Chapter 174: Notice: Northern Metropolitan Region Yongchang First Year New Policies OKR Plan Reporting Work Has Begun

"Minister Yang, We heard you caught a slight chill a few days ago. Are you feeling better now?"

Amid the hall's silence, this single concerned question rang out with particular clarity.

Every gaze, open or veiled, converged on Yang Jingchen.

Yang Jingchen had clearly not expected the Emperor to inquire publicly about his health on such an occasion. He paused, briefly taken aback, then a warm current surged through his heart.

He rose to his feet. A flush of color touched his fifty-some-year-old face — not from illness, but from excitement and pride.

"This subject thanks Your Majesty for the gracious inquiry from Heaven." His voice was steady and firm. "It was but a trifling ailment. One dose of medicine, a bout of sweating, and it has passed. That Your Majesty should be troubled on my account fills this subject with boundless trepidation."

Zhu Youjian nodded with satisfaction, the smile on his face deepening.

"Good, that it has passed is well. As Minister of Personnel, you select talent for the realm. You are a pillar of the state, and We cannot do without you. Now that winter has set in and the days grow colder, you must take greater care of yourself."

He paused, then added, "When the session adjourns, Minister Yang, remain a moment. We shall have the Imperial Pharmacy prepare a few sticks of the finest ginseng for you to take home and restore your constitution."

"This subject... kowtows in gratitude for the Heavenly grace!"

Yang Jingchen rose from his seat and prostrated himself, performing this drama of sovereign-minister harmony with a perfectly measured tremor.

Zhu Youjian accepted the obeisance without embarrassment, then raised his hand slightly, gesturing for him to sit.

Only then did his gaze slowly sweep across the assembled ministers in the hall.

The performance just now could be called deliberate to the extreme — even somewhat childish.

But deliberateness was exactly what Zhu Youjian wanted.

His meaning could not have been plainer: those who submit to me shall prosper; those who oppose me shall perish.

If after something this obvious they still could not read the signs, still could not find the direction in which to exert themselves, then Zhu Youjian truly had no other recourse.

"Very well." Zhu Youjian tapped the table lightly.

"The matters to be discussed next involve multiple ministries. We shall not issue commands one by one. When the session ends, each of you shall go to Gao Shiming to receive your respective written orders."

"The orders set forth rewards and penalties, as well as the details of each matter. Today, however, We shall not go into so much detail — it will suffice to discuss the broad outlines of each affair."

At these words, a faint stir rippled through the assembly below.

The written orders contained further substance?

One after another, the officials cast glances at Lai Zongdao and Qiao Yunsheng, who had already received their orders, their hearts full of curiosity and speculation.

Yet those two senior ministers sat upright and composed, eyes on their noses, noses on their hearts, showing not the slightest intention of opening the orders on the spot.

The more this was so, the more it itched at everyone's hearts.

Zhu Youjian took all of this in at a glance, but paid it no heed, and spoke directly:

"The foremost matter of the New Policies lies in the employment of men."

The hall fell silent in an instant.

After all the talk of winning hearts, had they finally arrived at the employment of men?

"In the crucial link of employing men, the two key points are the capital and the localities."

"The capital holds sway over the central administration and is the starting point of all policies — it cannot but be treated with gravity. Yet in the capital, there are We, there are you ministers, there are the eyes of all under Heaven watching — there is little fear of missteps."

"The localities, however — especially the officials of departments and counties — receive the Mandate of Heaven above and are bound to the lives of the common people below. For the New Policies, they are of the utmost critical importance."

Zhu Youjian's tone turned grave.

"Why did Wang Anshi's reforms fail in ages past? The root of it lay in the localities."

"The central government conceived a thousand excellent designs, but once they reached the localities, they were twisted into ten thousand distorted forms."

"The central government acted to enrich the state and strengthen the army, but the local officials took extortion and plunder, the harsh imposition of their superiors' whims, as their sole duty."

