Doctor, I'm really strong!

Talent is the foundation of everything. Without people, there are no problems, and all other benefits will also disappear.

This is similar to how Britain, after fighting the First Opium War, directly evacuated 300 million people from China. Then there was the Taiping Rebellion, and the conflicts simply disappeared. China even had to worry about having too few people.

At this time, the Eastern Kingdom was in this state. Others would at most cut from the top to harvest the leeks, but Liu Jiuli dug up the black soil below as well. This was an absolute first in history. It was a huge and immoral act of draining the pond to catch all the fish. Even the United States, the spokesperson for sustainable development, said that he was too inhuman. He was possessed by Dior.

At first, it was just a movement of ten or eight thousand people, and the Eastern Kingdom didn't feel anything. Every year, the number of births, old age, sickness, death, and disappearances was much greater than that, so it didn't cause the slightest ripple.

But now more than three million young and middle-aged laborers from the East have gone to the community, and at least one million have settled there, bringing their families with them. There are even calls for the whole village to go together.

Look at those abandoned villages along the western border of the East; they are all the work of the community.

At this time, there are more than three million people from the East working in the community, and they are striving to reach four million. The total population of the East is only over thirty million. This means that one in seven people works or settles permanently in the community. Those who go to work there will most likely never return in their lifetime. After passing the community's language test, they will directly become members of the community.

This behavior is like guests coming to your house for dinner. At first, they eat at the table, then they start eating from the pot, and finally they ransack your kitchen. Are you Japanese devils who came to raid it?

It's one thing for the community to stick a straw in their own house, but now they're literally grabbing their heads and gnawing on each other? Are you some kind of ghoul?!

This is the current relationship between the community and the Eastern Kingdom.

While Dongguo would privately obstruct the community's various attempts to recruit migrant workers, they would not hinder the community's successes.

After all, after the war to establish the nation, Liu Jiuli deployed two regular divisions of troops in the Eastern Kingdom. Although this was a pitifully small number compared to the border defense forces of other countries, the number of Type 59 land-based ships was a full five hundred, along with more than thirty barrage-class ships and other heavy equipment. Given the border defense capabilities of the Shogunate army, a barrage of attacks would send them straight to the underworld.

Regarding this issue, Dongguo has already negotiated with the community, and Liu Jiuli's response can be described as quite lenient.

"Don't worry, we're just hiring them to work here. They're still from the East and will go back."

What wasn't said was that if they themselves don't want to go back, or voluntarily join the community's nationality, we welcome them. Then they'll be our people. Try saying another word!

Let's not fall out, otherwise it will be awkward for everyone. It's so much better as things are now.

Now that things have come to this point, do you think the Eastern Kingdom will take advantage of our kindness? They don't even have an emperor named Showa.

Moreover, the economy of the Eastern Kingdom is now deeply intertwined with that of the Community. All the grain on the market is imported from the Community. Thanks to the cheap rice provided by the Community, the domestic order in the Eastern Kingdom has improved significantly. In the past, there were at least dozens of rice-related disturbances of varying sizes every year, but now there have been none for a year or two.

But if the community turns against them, that's a different story. If the community stops providing food, the Eastern Kingdom will become a turbulent country, and the taste of instability is not pleasant.

However, the problem of population outflow cannot be ignored. Apart from some shady methods, reform is imperative.

There is a shogunate in the north and south of the country. So far, the reforms of the northern shogunate have been much more successful than those of the southern shogunate. Speaking of which, did the southern shogunate really carry out any reforms? The population vacancies left by the northern shogunate were all filled by the southern shogunate.

As for the reforms of the Northern Shogunate, they were truly fascinating.

"Is this a copy of our land reform?"

Liu Jiuli handed the document to Ling, who, after reading it, also felt that Dongguo was copying the community's land policy. Although there were some minor adjustments, the most fundamental aspects were retained.

"It's pretty good, isn't it? It has everything it should have, and it's even adapted to local conditions." Ling gave a positive evaluation.

Liu Jiuli leaned back and said, "That's the biggest problem. How did the Northern Shogunate manage to do it? How did they advance their land reform? If our policies were implemented in a feudal country, that would be considered rebellion. Can such a fundamental issue be resolved without violence? If the Eastern Kingdom really caused such a big commotion, we couldn't possibly be unaware of it."

Section 248: Looks somewhat familiar

(Second update, can you guys leave some comments? (?ω?))

Political reform isn't something Paradox Interactive players can simply select a national policy and be done with it. Any issue involving interests is a matter of life and death. Don't believe me? Just ask Gorbachev.

The Northern Shogunate's land reform was good, very good, but implementing it according to the community's methods was tantamount to the emperor rebelling.

Under the old order in the East, the biggest beneficiary was none other than the shogunate. Whether in the south or the north, they were all spokespeople for the feudal landlord class. Now that the biggest beneficiary has stood up to revolt, this is a betrayal of their own class.

