Chapter 353: The Eastern Han Dynasty's infrastructure maniac begins to show signs

The eighth year of Jian'an (203).

Li Ru made great contributions during his diplomatic mission and was appointed by the King of Wu as the Chief Clerk of the Northern Protectorate, with a rank equivalent to that of a thousand-stone official.

Zhao Yun was the governor-general of the Northern Protectorate, in charge of Bingzhou and its northern part, north of Youzhou, and east of Youzhou, covering an area of ​​tens of millions of miles.

The capital was located in Dai County, Dai County, Youzhou.

From an organizational perspective, the Northern Territory Protectorate is a subordinate department of the Northeastern Corps, but due to its special geographical location, its troops are not under the command of the Northeastern Corps and have independent military power.

Therefore, although Zhao Yun, the governor, seems to have a low rank, he has enormous power. Theoretically, he has the possibility of being in charge of both military and political affairs, which is truly unique.

In fact, there is only military power but no political power. The grassland is too vast and there is no possibility of administration at all, at least it is impossible in the current period.

The only part involving administrative power is still under the jurisdiction of the Chief Secretary Li Ru.

Due to the special nature of the Protectorate, Li Ru, the Chief Secretary, is very unusual. His power is equivalent to that of a county governor, and he also has partial supervisory powers. In other words, Zhao Yun and Li Ru both have partial supervisory powers and supervise each other.

Li Ru's responsibilities included: training of prisoners, management of Han herdsmen, diplomatic affairs, etc.

It can be said that except for food, supplies and leading troops to fight, everything else was under the control of Li Ru.

With such great power, isn't Jinmao afraid that Li Ru will turn against him?
Of course they were afraid. If the think tank had calculated it, Jinmao would not have handed over power so easily.

What the hell is that northern grassland?

If Li Ru really turned against the government, he would only be labeled a traitor and be nailed to the pillar of shame for the rest of his life. For a scholar, it would be better for him to just die.

In addition, the military power was in the hands of the loyal and courageous Zhao Yun, so even if Li Ru wanted to rebel, he couldn't.

Even so, Jin Mao still separated Wen Pin, Xu Huang and Zhang Liao into separate parts.

Wen Pin became the governor of Youzhou, Xu Huang became the governor of Bingzhou, and Zhang Liao, having offset his merits and demerits, returned to Luoyang again, preparing to expand his territory to the Western Regions.

The sea route has been opened, silver is flowing into the country in an endless stream, and other rare treasures are not far away.

However, if the Central Asian channel is cut off, the Silk Road will also be cut off, which will have a very bad impact on Jinmao's future business development.

The Western Regions and Central Asia on the other side are wealthy places. Jinmao's great dream in this life is to unify the language. How can he miss such a huge treasure?

Correspondingly, history has proven that no matter how good you are at fighting, you cannot unify the language.

Therefore, Jinmao chose to do what he could and first unify the language of the countries in the Western Regions. No matter how populated the area is, it would be a waste of resources to leave the precious land uncultivated.

At the same time, corresponding problems also arise.

How to transport food and supplies?

You know, when there was a war in the country, even if it was against the Xianbei in the north, the grain had to be transported to Youzhou, and then it would only take a few hundred miles of land transportation to get there.

But it is different when fighting in the Western Regions. Having a large number of cavalry is not enough. More efficient and convenient means of transportation are also needed. Otherwise, after a battle, all the funds will be lost.

As for the behavior of Guanjun Hou, such as eating raw meat and collecting grain on the spot, Jin Mao was not prepared to carry it out, because that would only lead to defeat but not conquest and unification.

Thus, the Construction Bureau came into being.

Originally, Jinmao wanted to set up a manufacturing bureau to focus on inventions and creations, but later found that the Shaofu was the highest agency responsible for this kind of work, so it was changed to a Construction Bureau.

Since the Shaofu was still a nominal position under Liu Xie, Jinmao temporarily transferred the Shaofu's powers to the Construction Bureau.

In addition, the Construction Bureau is also responsible for infrastructure construction and therefore has enormous power.

A group of new generation strategists, those who have just emerged and those who have not yet emerged, are running around actively like sharks smelling blood.

Wancheng, Jingzhou, the Palace of the King of Wu.

In the study, Jin Mao sat on the armchair, holding a document in his hand and reading it word by word.

Across a rosewood desk, Pang Tong was sitting on a slightly shorter stool. Judging from his expression, he was not quite used to squatting.

"Shi Yuan, this test question you wrote is very interesting."

Jin Mao put down the document, looked across, and said, "But I think it's not good enough."

Pang Tong stood up, breathed a sigh of relief, and bowed, saying, "Please give me some advice, my lord."

