Chapter 1148

"There is no shortage of people in the commandery now, but there is a shortage of time." Chen Wuji said solemnly.

"Since last year until now, nearly a thousand scholars have devoted themselves to Nan Jun. These people vary in quality, with high and low abilities. After Qin Feng organized the assessment, he placed them in various prefectures and counties of the commandery and in the Qiang Land tuntian wei according to their abilities."

"But these people need time to grow. In a year's time, they may be able to meet the conditions for serving as county magistrate or county assistant, but they cannot serve as prefect or chief clerk. This is Qin Feng's original words. He does not wish to appoint people without distinguishing quality due to lack of personnel."

This is indeed Qin Feng's original words.

However, he added a few sentences after these remarks, such as advising Chen Wuji not to act like a foolish ruler before unifying the world under heaven, working hard to conquer the world, only to be careless when guarding it, not examining character and ability, and stuffing just anyone into positions.

Chen Wuji naturally could not tell them this.

That bastard Qin Feng does not distinguish between age, youth, seniority, and juniority; he cannot go looking for trouble for himself.

Since Nan Jun established the imperial examination, its regulations have been selection from top to bottom.

It has a fixed procedure, with only two core standards: biannual assessment and merit achievement. If both are met, he will automatically enter the promotion sequence.

The prefects and county magistrates of Shangfang Commandery and Jiannan Commandery are all selected this way.

In a land of myriad neglected affairs awaiting revival, as long as these people are willing to work, they actually lack no merit.

Although the scholars who came from all corners of the world to seek refuge did not participate in Nan Jun's imperial examination, the assessment process is very similar, and the placement method is exactly the same, with no difference.

These people inherently bring reputation and fame; others cannot find any fault with them.

"Deputy Officer agrees with Inspector Qin's view: prefects of all states would rather have a shortage than an excess!" Chu Xiu said.

Chen Wuji rubbed his temples with a headache, "Of course I know it's better to have a shortage than an excess, but now with such a huge gap, where are we to find people to fill it?"

If we only consider scholars with reputation and fame, it seems we are not really lacking at present.

Perhaps Qin Feng has already squeezed out all those who could serve as prefect, chief clerk, or county magistrate; there truly is no one left.

Perhaps only by the end of this year might a second batch emerge.

"My lord, why not leave the positions vacant temporarily?" Xu Zengyi said, "For vacant counties, let the county assistant act as county magistrate, establishing a one-year observation period. For vacant prefectures, let the prefect position remain vacant, and when suitable candidates appear later, proceed with selection and appointment. At worst, let the inspector's office be busier; it's still better than randomly selecting people to fill the vacancies."

"The inspector's offices of these two commanderies will be worked to death!" Jia Yujing said wistfully.

Xu Zengyi laughed: "The capable bear more labor, after all. All commandery inspectors are our old acquaintances; we are still clear about their abilities. A bit of hardship is nothing."

Everyone's hearts suddenly relaxed; this matter need not cause further worry.

Doing this is excellent!

Chen Wuji also felt suddenly refreshed and clear-minded, "Just do it this way!"

Really, worrying about whether there is a shortage of people or not is giving oneself a headache for no reason. The inspector's office can handle county-level affairs by jumping levels; why must one give oneself such distress?

Chang Jingxuan and Yuan Dingcheng are indeed his core staff. Before the think tank truly took shape, they were truly the ones handling both military and political affairs. In the army, they needed to serve as scholar-officials and also help him manage local government affairs—this ability, even with added burden, poses no problem.

"Send someone to urge these two fellows, to have them take office posthaste!" Chen Wuji ordered.

"Affirmation!"

"Next proposal: have the candidates for commandant and county commandant of Shangyu and Hongde commanderies been nominated?"

"My lord, they have already been nominated. Those who voluntarily chose to leave the army for local office are few; most are leaders unfit for further warfare due to injury."

"The accompanying personnel still follow the old rule: commandants shall not exceed twenty persons, county commandants shall not exceed ten persons, priority given to the wounded, and old units shall not exceed five persons." Chen Wuji ordered. "Furthermore, this time the clerks shall not be recruited locally; they shall be selected from the surrendered soldiers."

"Affirmation!"

To avoid a recurrence of the current chaos, when Chen Wuji reformed Nan Jun, he established military-political separation: commandants and county commandants no longer control troops, their subordinates only have the兵曹 and刑曹 among the six ministries, and the clerk quota has been reduced by one-third compared to before.

Taking Nan Jun as an example, Qin Feng holds the civil administration, while Chen Bushi holds the garrison forces in his hands.

Chen Wuji took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, "This matter is settled, next!"

Jia Yujing glanced at the document before him, "My lord, the next matter concerns the surrendered soldiers."

"Shangyu and Hongde commanderies are still quite capable of sustaining people, good comrades—three individuals actually managed to raise two hundred and twenty thousand troops." Chen Wuji sighed, "Maintaining so many troops and still having surplus grain and funds—no wonder it is a land of wealth and prosperity."

Among the Southwest Five Commanderies, Nanyue Commandery is the poorest.

The remaining four commanderies are lands of wealth and prosperity; Jiannan Commandery and Shangfang Commandery, however, have been exploited so severely that they left Chen Wuji little profit. In terms of wealth and prosperity, they should be inferior to Shangyu and Hongde commanderies.

Guo Shuhan, seeing everyone silent, said, "My lord, if the two hundred and twenty thousand troops are taken in full as per the roster, it is somewhat excessive. The commandery has newly conscripted thirty thousand new recruits, currently training in the new soldier camp. Combined…… such a scale, I fear we cannot afford to sustain them."

"We must still make a selection, letting them undergo training!" Xu Zengyi said.

Chu Xiu laughed: "With the current training intensity of our army, having these people go through it once, I fear only one in ten will remain, and few will be left."

"Of course we cannot use our army's current training standard to assess these people. Reduce it slightly, and being able to retain seventy or eighty thousand would be sufficient. The remainder shall be sent back to their hometowns." Xu Zengyi said.

Cao Jiuzi furrowed his brow slightly, "Sending these people back to their hometowns, will there not be…… trouble?"

"There will be, but the possibility is not large." Xu Zengyi said, looking toward Chen Wuji, "My lord, should these two commanderies arrange garrisons? If no garrison is arranged, indeed we need to discuss further."

"Let us follow the old custom: Wu Bu Yong leads his troops to relieve the garrison in Nanyue Jun; Qian Yong leads his troops to garrison Shangyu and Hongde commanderies; Chen Luozi and Chen Wuyin return to the ranks!" Chen Wuji said.

These two old comrades have wandered outside long enough; it is time to let them return for reunion.

Before this year, Chen Wuji had always been somewhat petty about these matters, unwilling to entrust them to others, only able to rely on his own kin through hardship.

For so long, it has always been Chen Bushi holding the fort in Nan Jun, while Chen Luozi and Chen Wuyin have been like fire brigade members—Chen Wuji conquers a place, they guard it, responsible for all post-war affairs in various regions.

"Let the surrendered soldiers undergo one round in the training field; following the master's view, retain seventy or eighty thousand, add the new recruits from the new soldier camp, and we can form three military units." Chen Wuji said.

Too much—he truly cannot afford to sustain them.

Even if only one-third of the surrendered soldiers are retained, his forces will already be heading toward four hundred thousand.

This does not yet include the forces under Chen Bushi guarding Lingnan, nor all the tuntian wei.