Compared with previous eras, when papermaking and printing began to be used, the cost of writing carriers and writing and recording has dropped significantly.
This significant reduction in costs makes it possible to update the data required for court governance more frequently.
Although for more than a hundred years before that, the Second Empire founded by Liu Xiu actually carried out more detailed data coordination and governance of local areas through the land transfer order. Liu Xiu's land transfer also gained in a certain sense Success, as evidenced by the records of multiple land censuses and population censuses in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
However, in the era after Emperor He of the Han Dynasty, it was difficult to tell whether this kind of data coordination was true or false. Even if it was true, it would be difficult for the chaotic central court of the Second Empire, where the emperor was young and his relatives and eunuchs were in power one after another, to base on these data. Data coordinates local development.
But it's different on Liu Bei's side.
His requirements for data coordination were very high. At a time when paper and printing technology were being promoted, Liu Bei believed that where clear records could not be recorded in the data, there must be problems with officials, rather than any objective problems.
In the past, you could excuse it by saying that the bamboo slips were too heavy and expensive, but now there is sufficient supply of paper at cabbage-priced prices, and writing carriers no longer have cost problems. If you still can't give enough data, you can only It means you are lazy and working hard.
The Third Empire of the Han Dynasty does not need lazy officials. Officials who cannot work diligently are not my officials, Liu Bei!
Move it!
When Liu Bei was still a general, all the forces in the court still had the confidence to make some struggles and compromises with him on power. Liu Bei also gave them some face, so the local forces controlled by all parties would also have room to turn. Everyone still Not taking it seriously.
However, after the establishment of the Third Reich, especially after the wave of great purges against the Ancient Literature School and the eunuch group, local officials, no matter what their origins, as long as they were not killed during the great purges, were basically useless. Already know what you should and shouldn't do.
If there was some luck before, after the news of the establishment of the Third Reich came out, there was no luck at all.
They started running wildly, even racing, collecting various statistical data, measuring land, and counting the population. In a sense, they had begun to do some work similar to farming.
The reason why Liu Bei wanted to hold a government affairs meeting before launching the official campaign to conquer the fields was also due to this consideration.
He wanted to draw a conclusion through statistical comparison of the two data before and after, to see how many of the officials in the Han Dynasty were serious and capable, and how many of them were just trying to fight the King of Hell when they were about to die.
After comparing the two data, it is easy to figure out who can stay and who must be replaced. This can also lay the foundation for the subsequent reform of the employment mechanism and the replacement of recommendations with examinations.
According to the rules Liu Bei had previously set, the first day of March in the first year of Zhenguan was the day when the official government affairs meeting was held. Therefore, at the end of February, the main officials of the state governments and the main members of the county government from all over the country arrived one after another. Luoyang, prepare to attend this serious government affairs meeting.
For Liu Bei's cronies, the relationship between them and Liu Bei is very good anyway. They meet frequently and there is no related anxiety.
But for those local governors who have never met Liu Bei or have a relatively casual relationship with him, the situation is completely different.
For example, the governors of major states.
In fact, quite a few of the governors in the major states are Liu Bei's own people.
For example, Xiahou Dun, the governor of Youzhou, Mao Jie, the governor of Bingzhou, Zhang Zhao, the governor of Liangzhou, Cheng Yu, the governor of Yangzhou, Jia Xu, the governor of Xuzhou, Han Hao, the governor of Yizhou, Yin Da, the governor of Yongzhou, Cao Cao, the governor of Sili Prefecture, and Xun Yu, the governor of Qingzhou.
Lu Kang, the governor of Yanzhou, Qiao Mao, the governor of Jizhou, and Zhang Miao, the governor of Yuzhou, were also people who had various relationships with Liu Bei.
Only Wang Rui, the current governor of Jingzhou, and Zhu Fu, the current governor of Jiaozhou, have no relationship with Liu Bei.
Even Zhu Fu felt that he, the governor of Jiaozhou, had come very suddenly, and he felt like he was winning without hesitation.
He was just working as the governor of Jiaozhi, and occasionally fantasized about becoming the governor of Jiaozhou, and that the court could officially establish a Jiaozhou, but he did not think this was a goal that could be achieved in the short term.
Of course, these two people were the most anxious. Wang Rui felt that he had no good way to curry favor with Liu Bei, while Zhu Fu was attacked by Liu Bei on the way to Luoyang because of the inexplicable incident in Rinan County. rebuke.
The two arrived in Luoyang with a relatively embarrassed mood. After arriving in Luoyang, the two immediately sought a way to meet Liu Bei.
First, they wanted to give gifts to Liu Bei to please him. Second, they also wanted to know from Liu Bei whether their official position was secure and whether they could continue to do so.
