The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 68 sounds quite grand and dignified!

The Crown Prince emphasized "being good at domestic administration and ensuring the well-being of the people" and "smoothing out the money, grain and household registration system," which implicitly guided the selection of candidates towards an official system that was more inclined towards civil administration and related to finance and people's livelihood.

These officials often have close ties with powerful families and are therefore more easily influenced or won over by the Crown Prince.

Although he did not have a specific candidate in mind, he was subtly guiding the selection criteria in a direction that might be advantageous to him.

Changsun Wuji's sneer inwardly deepened.

As expected, they're still playing mind games!

A feint of retreat to advance, a covert maneuver!
Chu Suiliang bowed slightly.

"Since Your Highness has clearly indicated the direction of talent selection, focusing on capable officials skilled in domestic affairs and ensuring the well-being of the people, and without any personal bias in your recommendations, this is a blessing for the court and a prudent move on Your Highness's part. I believe that, based on this standard, the Ministry of Personnel, together with the relevant departments of the Ministry of Personnel, should first screen qualified candidates, detailing their resumes, performance evaluations, and achievements, compiling a list and evaluation comments, and submitting it to Your Highness for review. After Your Highness has reviewed it, it should be submitted to Your Majesty for final decision, along with Your Highness's opinions. In this way, Your Highness's responsibility of listening to and consulting on government affairs is fulfilled, and it is also in accordance with the court's system of selecting and appointing officials, making it a more prudent approach."

His words quickly incorporated the Crown Prince's seemingly passive response into the standardized procedures of the imperial bureaucracy.

It acknowledged the Crown Prince's right to initiate and review the matter, while firmly upholding the bottom line that the final decision-making power belonged to the Emperor, and at the same time placed the burden of specific implementation on the Ministry of Personnel.

Whatever the Crown Prince's ulterior motives may be, he must follow this rigorous procedure step by step.

Li Chengqian sat upright, his face calm.

His gaze swept over Chu Suiliang, then slowly moved to the assembled officials in the hall, finally settling back on Chu Suiliang, where he nodded slightly.

"Chu Qing's suggestion is excellent. Let it be carried out accordingly. The Ministry of Personnel must get started as soon as possible, and strive for fairness and thoroughness, so as not to bury the talented and mediocre, nor to allow the mediocre to fill the positions."

His voice was steady, devoid of much emotion, as if he were simply approving a routine procedure.

Changsun Wuji's lips twitched down almost imperceptibly.

No one chose?
Should it be handled in accordance with regulations?

That sounds so grand and dignified!

Even if Your Majesty is insightful, how can you refute this recommendation that is in accordance with regulations and seems fair?
This step-by-step approach, concealing his intentions within the rules of the court, is something that the arrogant young man who used to only roar at the Eastern Palace could not do!

Fang Xuanling's eyes were gentle yet discerning.

He stroked his long beard, his mind racing.

The Crown Prince's actions today, at first glance, seem hasty and rash, which has displeased His Majesty.

However, in the Xiande Hall, when faced with questions from the officials, he was able to keep his composure. He first frankly admitted that "there was no one to choose" to avoid suspicion, and then, by taking advantage of Chu Suiliang's words, he smoothly put the selection of talents back on track.

This response, though somewhat immature, already showed signs of composure, demonstrating an understanding of how to leverage external forces and use the rules to protect oneself and advance one's objectives.

What His Majesty wants to see is the Crown Prince's progress and magnanimity, isn't it?

The fact that the Crown Prince was able to resist the urge to install his own people or hastily seize power, and instead sought solutions within the system, is itself a great improvement. Although the Crown Prince's behavior today was somewhat manipulative, his methods were relatively upright. Even if His Majesty still has suspicions, the satisfaction derived from the Crown Prince's progress should outweigh any displeasure.

Sometimes, wanting something isn't wrong; the key is how you ask for it.

Although the Crown Prince's method is immature, it is on the right track.

The selection of the Western Continent's promotion and demotion officials was temporarily concluded, and the atmosphere in the hall relaxed slightly, but it was soon filled with more specific and tedious matters.

"Your Highness," Tang Jian, the Minister of Civil Affairs, cleared his throat and steered the discussion to a more practical level.