"Thus, the more vigorously the New Policies were pushed, the faster the vital energies of the realm were drained. This is truly the malady of the departments and counties."

He raised his eyes and asked, "Does any minister here take issue with this statement of Ours?"

The assembled ministers, awe-struck, all raised their right hands and said in unison, "Your Majesty is sagaciously wise. Your subjects have no objection."

"Very good."

Zhu Youjian nodded.

"The matter of employing men has been the subject of countless divergent opinions in the histories, but in Our view, stripped of complexity and reduced to essentials, it comes down to no more than three things."

"The first is called: selecting men."

"The New Policies, in Our eyes, are a war without bloodshed."

"The Northern Metropolitan Region is the opening of this war, the beginning of our dynasty's revival. It is precisely here that we must select and weed out fine generals, clench our fingers into a fist, and hurl them all into this tiny patch of ground."

Zhu Youjian's gaze shifted to Yang Jingchen.

"Minister Yang, tell us of the progress your Ministry of Personnel has made."

Once more, all eyes turned to Yang Jingchen, but now their looks carried an added measure of probing scrutiny.

Not "receive your orders," but "tell us of the progress"?

This meant that the Minister of Personnel, Yang Jingchen, had long since, under the Emperor's direction, begun certain preparations unknown to others.

Yang Jingchen rose from his seat, his expression bearing a pride difficult to conceal. In a ringing voice, he declared:

"From the very day of Your Majesty's ascension, this subject knew that Your Majesty harbored the ambition to sweep clean the realm and purify all under Heaven. To prove worthy of Your Majesty's trust, this subject has not dared the slightest slackness."

"Therefore, beginning on the fourth day of the ninth month, this subject assembled the officials of every bureau within the Ministry of Personnel, called up the merit evaluation files of all department and county chief magistrates across the empire, and conducted rigorous assessments, striving with all diligence to prepare, for Your Majesty and for the New Policies, men of usable talent!"

As his words fell, a soft murmur spread through the hall.

The fourth day of the ninth month?

Was that not the eighth day after His Majesty's ascension?

You moved far too quickly, Minister Yang!

Sudden understanding dawned in the hearts of the assembly — no wonder... no wonder His Majesty showed him such favor!

Yang Jingchen ignored his colleagues' astonishment and continued his report:

"Of the fifteen hundred county magistrates and department magistrates across the empire, this subject and his subordinates, cross-referencing past records of grain taxes, civil administration, and criminal justice, have after repeated comparison thus far made an initial selection of seventy-four capable officials, now only awaiting His Majesty's edict to summon and appoint them!"

Whether they are truly capable officials is hard to say — after all, with a thousand li of distance, how can documents and local recommendations be taken at face value?

But those willing to stir things up in hopes of being chosen are, in the end, men of ambition — and that is enough!

A satisfied look crossed Zhu Youjian's face, and with a crisp, decisive wave of his hand,

"Order them all to enter the capital and await assignment."

He then turned to the assembled officials and, enunciating clearly, reeled off a string of figures:

"The Northern Metropolitan Region spans a thousand li square, governing eight prefectures, nineteen subprefectures, and one hundred and sixteen counties."

"Registered population: over four million two hundred sixty thousand. Official and private farmland: over forty-nine million mu. Summer tax and autumn grain: over six hundred thousand shi."

He paused briefly, his sharp gaze sweeping across every face.

"Gentlemen, surely by now no one still believes that the Northern Metropolitan Region is truly no more than these figures on the ledger?"

The assembled ministers were silent; no one answered.

"Good." Zhu Youjian continued, "Since ancient times, in waging war, knowing yourself and knowing your enemy ensures victory in every battle. The New Policies are no different."

"Therefore, my first command regarding the Northern Metropolitan Region New Policies is —"

His voice rose sharply, carrying an authority that brooked no doubt.

