Chapter 838: Governance (9400 Supplement)

Liang Wang Fu.

This was originally a government office that had been renovated; in reality, it was just slightly repaired and then had its plaque replaced.

Inside the main hall.

"Greetings to the King!"

Looking at the group of people below bowing, Xiao Liang felt a strange heat in his heart. He glanced at his aunt beside him, and seeing her secretly shake her head, he said in a clear voice: "Rise and be at ease!"

"Thank you, King!"

Fan Jin was also among the crowd. Seeing that there were few civil or military officials, and that even a few petty clerks were standing in positions of prominence, while the two Daoists at the very front did not even bow, he could not help but feel speechless: "The ruler is young and the ministers are strong, there are many misgivings... No wonder not many people are defecting."

Dulongzi was startled. This Imperial Academy Rectifier had spoken of a Chancellor and such before, but he really hadn't mentioned this.

After all, how much Influence and Qi Number did these Hidden Households and fields represent?

To think they were being intercepted by landlords and gentry, and not a single bit was being offered to the Imperial Court—how could this be tolerated?

He was now the most powerful minister in the Liang Dynasty, absorbing a large amount of Qi Points from the system every day; stealing from him was a matter of life and death, there was no room for negotiation!

"This..."

Aaron nodded and looked at Cao Man.

This Fan Jin, being able to see this point, was indeed a talent.

Open the Imperial Examination! Select officials through the Civil Service Examination!

This was also a good method for a feudal dynasty to recruit scholars and win over hearts.

In this regard, Aaron's determination was great.

At this moment, they heard Xiao Liang say: "I hereby appoint Xulingzi as Imperial Academy Rectifier! And Chancellor!"

Aaron secretly praised him in his heart.

These were all things that would extremely offend people, but they had to be done.

Although these were not originally his, since he had been given the title, wanting more after getting some was human nature.

'This person... is truly loyal.' Dulongzi watched and could not help but nod.

"Chancellor is wise. The Pseudo-Song Government's taxes are extremely heavy, and the gentry and wealthy families are sucking the marrow from the bones, leaving the people unable to live! It is exactly the time for our Great Liang to rise in accordance with the Heavenly Mandate and restore order!"

Aaron smiled: "Averaged out, that's over one mu of land per person? Although in the south, rice and wheat are double-cropped, and each mu can yield about three shi per year, that is just living on the poverty line... If you add the exploitation by landlords and the government, they can't survive. No wonder some people want to rebel!"

If this kid had shouted something like 'I am not yet strong, but when I am, there will be changes' at this time, he would truly be an idiot!

With a powerful minister in office and a young, powerless ruler, biding one's time is the correct principle.

Fan Jin could not help but nod secretly upon hearing this, feeling that this Cao Man truly had some intelligence.

Moreover, the child is ignorant; this position of real power might ruin his Dao foundation, and Xulingzi might not be willing to accept it.

Aaron sat down without ceremony: "Let us begin the discussion!"

He immediately stepped out and laughed: "This Rectifier and Chancellor position, this Daoist will accept... The great affairs of the state lie in sacrifice and warfare. The King is still young, so the matter of sacrifices can be left to Dulongzi!"

Although... the more he looked at this Supreme Dao Method, the more confused he became. Perhaps Dao Power and Dragon Qi did not conflict?

'If this wasn't taught by someone, it would be even more shocking... To have such insight at such a young age. Truly a seed of the Dragon and Snake!'

Aaron shook his head: "Our Great Liang's recruitment of scholars must proceed from clerks to officials. The Great Song's practice of becoming a Seventh Rank official immediately upon passing the Presented Scholar examination—'a farm boy in the morning, entering the Son of Heaven's hall by evening'—is something we absolutely must not adopt! If we lack officials, we will just lack them for now. If taxes cannot be collected for a time, or if there is no one to judge cases, let it be for now... We will wait until the Imperial Academy Students graduate. However, when that time comes, there will inevitably be heavy punishments; we will just punish them with Taxation on Land and Head, and have officials and gentry Collect Grain Uniformly."