"The most important thing for relocating people from Xizhou is money and food. According to the preliminary plan, the first batch will include death row inmates and their families, as well as recruiting good families, totaling about 5,000 households. The initial calculation for the supply of food and fodder along the way, the purchase of initial rations, seeds, farm tools, and oxen upon arrival in Xizhou, and even the cost of building temporary housing, is about 150,000 strings of cash and 200,000 shi of grain. This does not include the huge investment in subsequent water conservancy projects. Although the national treasury is not empty now, expenses are needed in Liaodong and the northern frontier, and relief and river works in various places are also unavoidable. This expenditure needs to be carefully considered and may need to be allocated in batches." He spread out a rough calculation, the numbers heavy.

The Vice Minister of Works chimed in, “What Minister Tang said is quite right. Regarding the geography of the Western Regions, we have consulted old archives and inquired with merchants who have traveled to the Western Regions. They all say that the land is arid and water is as precious as oil. If we want the relocated people to settle down in the long term, water conservancy projects are of paramount importance and cannot be accomplished on a small scale. Digging deep canals to draw snowmelt for irrigation and building flood control dams to store water will require more laborers, craftsmen, and materials, and the cost will likely exceed the cost of relocating the people themselves. Moreover, the craftsmen of the Western Regions are unfamiliar with this skill, and most of the craftsmen and materials will need to be transferred from the Central Plains. The journey is long, the losses are huge, and the construction period is difficult to guarantee.”

The Ministry of War officials said, "The resettlement of migrants must prioritize safety. The existing garrison in Xizhou is sufficient to maintain daily order. If a large-scale influx of people were to occur, the quality of the migrants would inevitably vary, potentially leading to unrest. Establishing additional military commands and recruiting soldiers would incur additional expenses for equipment, pay, and barracks. Furthermore, the combat effectiveness of the newly recruited soldiers and their suitability for service still need to be tested over time."

An official from the Ministry of Justice added, “Managing the relocation of prisoners is particularly difficult. It is necessary to send capable criminal officials to accompany them, and to establish a corresponding office in Xizhou to supervise the prisoners, and to formulate strict laws to prevent prisoners from gathering to cause trouble or escaping and causing harm to the local area. The selection of officials and the daily maintenance costs for this part also need to be taken into consideration.”

Officials from various departments, from the perspective of their own duties, put forward their difficulties and demands. For a time, Xiande Hall was filled with all kinds of specific and minor problems. Numbers, materials, manpower, and risks intertwined to form a huge and complex picture.

The vague discussion about the selection criteria has now been replaced by these real difficulties.

Li Chengqian listened intently.

He did not show impatience as usual, nor was he easily persuaded by the difficulties of a department, nor was he eager to express his own opinion.

After the main officials finished speaking and the hall quieted down, he slowly opened his mouth, his gaze first falling on Tang Jian.

"Minister Tang just calculated that the resettlement of the first batch of migrants will require 150,000 strings of cash and 200,000 shi of grain. I have a question: Is this amount only to guarantee the basic survival of the migrants in the first year after they arrive in Xizhou, or does it already include the needs for them to initially resume production and wait for the first harvest?"

After a moment's thought, Tang Jian replied, "Your Highness, this amount mainly covers the food rations, seeds, and necessary settlement supplies from arrival until the first harvest. If production is to be restored, such as to purchase additional farm tools and livestock, or to cope with possible disasters, then additional funds will be needed."

Li Chengqian nodded.

"So, if the imperial court allocates 150,000 strings of cash and 200,000 shi of grain at once, what percentage will it represent in the Ministry of Revenue's overall budget for this year? What other matters need to be reduced or postponed if this money and grain are used? For example, will the funds originally allocated for the repair of water conservancy in Guanzhong be affected? If so, by what extent? How many acres of land will suffer reduced yields and how many people will be impoverished due to the disrepair of water conservancy in Guanzhong? Has the Ministry of Revenue made any preliminary considerations regarding these trade-offs?"

He spoke slowly, but asked one question after another, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

We should not only ask about the investment, but also about the cost of that investment, and the "hidden costs".

Upon hearing this, Tang Jian frowned slightly, clearly not expecting the Crown Prince to ask such detailed and in-depth questions.

He pondered for a moment, a light sweat appearing on his forehead.

(End of this chapter)