"Alas, how can I give you any advice?" Jin Mao waved his hand and said, "I can only give you some small suggestions."

Pang Tong did not put down his hands, but bent his waist even lower.

"Look." Jin Mao pointed his finger and said, "Most of the people in the Construction Bureau are illiterate peasants. What are you talking about with them? Isn't that like playing the lute to a cow?"

"So, the test questions should be more down-to-earth. After all, this time we are mainly recruiting grassroots clerks."

When Pang Tong heard this, a flash of realization flashed in his eyes, and then he smiled and said, "My lord, what you said makes sense. It was Pang Tong who didn't think it through. Since we want to select grassroots officials who can go deep into the people and understand the sufferings of the people, the test questions should be close to people's livelihood, so that we can select truly practical talents."

"In my opinion, why not set some test questions on practical issues such as farming and water conservancy, market transactions, and mediation of neighborhood disputes? It will not only test the knowledge of the candidates, but also their ability to respond and their awareness of serving the people." Pang Tong said as he straightened up, his eyes flashing with excitement.

Jin Mao nodded in approval. "That's exactly what I mean. In addition, we can also add some scenario simulations, such as simulating a sudden flood to see how they organize rescue and appease the people; or simulating a dispute in the market to see how they make fair judgments and settle disputes. This will not only show their talents, but also their character and sense of responsibility."

"In addition," Jin Mao added, "we can also incorporate some basic legal knowledge and moral ethics into the test questions to let officials understand that while performing their duties, they must also abide by the bottom line of fairness and integrity, and truly care about the people and seek benefits for the people."

After hearing this, Pang Tong suddenly understood and said, "My lord, you have great foresight. I admire you very much. I will adjust the test questions immediately according to your wishes. I will make sure that this selection is fair and practical, and select grassroots officials who can truly benefit the people."

After saying this, Pang Tong turned around and was about to leave, but then he seemed to remember something, so he stopped and turned around and asked, "My lord, do you have any other teachings or additions?"

Jin Mao smiled and waved his hand: "I'm at ease with you doing the work. Just remember that all our efforts are for the people of this land to live and work in peace and contentment and lead a better life."

Pang Tong nodded heavily, saluted again, and left the room confidently, with a clear plan and direction in mind.

The inspection went very smoothly, and a total of more than 1,500 officials and 100 middle-level managers were recruited.

Next, the highlight is coming!
There are a total of five senior executives in the Construction Bureau, who will also be recruited through public examinations. Jinmao will refer to the imperial examination system and have a total of two examinations.

In the first written test, only the top ten winners will have the opportunity to answer Jinmao’s questions face to face.

There is no limit on the scope and age of applicants. As long as you have talent, you can be selected. Once the news came out, it immediately caused an uproar. Such a subversive thing was so blatantly placed in front of everyone, and everyone was surprised at Jinmao's courage.

You should know that these five senior officials of the Construction Bureau are the brains of all important departments including the director, and their positions are equivalent to those of a two thousand stone official, above the county governor and below the nine ministers.

It is not an exaggeration to say that it is one step to reach the sky.

Unprecedented!
Correspondingly, there are many people who are eager to take action on this matter.

After a wonderful round of written examinations, the top ten candidates stood out in no particular order.

Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Xu Shu, Liu Ye, Zhong Yao, Fa Zheng, Man Chong, Hua Xin, Xin Pi.

For this interview, Jinmao specially invited several advisers of the older generation to take charge.

The five people are Xun Yu, Xun You, Jia Xu, Xi Zhicai and Kan Ze.

Xun You and Xi Zhicai were reporting on their work in Wancheng and had not yet returned to their base. Kan Ze was running a school in Wancheng, Xun Yu was writing books, and Jia Xu was maintaining his health.

The collision of new and old wisdom did not occur, because the person who set the questions was Jinmao and no one else could interfere.

The topic is: "How to make foreigners speak elegant language?"

There is no order of priority for this assessment. Anyone who feels they have thought of the answer can come forward and answer. The first person to answer will not receive any extra points.

In short, only five of the ten people need to be eliminated.

Theoretically speaking, it would be enough for one person to eliminate one, but those who can make it into the top ten are all strong, not to mention that there is an internal candidate among them.

So, this assessment is actually a choice between nine and four.

Pang Tong knew very well that today's scene was the stage created for him by his lord, and he was the designated person!

However, Pang Tong was proud and he would not allow others to say that he was incompetent.

Pang Tong already had the answer in his mind, because this was a phrase that Jin Mao often said, and there were many ways to explain it, but this time Pang Tong wanted to find a different way to explain it.

He looked around and happened to meet Zhuge Liang's eyes. The two could barely be considered classmates. Pang Tong knew very well that Zhuge Liang was not only handsome, but also as talented as him. Damn it.

