who depended on this trade. At the same time, the policy of severely punishing technology leaks made the theft of technology extremely risky and costly.

This is what created the legendary "Silk Road" that spanned thousands of years.

What kind of crazy company would impose a technological blockade by refusing to sell products? That's just forcing others to climb the technological ladder on their own.

The level of technological protection offered by Sky Dome is merely a light drizzle or a gentle breeze.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

A large amount of video footage and reference materials were packed up and sent to Dongxia by Chen Mo.

The current Cihang Engineering Department's stargazing team has expanded to a size of over three thousand people, encompassing a large organization with more than a dozen subgroups, including liaison, analysis, technology, transportation, security, and emergency response.

Nominally, they serve "wanderers," but in reality, they are connected to a vast other world.

The transmission beacon was lit, and an emergency check was immediately conducted on-site. After confirming that there was no danger alarm, the normal operating procedure was then followed to begin the process.

After briefly inspecting the situation at the altar, Gu Liyang, the executive commander of [Cihang], immediately turned his attention back to the east.

Dongxia has basically completed its deployment and is preparing to completely eliminate the lingering poison of the "four-clawed sea serpent" that is entrenched in the Ghost Temple.

During this period, with the landing of the Dongxia troops and the opening of a transportation line from the coast to the Zhaohun Guimiao area, a special security zone was created on the Sea Serpent Land, mainly by railway and supplemented by highway.

With strong support from the rear, the "Afu International Brigade" at the front was well-equipped and launched frequent attacks, achieving numerous victories. Meanwhile, the great evil spirit, which was always restrained and unable to leave the core area of ​​the Ghost Temple, could only send its subordinates out to die one after another, and could only let out a violent but powerless roar through that invisible barrier.

They are born from offerings, and are also bound by offerings.

Although from any physiological point of view, they no longer have brains... it is amazing that the undead of Earth are still good at thinking.

With the aid of intelligence, the evil spirits eventually found a way out.

They made contact with the current government of the sea serpents through the wandering undead creatures.

To be precise, it should be called "Sea Serpent Guardian Government".

As the undead calamity and radiation contamination spread, the high-ranking members of the Sea Serpent Clan and wealthy merchants with even a little influence and money had already tried every means to escape overseas to "seek refuge" by boarding various ships or even smuggling planes.

Those who were still willing to stay here were the most stubborn and extreme remnants of the militaristic regime, led by Kenichiro Kishi.

The entire caretaker government was jubilant after receiving the message from the "Imperial Heroes".

The murky rain, carrying radioactive dust, pounded against the headquarters of the "caretaker government." In this hastily converted fortress-like concrete building, a damp, musty smell and a savage, scorching heat permeated the air, all strangely mixed together.

Kishi Shin Kenichiro stood before a huge, stained old military flag with a four-clawed sea serpent. In recent times, the general had worked almost day and night, and now he was as thin as a bamboo pole, with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes.

But a terrifying, morbid flame burned in those eyes, and his cheeks flushed an unnatural red from excitement.

Since the powerful figures of the Sea Serpent clan withdrew, he has become the de facto supreme leader. A group of right-wingers who reminisce about the past glory have quickly gathered around him. At this moment, the fanatical eyes of a group of people are all fixed on the [Oracle] in Anxin's hand.

White cloth, blood-red words, dripping crimson!

"Gentlemen!"

Kenichiro Kishi's voice was somewhat hoarse, but unusually high-pitched: "The days of confusion and suffering are coming to an end! The era of stagnation and decline is about to pass, and the immortal spirits of the Empire have never abandoned us! They are gathering strength in the sacred hall."

"Now, they need our support!"

"The Empire needs our support!"

"Your Excellency Anxin, please just say it directly. What exactly do the esteemed strategists need?"

"life!"

Anxin suddenly turned around and vigorously waved his thin arms.

More lives!

"More, fresh life!"

"Only with enough lives sacrificed can the temple break free of its shackles and become an eternal temple!"

"At that time, an endless army of heroic spirits will return to the earth! They will crush all enemies who stand in the way of the empire's glory, whether it be the army of Dongxia, the politicians of those white eagles, or those cowards who flee this land!"

"And we—"

Kenichiro Kishimoto surveyed the entire scene, his eyes blazing like two torches. "We will be the Empire's greatest heroes! Our blood and souls, like the spirits of our ancestors, will be engraved in the Empire's temple and enter immortality!"

An increasingly fervent atmosphere permeated the temporary headquarters.

Given the current strength of the four-clawed sea serpents, they naturally lack the ability to capture enemies for sacrifice. So what can they do?

Everyone knows the truth.

Everyone's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, was cast toward the vast number of sea serpent survivors, scattered like ants, outside the fortress walls.

These "citizens" whom they verbally protected have now become the most suitable and easiest "sacrifices" to be obtained.

Throughout history, evil imperialists and reactionary rulers have always been anti-human beings in nature. They not only do not regard the civilians of enemy countries as human beings, but they have also never regarded the civilians of their own country as human beings.

When the Four-Clawed Sea Serpent waged that war, it exploited its own people to the bone, forcing men to serve in the army and women to work and sell their bodies.

The days when they clamored for their crazy victory were also the days when ordinary people were exploited to the extreme.

For example, due to the enormous costs of war, domestic resources were strictly controlled. In order to ensure the supply of military food to the front line, civilians in the Sea Serpent region could only receive 300 grams of miscellaneous grains per person per day, and other living supplies were completely requisitioned.

Survival mainly depends on having a strong constitution.

For example, fuel and metal were confiscated in large quantities to meet the demands of the battlefield, which nearly paralyzed public transportation and forced people to walk long distances.

As for the population, men over the age of 15 were required to join the "Volunteer Combat Team" or the "Iron-Blooded Loyalist Team," while women were required to work in factories or be sent to the front lines as early as age 12.

Even so, the civilians of the Sea Serpent still shouted the slogan "Long live the Empire!" and enthusiastically celebrated the Imperial army's victory in the distance.

If this were in Dongxia, no matter how well or poorly you fought in foreign wars, a single "Song of the Unending Departure from Liaodong" would instantly ignite the dust storms of the Thirty-Six Roads.

This is a characteristic deeply rooted in the cultural marrow of a nation, which profoundly influences the choices of its people and, to some extent, determines the trajectory of their destiny.

This was true in the past, it is true now, and it will inevitably be true in the future.

Now, it is time for these sea serpent civilians to sacrifice themselves for their country once again!

Although they had lost everything, they still had their lives.

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures!"

Kenichiro Kishi's voice became increasingly resolute.

"Those mediocre, filthy, maggot-like fellows are nothing more than wasting precious resources and waiting to die amidst the scornful gazes of other nations!"

"Now, they have a more glorious destiny—to offer their humble lives for the restoration of the empire and the arrival of the divine throne!"

"This is sublimation! This is redemption! This is allowing their lowly lives to merge into the immortal glory of the empire!"

Kenichiro Kishi bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching his knees.

"Gentlemen, let's get started!"

"please!"

(End of this chapter)