"Order that the six Prefects, eighteen Subprefectural Magistrates, and one hundred and twelve County Magistrates currently serving, as listed in the Ministry of Personnel's roster of officeholders, each submit a detailed report on the conditions of the counties, subprefectures, and prefectures under their jurisdiction!"

"What are the farmland and population figures recorded in the current Yellow Registers? After several years in office, what do they estimate the actual figures to be? Who are the local powerholders and gentry families? What is the approximate extent of concealed and fraudulently registered land and population?"

"Beyond the people's regular taxes, what surcharges and miscellaneous levies exist? What are the customary fees in each subprefecture and county? If they were to exert their utmost in governance — auditing land, clarifying population registers, resetting tax assessments — what targets would they set for the coming year?"

"On all such matters, they shall report truthfully, item by item! The will for the New Policies flows from top to bottom, but the targets of the New Policies shall be set from the bottom up!"

"This order takes effect immediately. Before the first day of the eleventh month, all Prefects, Subprefectural Magistrates, and County Magistrates shall complete their official reports and proceed to the capital to report in person to me and to the New Policies Committee!"

"At that time, the New Policies Committee and the Secretariat shall take the lead in selecting, from within the capital, a total of fifty capital officials with local governance experience to form a review and evaluation panel."

"Those whose ability is lacking, or whose attitude is improper, shall be dismissed without exception — no mercy shown, no connections honored."

"Before the fifteenth of the eleventh month, the first-phase roster of officials for the Northern Metropolitan Region New Policies shall be finalized."

"Then, over a further fifteen days, the first-phase New Policies targets for each prefecture, subprefecture, and county in the Northern Metropolitan Region shall be revised, discussed, and confirmed, compiled into a volume, and published throughout the realm."

"This — this is the first selection of personnel for the Northern Metropolitan Region New Policies!"

"No recommendations heeded, no past records scrutinized — all judged solely on whether they can truly discern the real situation, and whether they dare to face it squarely!"

When he finished speaking, one could have heard a pin drop in the hall.

Everyone was stunned by the Emperor's earth-shattering plan.

In two thousand years of Huaxia, who had ever done things this way?

To begin by summarily dismissing and replacing the entire bureaucracy of a province?!

Zhu Youjian's gaze came to rest at last upon the Chief Grand Secretary, Huang Liji.

"Chief Grand Secretary, this matter involves numerous departments and is critical to the selection of personnel — you must take the lead. Well then, can it be done?"

Huang Liji had long since risen from his seat. He drew a deep breath, steadying the turmoil in his heart.

The Emperor had sounded him out on this beforehand, but some details still remained unclear to him.

He bowed, hands clasped, and said, "This old minister shall of course share Your Majesty's burdens. I would only ask: in this evaluation, how many out of ten are to be retained?"

It was a proper question, and one he asked on behalf of everyone present.

In selecting the worthy and appointing the capable, there had to be a ratio — even the palace examinations selected candidates by quota, let alone the selection of county magistrates.

Yet Zhu Youjian's answer caught him off guard.

"The Chief Grand Secretary asks well!"

"I shall speak plainly: this evaluation sets no floor — the only measure is whether they meet the standard!"

"The specific criteria I will determine in consultation with you and with the various members of the New Policies Committee."

He turned to the other ministers and said slowly:

"The seventy-four men pre-selected by the Ministry of Personnel, and the fifty selected in the capital — they are meant to fill the gaps these men leave behind!"

"If even these hundred-odd are not enough to fill them, then I shall throw in the twenty-seven men of the Secretariat, and the forty-three of the Hanlin Academy as well!"

"The Northern Metropolitan Region New Policies are not like the inner palace rectification, nor like the capital reforms. This is tangible local governance — the starting point and the model for all future New Policies of our Great Ming!"

"The county magistrates here shall, in the year after next, go on to serve as Prefects in Henan, and after that, as Governors of entire provinces!"

"Further still, for those entering the Grand Secretariat or heading a ministry — without New Policies local experience, without demonstrable achievements, none shall be permitted."