"Reporting to the... Chancellor, Zhan Da and Hei Er have already taken Qinghe and Lishui counties... Today, another report came by flying horse that Sanshan and Linyu counties have fallen, and the remaining two counties will also be taken in a few days..."

"If the landlords in this prefecture rebel, they will be directly destroyed by Thunder, and their land will be used for Military Farming..." Aaron smiled: "Military Farming also takes three years to show results. Even if we delay the timing by three years, so what? Timing is not as good as geographical advantage, and geographical advantage is not as good as human harmony! It will not be too late for this prefecture to go out and contend for the world after three years!"

Aaron immediately walked to the front of Xiao Liang. A chair had been placed there early on, which looked surprisingly larger than the throne, and it even had a bright yellow cushion on it.

'However... it would be better if the gentry in the world resist fiercely later on. If they don't resist, how will I have an excuse to kill them all, and incidentally prevent anyone from defecting!'

"We have also found the original Yellow Register, estimating that this prefecture has one hundred thousand households, about five hundred thousand people, and six hundred thousand mu of land..."

Although the Yellow Register was unreliable, it counted as data.

'Damn it, to be deprived of even this last bit!'

Fan Jin's face turned pale with fright, and a sense of resistance grew faintly in his heart: "Chancellor... scholars need preferential treatment. If this policy is implemented, not only will this prefecture fall into chaos, but it will also delay the timing. When we go out to contend for the Dragon, those who fear for their own fate will inevitably resist firmly!"

A look of difficulty appeared on Cao Man's face: "The government has just been established. Not to mention the various counties, even this prefecture lacks manpower... Taxes cannot be collected, and Land Measurement requires even more manpower and resources... It would be better to open the Imperial Examination... As long as the students dare to come and take the test, we will accept them all."

Even if one had to be castrated to become an official, there were people willing to do it. For example, in Southern Han, the *Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance* records: "All ministers who had talent, or were top-ranking Presented Scholars, or monks and Daoists who could converse, were all sent to the silkworm chamber first before they could enter; there were also those who castrated themselves to seek advancement, and those who were spared death and castrated. Because of this, there were nearly twenty thousand eunuchs."

He paused and continued: "From today on, sacrifices shall be performed by the King, and government affairs by the Chancellor!"

Aaron recruited Imperial Academy Students, where academic background and family status were negative factors. Those from the background of displaced people who didn't know a single character were the best. Then they would enter the Taixue for training, and then go directly to serve as clerks, tempering themselves in practice, and letting them fight against the landlords, gentry, and scholars!

In this process, some would inevitably shrink back, become corrupt, be framed, or even die!

But so what?

The advantage of the system is that it is not afraid of people dying!

If some die, just recruit more. Since the territory is still small, it can be used as an experimental field to slowly grope for a set of effective methods, while weeding out the weak and selecting the true seeds!

Subsequently, this set of methods could be promoted to the outside world and even the whole country.

Cao Man had already changed into an official uniform, looking much cleaner and refreshed. He stepped out and bowed: "Reporting to the Chancellor... the treasury of the prefecture has been cleared. There are thirty-four thousand shi of grain, twenty-two thousand taels of silver, three thousand five hundred taels of gold, and the armaments in the arsenal can arm two more battalions, five thousand men!"

Xiao Liang felt a chill in his heart, but his face immediately piled up with a smile: "I will listen to everything the Chancellor says!"

If anyone dared to lead an army to attack, it would be nothing but delivering food.

Cao Man said without hesitation.

In every dynasty, there have always been plenty of people who want to be officials.

"Hmm."

Taichong stepped out, feeling a bit unaccustomed to it, but still reported.

But he heard Aaron say: "The Yellow Register cannot be trusted... Historically, concealing households and land has always been a trick of those below, especially two or three hundred years after the founding of a dynasty... I see that the population and land in this prefecture have been greatly concealed; at least thirty percent are not on the register! Perhaps even fifty percent, or even double! Therefore, the next step is Land Measurement and Land Clearing!"

'I want to establish the strongest and most direct Personal Attachment, to absorb Qi Points. Any gentry who dares to skim off the top in the middle must die!'

'Jumping up already? I haven't even mentioned religious taxes or anything like that yet...'

(End of chapter)