After all, it is important to have a good relationship with the big leaders at any time. When Liu Bei arranged for his cronies to claim places on a large scale, they were the only two who had no relationship with Liu Bei. They themselves felt unsure about this. .
As a result, the two people became inexplicably close. After arriving in Luoyang one after another, they not only met, but also made an appointment to pay homage to Liu Bei together.
Previously, the two of them found out that Liu Bei did not like luxury and advocated a frugal life. He could only relax his appetite a little, so they also brought some local specialties that could be stored for Liu Bei and thought about bringing some local specialties into the market. The palace became a palace tribute and other suggestions to satisfy Liu Bei's appetite.
However, Liu Bei responded indifferently to their gifts, and even refused the tributes directly, saying that tributes were a waste of money and people, were meaningless, and there was no need to mention them in the future.
This attitude made the two people feel very anxious. On the day they were interviewed, they were quite worried and didn't know what their future would be like.
And Liu Bei's reaction when he met them was indeed not very harmonious.
Liu Bei got straight to the point and first reprimanded Zhu Fu.
"You should have known about the matter in Rinan County for a long time. Why didn't you inform Luoyang in time to let me know? If I had known earlier, I could have dealt with the matter in Rinan County earlier. If you didn't report the matter, what crime should you be guilty of?"
Liu Bei's straight-to-the-point inquiry surprised Zhu Fu. He was sweating profusely and knelt down on the ground to plead guilty to Liu Bei.
"It's not that I didn't think about reporting to Luoyang, but the road was far away and transportation was difficult at that time, and it was even more difficult to find out the news. It had been a long time since I learned the news, and the world was in chaos at that time, and there were rebels in many places. I am thinking of His Majesty's hard work, so I want to make some preparations to relieve the imperial court's worries, and do not want to make it more difficult for the imperial court!"
"So, I still want to thank you?"
Liu Bei sneered: "Although Xianglin County, Rinan County is a remote place, it is also the place where our ancestors fought bloody battles. A lot of heroic blood was shed there, and they ignored the blood of heroes and did not even report this to the court." thing!
Even if the court was in chaos at that time, if I had learned of this, I would have sent people south to help you anyway to deal with the rebellion in Rinan County. However, you were indifferent and did not report the matter to the court. Zhu Fu, what crime do you deserve? ? "
Zhu Fu was so shocked that he knelt on the ground and trembled all over. He was so frightened that he didn't know how to explain this matter.
He never expected to face Liu Bei's questioning as soon as he came to Luoyang.
He had a premonition that this level would be difficult to pass.
On the other side, Wang Rui was also trembling.
After Liu Bei questioned Zhu Fu, regardless of Zhu Fu still kneeling on the ground, he turned his attention to Wang Rui.
"Wang Rui, are you aware of the matter in Jiaozhou?"
Wang Rui was shocked when he heard this.
"Since I took office as the governor of Jingzhou, I have worked diligently and did not dare to slack off in the slightest. However, I have indeed not heard anything about this matter! Your Majesty, Rinan County is too remote. Even in Jingzhou, it is difficult to hear relevant news."
Liu Bei nodded.
"I have also heard about your political achievements and contributions in Jingzhou over the years. You have suppressed rebellions in the state many times, and you have made several military exploits, so you were granted the title of Marquis. I have also heard about such things. As the former governor of the state, , what you did is good.
However, in the future, state governors will mainly be officials responsible for government affairs. The requirements for political performance will exceed the requirements for military merit. If you have military merit, you can try to transfer. If you still want to be a governor, then Show your ability in government affairs. "
Wang Rui had never expected Liu Bei's words before. He did not expect Liu Bei to speak so directly to him.
But he has some self-awareness about himself. He knows that his military achievements mainly rely on the ability of his subordinates to conquer and fight well. For him, if he wants to take the military route, it is somewhat unprofessional.
Moreover, in terms of military achievements, Wang Rui felt that he could not achieve anything among the Han army with so many generals, so he could only make further progress by focusing on politics and carving a bloody path in politics.
But I am not a close associate of Liu Bei. In a political arena where intimacy is important, it would be even more difficult for me as a pure outsider to make a name for myself in Luoyang where big bosses gather...
So, how to go about this path?
Wang Rui thought for a while and found it difficult to come to a conclusion.
Liu Bei saw his difficulty and did not force him.
"If you have difficulty making a decision for the moment, then don't worry. You can take a look at this government affairs conference first. If you can make achievements and are confident, then keep doing it. You have also been the governor of Jingzhou for a long time, right? Jingzhou should know it quite well, and I don’t want to rashly change the candidate for governor if it’s not necessary.”