"Therefore, in this matter, we must select the worthy and eliminate the mediocre, concentrating the finest, most incorruptible, most capable core of cadres our Great Ming possesses!"

Huang Liji had no further questions on the matter. He bowed deeply, all the way down.

"This subject obeys the decree! After court is dismissed, I shall immediately coordinate with the various ministries, draft the corresponding documents, and submit them for Your Majesty's review."

Zhu Youjian nodded with satisfaction.

Such an approach was an utterly bizarre affair, unheard of in the Great Ming dynasty — indeed, in the entire history of Huaxia.

In the past, when the court wished to implement new policies, even as a pilot program, it would do no more than appoint a grand commissioner, bestow an imperial sword, and dispatch him to the locality to stage the old drama of the upright official beheading the corrupt official.

But now, right at the foot of the throne, in the capital region, the Emperor himself was personally stepping in to sift through the hundred-odd subprefectural and county officials of the Northern Metropolitan Region, screening them one by one like beans through a sieve.

In a certain sense, he, Zhu Youjian, was at this moment the Governor-General of the Northern Metropolitan Region.

And these local bureaucrats were about to face a year-beginning OKR target submission.

First, your targets must be set reasonably — whether high or low, you must at least squeeze some water out, no?

If you claim that such-and-such a county is so depleted and enfeebled that there is no room for improvement whatsoever, then we shall simply replace you with someone more eager to improve.

Second, once you set your targets, you must also explain your methods clearly. Spare us the boilerplate about auditing land and resting the people. Spell out plainly where you will start, how you will proceed, what difficulties you will encounter, and what support you will need — discuss every point until it is crystal clear.

Third, dispatch the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Secretariat, and the investigating censors on inspection tours to guard against overcorrection — lest someone produce a yield of ten thousand jin per mu. Otherwise, before Shaanxi rises in revolt, the Northern Metropolitan Region will rise first.

Of course, there were many supporting measures as well — for instance, controlling the ratio of native-place origins among New Policies officials.

Use southerners to check northerners.

Another example: the gradually expanding radio routes — the capital–Daming Prefecture line, the capital–Shanhai Pass line, the capital–Denglai line, and so on.

When unrest breaks out in the provinces, as long as it does not rain, word of the disturbance can reach the capital within a single day.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard operatives dispatched will also operate by district and report back in detail on local governance.

After that came the "march drill" regulations inexplicably added to the Valiant Guard Camp — to some extent, preparations made for this very purpose.

The Northern Metropolitan Region is flatland everywhere; with cavalry as his nuclear weapon in hand, Zhu Youjian watches like a tiger eyeing its prey for any bold soul who dares raise his head.

Beyond these, rewards, inducements, and divide-and-rule measures are all still underway, but they will have to wait for later discussion.

Whether this approach can actually succeed, Zhu Youjian himself cannot say for certain.

In his previous-life career, drawing elite personnel to tackle a new project was one reference point, but that is, after all, rather different from governing a state.

The closest experience by comparison was actually his experience playing the Romance of the Three Kingdoms game series?!

After all, what player, upon starting a new game, does not immediately transfer all the top-tier talents — Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang — to the frontline main city?

At this thought, the corner of Zhu Youjian's mouth could not help but reveal a trace of a smile, which he then swiftly suppressed.

He gave a light cough to cover his slight lapse of attention and continued:

"Very well. On the matter of selecting men for the new policies, that is the gist of it."

"Yet after selecting men, the second matter is even more critical."

Zhu Youjian paused briefly and said with gravity:

"That is the cultivation of talent!"

He paused a moment, as if organizing his words, but in truth he was observing the officials' reactions.

"In the past, after newly minted jinshi passed the palace examination, they were always assigned to the various ministries to observe governance before being granted official posts."

"And the most outstanding among them would, after the academy selection, enter the Hanlin Academy, traveling the entire road of pure-stream officials before rising to Chief Grand Secretary."

