My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 247: His Majesty hasn’t passed away yet, but the Crown Prince has already implemented a new policy?
Twenty thousand officials, is that a lot?

Li Chengqian doesn't think so.

Why was it that in the dynasty era, so few officials were needed to maintain the operation of a country? Even with more than 20,000 officials, it felt very cumbersome.

Making simple things complicated makes the operation slow and energy-consuming.

Especially in the later period of the dynasty, once the number of officials expanded to a certain scale, the originally streamlined administrative system became cumbersome and redundant, and administrative efficiency was reduced.

This is because agriculture was the mainstay of the dynasty era and the economic model was rigidified. The government only needed to focus on basic matters such as land tax collection and water conservancy construction to ensure agricultural production. It did not need to worry about complex modern affairs such as industry, finance, foreign trade, etc. With fewer functions, the demand for employment was naturally low.

The grassroots relied heavily on clan and gentry self-governance. Family elders mediated disputes and managed daily life according to clan rules, and local gentry relied on their reputation to maintain law and order and run public welfare, filling the gap in government governance in rural areas. The court did not need to send a large number of officials to the grassroots, greatly reducing labor costs.

At that time, the public service system was primitive, education was mostly self-funded by private schools, medical care relied on wandering doctors among the people, and elderly care depended on families. Government involvement was shallow, and there were almost no officials in corresponding positions.

The country's tax revenue is low and financial support is limited, making it difficult to afford the salaries and office expenses of a large bureaucracy. In order to balance revenue and expenditure, the number of officials must be strictly controlled.

And here, there is another problem.

Although there were few officials overall, high-ranking officials received generous salaries, often accompanied by rewards of land and houses, and rations of servants. The welfare system was complicated, which restricted the court from expanding its establishment.

Simply put, an official of the third rank may receive more money, whether in terms of salary or additional income, than hundreds or thousands of lower-ranking officials.

In particular, since the imperial power did not extend below the county level, the county level was the administrative end, and rural areas relied on the endogenous order of the people. There was no need for the court to appoint too many officials, so the total number of officials was compressed in the structure.

In this regard, Li Chengqian, as a person from later generations, has his own opinions.

As for the system that was improved in later generations, the number of civil servants in a broad sense accounted for about 3.67% of the total population.

This means that if the population is 13 million, more than 470,000 civil servants should be needed.

Of course, it is impossible for Li Chengqian to summon so many people. Even if all the students in the world are added together, there are probably not so many people with academic achievements.

Whether it is Goryeo or Silla.

From Li Chengqian's perspective, this is a blank sheet of paper.

On this blank piece of paper, Li Chengqian could paint however he wanted without being restricted by the Tang Dynasty.

As for Erfeng, even if there are some restrictions, I guess it will be of no use.

Therefore, Li Chengqian was preparing to implement a new administrative system while keeping the overall structure unchanged.

The county town is the basic unit.

In the previous county town, all matters were basically controlled by the county magistrate.

The county magistrate is the local emperor.

So the first thing is to split the power of the county magistrate.

The main hall of Shenwu Palace.

Li Chengqian took the documents he had prepared and talked about his new ideas.

There were not many officials at that time, so the explanation was relatively simple.

"The power of the county magistrate should be divided into three parts."

"Civil, Martial, and Law."

"The so-called culture refers to the development of the county, water power, market, agriculture, taxation, and many other matters."

"The so-called military means the security of the county."

"The so-called law is the criminal law."

"The county magistrate is responsible for civil affairs, the county lieutenant is responsible for military affairs, and the county assistant is responsible for law. Each of the three should perform their duties and not interfere with each other."

"From then on, each county was divided into three major government offices. The county magistrate was in charge of all affairs, the county lieutenant was responsible for solving cases and arresting people, and the county magistrate was in charge of judicial affairs."

"Under the county magistrate, there is a county school to take charge of education."

"A taxation department shall be set up to collect and inspect taxes."

"Establish an Agricultural Department to be in charge of water power construction and agricultural planting."