This situation would be a major event of dynastic change in any country, and Wang Mang, a time traveler, has extensive experience in this regard.

However, nothing earth-shattering happened in the north of the eastern country, and everything was settled smoothly.

If someone told Liu Jiuli that all the daimyo in the East and North were saints who served the country and its people, Liu Jiuli would immediately shove that idiot into the toilet and drown him. Do they even know what it means to cut off someone's livelihood as if killing their parents, an act of annihilation against an entire class? Do you think they would fiercely resist?

Even if you interpret it as the Northern Shogunate making advance arrangements, suppressing those who expressed discontent, and then implementing reforms on a blank slate, Liu Jiuli would still find it more reliable than the entire Eastern Kingdom and Northern Kingdom being composed of saints.

Policies are like organ transplants; there can be rejection reactions. The Soviet Union could lead rural areas from the city, but that won't work in our country. Similarly, without decisive action and resolute implementers, all reforms are just empty words.

When Zhang Juzheng reformed during the Ming Dynasty, how many local officials from his faction died? Anyone who touches the vested interests of the people will inevitably suffer a backlash; rivers of blood are the least of it.

At least at this stage, Dongguo has absolutely no possibility of transcending historical common sense, and the people of Dongguo have even less of a chance.

Ling thought for a moment and said, "So they're walking a tightrope."

Liu Jiuli took back the documents and flipped through them, saying, "Political reform is a typical case where those who learn from me live, and those who imitate me die. If someone has imitated me to this extent and is still alive, then someone else must have died somewhere else that we can't see."

Just then, Liu Jiuli saw something very familiar in the document.

The Northern Shogunate reformed its internal management system, transforming the previous Shogunate bureaucratic system into a three-government management system: the Sha-bugyō, the Tenryō-bugyō, and the Kanjō-bugyō.

The three officials were in charge of sacrificial ceremonies, government orders and security, and government finances, respectively.

It looks fine, but in reality, the problem is huge.

The functions of modern governments are becoming increasingly specialized. The situation where three provinces and six ministries could handle everything in the past would be a serious problem in modern society, with power struggles and overlapping jurisdictions. This could easily lead to a situation where rule by man outweighs rule of law. Therefore, rights and responsibilities must be clearly defined, even down to the boundaries of power. You should not touch what is not your responsibility.

It may sound inhumane, but it is the most cost-effective way to control power. Otherwise, given how much modern people exploit loopholes, the law would become nothing more than toilet paper in no time.

Remember, in politics, if everyone is responsible, then nobody is responsible.

Everyone should understand the proverb "Three monks have no water to drink."

Now, upon re-examining the three-principles system, we find that each principles wields considerable power and appears to have their own areas of responsibility, but in reality, they are able to cover each other's areas.

For example, if the festivals and sacrifices are the responsibility of the shrine magistrate, then do they also have control over the money and security in this area? Security is the responsibility of the heavenly magistrate, and finance is the responsibility of the surveying magistrate, but the shrine magistrate can use the excuse that "festivals and sacrifices are within the scope of the shrine magistrate's responsibility" to control part of the security and financial power for a certain period of time.

Even the smallest amount is a terrifying thing.

In the Tang Dynasty, a person who held political, military, and financial power was called a Jiedushi (military governor).

An Lushan said, "The cherry blossoms in Chang'an are in bloom, and I want to go see them."

It seems to have streamlined the government structure, but in reality, it has increased the risk of internal strife. What genius came up with this operation? If Liu Jiuli were the leader of the Eastern Kingdom, he would have given him a big slap on the shoulder, then added a spittoon, and finally thrown him into a corner and flattened.

Even students who failed junior high school politics know the importance of decentralization and know that their bureau chief father is not an omnipotent Sun Wukong. This kind of management operation is commonly known as "the fish that leaks nine times".

Those who slip through the net of nine-year compulsory education.

Even with these problems, the fact that no large-scale unrest occurred during the Northern Shogunate is quite intriguing.

Liu Jiuli then looked at the person in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Eastern Kingdom: "How is our deployment in the Eastern Kingdom progressing?"

"Many of our comrades have now entered the decision-making level of the Northern Shogunate."

"What?" Liu Jiuli looked up, frowning. "How many?"

"The list of our personnel is at the back of the document."

Liu Jiuli immediately flipped to the last page and saw a long list of personnel, as well as more detailed internal information about the Northern Military Government.

Our comrades are present at both the grassroots level and the decision-making level of the Three Principles of the People.

Is this what they mean by "I'll be the boss in ten years"?

No, no, no, it can't be that simple. After all, the reforms advocated by the Third Party can't be changed by a few lurking comrades. Just like the advantage that belongs to our principal, even our underground comrades didn't expect you to lose so badly. Stop pretending, Comrade Kai-shek. The hometown rice wine is ready. Let's sing a song of loyalty.