"Yet without having managed affairs in the provinces and ministries, how can one become Chief Grand Secretary?"

At these words, several of the Grand Secretaries and ministry heads showed somewhat awkward expressions on their faces.

Huang Liji gave a light cough, his gaze lowering slightly, while Li Guopu unconsciously adjusted his sitting posture.

Zhu Youjian, however, paid not the slightest heed to their embarrassment and continued firing:

"To cultivate men in this fashion is truly to waste talent!"

"You Hanlin academicians have studied bitterly for many years, poring over a few volumes of past Statecraft Compendia and memorials of successive reigns until your hair turns white — yet you cannot directly grasp practical matters."

"And the officials of the Six Ministries have fared no better. Many of the memorials this sovereign received at the start were hollow and devoid of substance, straining to pile up parallelisms — reading them was truly tedious."

Guo Yunhou was also deeply embarrassed, but at least he had finally obtained a definite answer.

Namely, why his Ten Policies on Fiscal Management had been shelved for over a month without any movement the moment it was set aside.

It was just that, watching this new sovereign point at ministry after ministry, when would he get to the Ministry of Revenue?

Zhu Youjian continued: "For this reason, this method of cultivation must be reformed and replaced; it must draw closer to practical affairs."

Having spoken these words, his gaze locked directly onto Cheng Jiming:

"Minister Cheng, tell us of your arrangements on this front."

Cheng Jiming hurriedly rose and cupped his hands.

"What the Hanlin Academy has been tasked with is the matter of compiling past statecraft official documents."

Cheng Jiming's voice was slightly nervous, but his exposition was clear and well-ordered:

"Though past official documents may lack the concision of statecraft writings, to take history as a mirror — they must not be wasted either."

"By His Majesty's decree, this subject has led the men of the Hanlin Academy in sorting through all manner of memorials from our dynasty's history — such as horse administration, salt administration, the kaizhong system, river works, grain transport, treasure notes, and so on."

"We must thoroughly sort out how each policy decayed step by step, and how the great ministers of successive reigns strove bit by bit to mend and salvage them."

"Which measures implemented therein may be deemed excellent, and which inferior. Thereafter, once every ten days, one matter shall be selected as the topic and expounded for Your Majesty."

Cheng Jiming paused, then cupped his hands to both sides before continuing:

"However, the Hanlin Academy has, after all, never handled practical affairs. On certain essential policies we may not grasp the finer details. For this reason, at each Daily Lecture, relevant officials shall also be invited to attend and listen."

"When lecturing on horse administration, officials of the Court of the Imperial Stud shall be invited; on water conservancy, officials of the Ministry of Works. Those from other offices who are interested may also register."

"Should Your Majesty have any queries, they shall be raised and answered on the spot in that hall."

"Through such a cycle of Daily Lectures, the final compilation shall be the Imperially Compiled Ming Statecraft Documents of Past Eras, printed and circulated throughout the realm."

Zhu Youjian nodded with satisfaction.

The Hanlin Academy had over forty men — each and every one of them a talent among talents, yet none of them had ever done practical work.

What did this resemble?

Was this not exactly like those strategy consultants from later ages — Accenture, McKinsey?

First use them as a brain trust, have them sort through the successes and failures of our dynasty's governance across the ages, and in passing compel every official in the Great Ming to study alongside him.

— Copy a bit about horse administration or the kaizhong system from old memorials and call it a sound policy for statecraft? And dare to submit statecraft documents on that basis?!

Not a chance. You will thoroughly and carefully sort out for this sovereign exactly how past policies failed, and where any new policies should begin if they are to be undertaken now!

When the time comes, if the Hanlin Academy lectures poorly, or the executive officials answer unclearly, he would scold them on the spot!

The Daily Lecture, the Daily Lecture — how can it be for teaching the Emperor alone?

The officials of this realm must also study for this sovereign!

