The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 190 - 169, From stallions per acre to silver standard and the sprouting of capital
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In the room, Zhao Douan’s lecture continued.
The arrival of Wang You did not stir any waves.
By this moment, everyone had already shifted from a state of surprise to gradually immersing themselves in the content Zhao Douan was describing.
The Examination Method... seemed to...
have some substance...
Though Zhao Douan thought, these scholars had little experience in governance.
Or even if they had experience, it was in high-ranking positions, rarely mingling at the grassroots, making some strategies and ideas rather whimsical...
Just like in that historical past life of his, many strategies failed due to the overly idealistic policymakers.
The scholars of the Great Yu Dynasty had similar issues.
But...
It was undeniable that the group selected into the "Xiuwen Pavilion" were indeed the intellectual elite of Great Yu.
Talking to smart people was always reassuring, and they could accurately grasp Zhao Douan’s explanations.
They even extrapolated and filled in the details he hadn’t considered.
Because the scholars were so intelligent, they easily recognized the advancement of this "Examination Method."
"...Zhang Faji, with a solemn assemblage of officials, wielding authority and enhancing principles..."
"...Thus, people across the nine regions worked diligently, and the officials performed their duties with respect and integrity."
Zhao Douan wrote while he lectured, and many ink characters appeared on the screen behind him. Finally, he deeply outlined the three characters at the top with his brush and said,
"This, I call the ’Examination Method.’"
Silence.
The room fell into stillness as he concluded his lecture, with everyone deeply engaged, seemingly in thought.
Only Wang You, sitting quietly without making a sound, still wasn’t sure what had happened.
At this moment, the few scholars who were late began to enter one by one, and upon seeing this scene, they were also taken aback.
"What are you..." someone began to speak.
But Mo Chou suddenly glared at him forcefully, signaling him to shut up and not disturb the Grandmaster.
Reluctantly, she had already realized the value of this assessment method.
And Grandmaster Dong, Han Zhou, Guo Jieyuan, and others also showed clear changes in their expressions.
They exchanged glances, understanding each other’s thoughts without words.
"This method..."
Han Zhou opened his mouth and frowned:
"If such an assessment is implemented, would it not cause lower-level officials to resort to any means to meet targets?"
Zhao Douan remained silent—of course, it would.
Performance assessments couldn’t be perfect; there were many flaws as well.
But comparatively, it was the best strategy at the current stage.
The elderly man with white hair sitting in the Taishi Chair returned from his contemplation and abruptly said,
"In this way, the Six Divisions will be under the cabinet’s jurisdiction."
Zhao Douan smiled,
"There is no cabinet now, only Xiuwen Pavilion, and Xiuwen Pavilion answers only to Your Majesty."
Their dialogue seemed mismatched at first glance.
But clever individuals like Han Zhou understood with a flicker in their eyes.
Grandmaster Dong, an old hand in Jianghu, immediately spotted a significant drawback of the Examination Method, which was "suppressing channels of criticism."
In this design, the Six Division Censors, originally responsible for impeachments, as well as the Imperial Censor and the Imperial Court of Supervision, were all included in the examination system.
They were subjected to "cabinet" control, essentially Xiuwen Pavilion at present.
As a result, officials feared offending Xiuwen Pavilion to protect their positions.
Unknowingly, the officials were suppressed.
Historically, after Zhang Juzheng implemented this method, one of the accusations against him was suppressing channels of criticism, consolidating power within the cabinet.
Zhao Douan’s response was subtle.
If the "cabinet" still existed, this mechanism, once activated, would make Li Yanfu, as the Prime Minister, the most powerful minister, with no one to check him.
But the "old cabinet" was gone, leaving only a group of young, powerless scholars in Xiuwen Pavilion, and a Grandmaster thoroughly loyal to the imperial faction.
Everyone was loyal only to the Empress.
Thus, once the Examination Method started to operate, the entire court’s power would concentrate on the Empress personally.
Li Yanfu’s attempts to use officials to restrain the Empress would become exceedingly difficult.
Grandmaster Dong paused in silence, then said,
"Many in the court will vigorously oppose this."
Zhao Douan laughed,
"From the moment the New Policy was conceived, it was destined to face countless opposition."
Grandmaster Dong slowly nodded, looking at Zhao Douan with a significantly different gaze.
He became increasingly intrigued by the "manuscript" in his hands.
"Old gentleman, in your manuscript, the Examination Method is only half-written, how do you explain ’Tanding Rumu’ at the back?" Grandmaster Dong asked.
There’s more? Not even halfway?
The scholars were dumbfounded.
But Zhao Douan did not rush to explain. He glanced at the brush on the table,
"The ink is insufficient, and there is not enough white paper, either."
Everyone: "..."
Grandmaster Dong turned his head, glanced over, and casually pointed to a few of the late-arriving scholars,
"Grind ink, change the paper."
Wang You and the other scholars were incredulous, especially Mr. Wang, who nearly changed his expression.
For him to assist a mere gigolo who gained prominence with his looks and cunning?
Being from a noble family, he found it unacceptable.
Mo Chou also glanced at them, her voice indifferent,
"Did you not hear? Must we let the Grandmaster do it personally?"
"...I dare not."
Wang You and the others were deflated, reluctantly fetching new ink to pour into the inkstone and replacing a new sheet of white paper on the screen.
Zhao Douan rubbed his throat, "Talking has made me parched."
"..." One scholar sighed, rising to make tea.
Another opened a drawer, retrieving the pear Zhao Douan had given him at noon, returning it to its owner.
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