After confirming that the Shogun at the top was definitely not one of their own, Liu Jiuli discovered another key point.

Although the current Shogun of the Northern Shogunate is still alive, he is an old man who is terminally ill. The one who is really in charge is his designated successor from an outside family. What's even more outrageous is that there was no information about this successor before. It's as if she fell out of thin air. It can be confirmed that she is a woman, but she rarely shows her face in public. When the Shogunate holds internal meetings, she stays behind a screen, making her very mysterious.

Based on this air of mystery, Liu Jiuli was certain that all the unorthodox things the Northern Army was doing were likely the work of this behind-the-scenes general. Unfortunately, there wasn't much information about her, so little that it made people wonder if she even existed.

But everything can be faked, except data, reality, and established facts.

Moreover, Liu Jiuli discovered that this Shadow General particularly liked to promote people without regard to precedent, which was a very remarkable thing in the Eastern Kingdom.

It's important to understand that as the inheritor of the core culture of pre-civilized Japan, the eastern country has a very sophisticated system for class solidification. Although it hasn't reached the same level as India, it's still quite unique.

Selecting talent from the grassroots level in such an environment violates the rules and will be met with opposition.

But the question is, where is the opposition?

Scrolling down, Liu Jiuli learned where the dissenting voices had gone.

Chapter 249: A "Gift" from Another World

(Update delivered, good morning everyone! (^?^))

There are eight major families in the eastern country, and there are also eight major families in both the northern and southern shogunates. You can think of it as betting on both sides.

Don't find it strange. Back then, the literati in our area also played this game. As long as we had family members on both sides, no matter who won in the end, our family would last for generations.

Huang Chao expressed his approval and then slaughtered all the powerful landlords.

This result tells us that physical elimination is more effective than any policy.

However, the eight great families of the Northern Shogunate did not appear in its core of power. But ten years ago, they were indeed the decision-makers of the Northern Shogunate and occupied many important positions. This change can only mean that in the past ten years, the eight great families have been purged from the core of power by the new shogunate rulers, becoming marginal figures, or even disappearing without a trace.

The advantage is that the Northern Shogunate now has more say in centralizing power.

The downside is that this effectively forces all eight major families to side with the Southern Shogunate.

The powerful and influential figures in the Eastern Kingdom are very pragmatic. They will only support you if you give them benefits; if you don't, they will support your enemies. The enemy of the Northern Shogunate is naturally the Southern Shogunate. The current political situation in the Eastern Kingdom is like the Northern and Southern Dynasties with a common capital.

What an advanced social structure! The 21st century is just beginning the sharing economy, and here we already have a shared capital.

That's right. The eight great families became victims of the Northern Shogunate's reforms. It must be said that this boldness and decisiveness were quite brilliant. If the Shogunate rulers could consistently maintain this standard in their decisions, then the Three Commissioners system would not be a problem, but rather an advantage.

The potential of rule by man is very high. As long as the highest decision-maker holds great power and is a wise and benevolent ruler who can be ruthless, many problems will be easily solved.

The cost is that if a suitable successor cannot be found, the dynasty will end with the death of the ruler, and the dynasty will perish after only two generations.

However, at present, the Northern Shogunate of the Eastern Kingdom is indeed in a period of rise.

The only problem is that a wise ruler can become an obstacle to revolution.

Humans are inherently lazy creatures. When a wise and powerful monarch reigns supreme, the people below are very willing to grovel at his feet. The future is a matter for the future; how can one not be comfortable in the present? If it weren't for the objective circumstances leaving no other choice, most people would not want to challenge hardship. I'm not an masochist; am I not comfortable with the good life I have now?

Many comrades in the Eastern Kingdom's Northern Shogunate have now begun to think that "monarchy can coexist with communism."

Expecting feudal rulers to truly serve the country and its people, Liu Jiuli would rather believe that the Panama Canal was a free gift from the United States to Panama.

"Have our personnel in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the East immediately conduct a secret screening of our comrades in the East, select the staunch revolutionaries, sever ties with the East Party Headquarters, and directly accept the command of the Red International. Be vigilant at all times against any actions of the Northern Shogunate. If they dare to attack us, immediately launch an armed uprising!"

Compromisers exist in any organization. Such people will not realize how naive their ideas are until they are beaten down by society. Even with countless examples to follow, they will still think they are the exception.

Whether they are naive or not is irrelevant; the key issue is that they will harm truly reliable comrades, which Liu Jiuli cannot tolerate.

Don't ask, the answer is the painful lesson learned from the April 412th earthquake.

In addition, Liu Jiuli also required the Dongguo revolutionary comrades to hide themselves, destroy all the lists, never reveal their identities to others, establish secret intelligence stations and safe houses, and ensure that all infiltrators only have single-line contact and are activated through special communication methods. He also ordered the establishment of a hunting team specifically to target those who betrayed the cause, in order to ensure the safe execution of the infiltration work.