After Cheng Jiming finished speaking, Zhu Youjian added:

"In the first year of Yongchang, officials of the Hanlin Academy and the Secretariat shall observe the new policies from the center, identifying omissions and filling gaps."

"But come the second year of Yongchang, each of them shall also select a locality and go there to govern!"

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept across the young officials of the Secretariat, meeting their eyes one by one.

"The road of the pure-stream official — from this day forward, it is severed!"

"The dynasty is in decline. If you wish to ascend to the Grand Secretariat and serve as Chief Grand Secretary, to unfold your grand designs — then let it rest on the two words: practical achievement!"

After reiterating this once more, Zhu Youjian ignored the eager, excited faces of the secretariat officials and turned directly to Gao Shiming:

"Companion Gao, go on — tell us about the matter on your side."

Gao Shiming cupped his hands in salute to accept the order, stepped forward from the ranks, and said:

"What the Directorate of Ceremonial has been tasked with is the matter of the *New Governance Handbook for Ming Local Officials*."

"Taking the statecraft official dispatches already implemented by Prefect Xue and others as models, and using fifty officials with local experience screened from the capital bureaucracy as reference points."

"Then, from the statecraft dispatches of county magistrates entering the capital from Northern Zhili, selecting the very finest compositions."

"And finally, supplementing this with what the Eastern Depot has uncovered through investigation and interrogation — the bribery channels of capital officials, the corrupt practices of petty clerks, and so forth."

"Compiling all of these together into the *Ming Prefect, Department Magistrate, and County Magistrate Governance Handbook*, for use in implementing the new governance in Northern Zhili."

"This handbook shall thereafter be revised once every six months, amended according to the latest statecraft dispatches, county magistrates selected through examination into the capital, and the pace and lessons of the new governance rollout."

Zhu Youjian rapped his knuckles on the table and added:

"We shall speak further on this matter of statecraft dispatches. Every ministry must give it the utmost importance."

"In the past, the dynasty's employment of men depended entirely on each person's individual wit and methods."

"The various policy essays submitted were not useless, but their failing lay in being vague and imprecise."

"Take the task of purging and reorganizing troops — some men could clarify the accounts and select and train elite soldiers, while others could only purge their way into a mutiny of bared heads."

"This is what is meant by 'governance rests with the man.' With capable ministers, governance flows and the people live in harmony; with mediocre and indolent ministers, the people find life unbearable."

Zhu Youjian's tone gradually grew stern:

"And the advantage of the statecraft dispatch lies in this — before a matter is handled, its success or failure can be roughly known; after it is handled, what was good and bad can be successively improved. Thus dispatch after dispatch, only then can we penetrate to the successes and failures of every policy of the dynasty, only then can we daily renew our wisdom."

"Henceforth, when newly appointed *jinshi* are assigned as county magistrates, they shall have the *County Magistrate Handbook*, and even the *Northern Zhili County Magistrate Handbook*, the *Shandong County Magistrate Handbook*, and so on."

"If assigned to the Ministry of Revenue, they shall have the *Salt Administration Handbook*, the *Grain Transport Handbook*, and so on."

"In this way, what need would the realm have to seek out a Zhang Liang or a Xiao He? Every man shall be a Zhang Liang or a Xiao He!"

Zhu Youjian's voice was low and forceful:

"Therefore, from the first day of the eleventh month onward, any memorial submitted proposing reforms that does not use the statecraft dispatch format shall be uniformly denied passage."

"The Six Ministries and the Nine Chief Ministers, moreover, must vigorously promote this method within their respective ministries, ensuring that every policy of the Great Ming has a corresponding handbook to rely upon. Is that understood?"

The assembled ministers looked at one another, then one after another raised their right hands.

"Now that the matters of selecting men and nurturing talent are both settled, only one final matter remains —"

Zhu Youjian glanced around at everyone, and at last unveiled his final link.

"That is the matter of rewards and punishments!"