Exactly half an hour had passed since the question was given, and in another hour it would be time for the lord's meal. Pang Tong felt that by being the leader he could set an example for everyone else.

"Everyone!" Pang Tong stood up, bowed to everyone around him, and said, "I will go first!"

There were more than a dozen people present, all of them were handsome. When the ugly Pang Tong started to show up, everyone felt uncomfortable as if they had eaten a fly.

However, Pang Tong didn't care about that and began to explain his own views. Although his words were not embellished with fancy words, every word was precious and hit the core of the problem. Pang Tong's voice was steady and powerful, as if it could penetrate the prejudices and stereotypes in people's hearts and reach the purest sea of ​​wisdom. He first analyzed the possibilities from a macro perspective, and then analyzed each key point in detail. His unique insights and rigorous logic made everyone present put away their previous contempt and turn to look at him with admiration.

Zhuge Liang also nodded slightly, with a hint of admiration in his eyes. He knew that although Pang Tong was not stunning in appearance, he had a lot of talent and wisdom. His talent and wisdom were not inferior to his own, and even surpassed his in some aspects. This invisible contest quietly turned into mutual respect and appreciation the moment Pang Tong opened his mouth.

As Pang Tong's discussion got better and better, the atmosphere in the room became solemn and heated. People either bowed their heads in deep thought or whispered to each other, trying to digest and discuss Pang Tong's views. Time seemed to slow down at this moment, and everyone was immersed in this feast of ideas.

Finally, Pang Tong finished his argument and sat down gently, with a barely perceptible fatigue on his face, but more of a sense of relief and satisfaction from completing the task. He looked at Zhuge Liang, and the two smiled at each other. There was no need to say more, the tacit understanding was already evident.

In the following time, other people also stepped forward, either agreeing with Pang Tong's point of view and proposing new insights based on it, or taking a different approach and proposing completely different solutions. The whole discussion became more colorful, and everyone grew and improved in this collision of wisdom.

And all of this started with Pang Tong's brave and determined first step. He proved with his own actions that true value lies not in the gorgeous appearance, but in the depth of the heart and the radiance of wisdom.

The result of the interview was no surprise.

Jinmao already had a list, and Pang Tong was one of the deputy directors, in charge of planning and overall coordination.

Zhuge Liang was one of the deputy directors, in charge of invention, creation and manufacturing, and most of his subordinates were craftsmen.

Xu Shu was the second deputy director, in charge of transportation. Most of his subordinates were civilians and prisoners. Since he came from a humble background, he understood these people's feelings better.

Fazheng is responsible for supervision and is mainly responsible for matters related to the law.

Man Chong was in charge of logistics, and all food and supplies were under his control.

The remaining four are also extremely outstanding. Jin Mao plans to put them in his staff and train them well. As for Sima Yi, he will just give him a nominal position.

The candidate for the position of director of the Construction Bureau was Lu Su.

In fact, Jinmao only mentioned matters related to the Construction Bureau, and the person who was actually busy was Lu Su.

This accountant finally made it through. As long as Lu Su doesn't make any mistakes in principle, promotion to the rank of general is a foregone conclusion.

It is worth mentioning that as the entire bureaucratic system becomes increasingly large, it is no longer appropriate to use military ranks alone to determine the status of civil and military officials.

It just so happened that Chen Qun, who proposed the Nine-Rank System, died before Cao Cao. Now no one will mention it again, so it is a good opportunity to make use of him.

Jinmao feels that using salary income to evaluate status is very suitable, but it is not enough.

After all, although the terms "hundred stones" and "thousand stones" sound very impressive, they are actually very confusing, and it is impossible to tell the difference between those officials with the rank of two thousand stones.

To this end, Jinmao redesignated the civil service rating system, with grades above the third rank divided into two levels, positive and negative, and grades below the third rank to the ninth rank divided into four levels, positive and negative, for a total of thirty levels.

For example, the upper fourth rank, the lower fourth rank, the upper fourth rank, the lower fourth rank, and so on.

All official positions can be classified and organized, and even military generals can be applied.

For example, Jin Mao determined that the Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, Grand Coachman and General belonged to the first rank; the Three Dukes and General of the Cavalry belonged to the second rank.

Princes are not included in the ranks.

For this reason, Jin Mao decided that in the future, princes would no longer be established in the country. All former princes would be changed to marquises, and if they had no meritorious political achievements after three generations, they would be demoted until they were reduced to commoners.

From now on, if anyone wants to be granted the title of a prince, he must go outside to expand the territory, even if it requires Jinmao's support of money, food, and troops.

His plan is to unify the world and get all ambitious people to work together, even princes of the opposite sex.

Of course, this is a story.

(End of this chapter)