Wang Rui felt relieved.
"Your Majesty, your wise and wise minister obeys your decree."
Then Liu Bei looked at Zhu Fu, who had been kneeling on the ground.
"Zhu Fu, you didn't report what you knew, and you allowed Xianglin County in Rinan County to be invaded by bandits and did nothing for more than two years. As the chief official of Jiaozhou, you have the responsibility to defend the land, but you have not fulfilled this responsibility. , which is an act of dereliction of duty.
I cannot tolerate people who are derelict in their duties. I am removing you from the post of governor of Jiaozhou and handing it over to a competent department for investigation to see if there are any other acts of corruption or dereliction of duty. If so, you will be punished for multiple crimes and will not be tolerated! "
Liu Bei announced the treatment of Zhu Fu. After Zhu Fu heard this, his body softened and he collapsed on the ground, unable to say a word.
Wang Rui watched from the side, a little frightened, and a little sad that the rabbit had died.
Because in this way, he is the only one among the governors in the world who has nothing to do with Liu Bei. The others are either Liu Bei's subordinates or Liu Bei's old friends. How can he continue to hang out in this officialdom like this?
With inexplicable emotions, Wang Rui began to seriously think about how to break the situation, or how to leave a feasible escape route for himself.
The news that Zhu Fu was dismissed because of his improper handling of the rebellion in Rinan County quickly spread throughout the government and the public. Everyone had their own opinions on the candidate for the new governor of Jiaozhou and the impact this incident would have on the entire political situation.
Zhu Fu came to attend the government affairs conference, but before he could attend the conference, he lost his official position. He was also handed over to the Third Department of Justice for investigation to see if there were any other crimes during his tenure as the governor of Jiaozhou, and he was prepared to be severely punished.
This made other officials who had nothing to do with Liu Bei and who had made a smooth transition from the Second Empire to the Third Empire feel worried and slightly panicked. They quickly summoned their subordinates to urgently check the state and county data to avoid being found out by the court. , ended up in jail.
But Liu Bei really didn't plan to make a big move against this group of bureaucrats at this time.
Although a considerable part of this group of bureaucrats are insects, it cannot be said that they are not loyal to their duties. Therefore, Liu Bei does not intend to overturn a whole boat of people with one stroke, nor does he intend to put the officials into panic.
He couldn't let people think that he took action because Zhu Fu was not his confidant or friend. He took action only because some officials violated the law and the rules of the game. He wanted to kill people openly and punish them, rather than avenge private revenge.
So next, when it came to selecting the new governor of Jiaozhou, Liu Bei did not choose his close confidant, but chose to appoint Liu Biao, a descendant of the Han clan clan and King Liu Yu of Lu Gong, as the governor of Jiaozhou.
When he made the appointment, Liu Biao was serving as the county magistrate in Xinzheng County, Henan County.
When this news came out, many people were indeed surprised and felt inexplicably relieved.
Because Liu Biao really has nothing to do with Liu Bei. According to public information, Liu Biao was once on the political opposite side of Liu Bei. He was a subordinate of General He Jin and once helped He Jin fight against Liu Bei.
Later, he probably realized that he had lost his way and found that He Jin could not defeat Liu Bei, so he chose Run. After three years of Jian'an, Liu Biao was appointed by the court to serve as the magistrate of Xinzheng County, and he has been in office ever since.
As a result, he was inexplicably appointed as the governor of Jiaozhou.
This appointment was conveyed to Liu Biao quite quickly. It only took a day and a half. The imperial court required Liu Biao to immediately go to Luoyang to communicate with the Jiaozhou government affairs reporting team, take office on the line, and lead the Jiaozhou government affairs team to participate in the government affairs conference.
Because only the first day of the Government Affairs Conference was held, all officials participated together and held a grand opening ceremony. Subsequent meetings were attended by each state separately and held a two-day seminar with the emperor to discuss the economic development of each state. level of development and next political goals, etc.
Jiaozhou was ranked last in the meeting with Liu Bei due to special circumstances, so Liu Biao had enough time to communicate with the Jiaozhou government affairs team to understand the actual situation in Jiaozhou.
Liu Biao came to Luoyang with his family members in a daze, and attended the welcome meeting of the Jiaozhou government affairs team in a daze. He got to know everyone inexplicably, and became the chief executive of Jiaozhou inexplicably.
Then there was the hot line to understand the situation in each county in Jiaozhou, talk with the chiefs of each county, and hold emergency meetings for three consecutive days.
Three days later, Liu Biao, who was dizzy, finally found time to make an appointment with his old friend Kuai Yue. He took advantage of his leisure time in the afternoon to come to Kuai Yue's house and meet him.
(End of chapter)