"Establish a Commercial Department to manage the miscellaneous affairs of the market."

"An audit department shall be set up to audit the expenses of various government offices, compile statistics on income and expenditure, and verify and supervise the use of various expenditures in accordance with the law."

"Under the county lieutenant, there is a public security officer every ten miles, with about ten people, who are responsible for all public security in the area."

Li Chengqian spoke slowly and calmly.

Under such a system, the power of the county magistrate can be effectively restricted so that he will not become a local tyrant, and the government's jurisdiction can truly penetrate into the hearts of the people.

But Li Dejian and his companions looked at each other in bewilderment.

However, they are all military generals, good at leading troops in battles, but they may not have such a thorough understanding of the political system.

Li Dao Zong first asked: "Your Highness, in this case, wouldn't it be that a small county town has hundreds of officials?"

According to the situation in the Tang Dynasty, a county town mainly had a county magistrate, and the county assistant, chief clerk, county lieutenant and others were appointed depending on the county's level and the complexity of affairs. In addition, there were officials such as the assistant to the household department and the assistant to the judicial department, and the number of people ranged from a dozen to several dozen.

Even in a county with a population of tens of thousands, there would be no more than fifty officials.

But in the prince's place, in any county town with a population of two or three thousand, there may be more than fifty officials.

If we go to the county, the number may be close to two hundred.

This is just the county town, there is a state capital above it.

"I am making arrangements, not discussing them."

"From now on, all counties and towns in Liaodong will follow the system I have established."

Li Chengqian had no intention of arguing with Li Daozon, so he gave a direct and forceful order.

Hearing this, the words Li Daozon wanted to say were stuck in his throat.

Reluctantly, he bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian also knew what he wanted to say, which would only add a lot of unnecessary burdens.

Moreover, can so many public offices really play a role?

Li Chengqian didn't want to explain too much. Even if he explained these things for a whole day, people might not understand.

And for Li Chengqian himself, he was still just copying and feeling his way across the river.

After all, the political system cannot be applied directly, it can only be used as a reference. Even Li Chengqian himself has no idea what the effect will be.

But after all, it is more perfect than the current system, and it is standing on the shoulders of giants.

After implementation, any problems that arise can be solved later.

Except for the county seat.

There are also institutional reforms to state governments.

On the basis of the separation of powers in the county, an inspection department was added to be responsible for supervising and reviewing officials in the state government, including those in the county.

The state government does not exercise vertical management over the county.

Civil officials are civil officials, military officials are military officials, and judges are judges. Three systems from bottom to top.

Unlike the previous situation where the county magistrate could directly appoint the county lieutenant, the provincial government established the Censorate to serve as the county lieutenant's direct superior.

Above the Censorate is the Ministry of Justice.

In addition, the provincial government set up the Sixing Temple, which was the direct superior of the county magistrate, and the highest corresponding temple was the Dali Temple.

In theory, officials from the three different systems will not move between each other and will only be promoted within their respective systems.

Generally speaking, the official position of a county magistrate is half a rank higher than that of a county lieutenant or a county magistrate, but the magistrate has no power to directly appoint or dismiss others. Even if there is dereliction of duty, the matter will be handled and arranged by the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice.

Once the general framework is finalized, the next step will be reappointment.

But for now, it's still relatively rough.

After all, there was no such thing as corresponding majors for students in the Tang Dynasty.

These are all things that developed slowly later.

After leaving the court.

Li Xiang couldn't help but ask, "Father, are you moving all the six ministries of the court to the local areas?"

Li Xiang could see it clearly, so naturally everyone else could guess the prince's intention.

The new political reform is still rooted in the three-province and six-department system of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, his eyes showing a bit of contemplation, and said slowly: "Xiang'er, you are smart to see the connection between this and the six ministries. Nowadays, the local governance of the Tang Dynasty has gradually become problematic. The county level has a lot of complicated affairs, but the responsibilities are not clear, and the supervision of the prefecture is also vague. The system of the six ministries is operated in the central government and has achieved remarkable results. However, if the local areas want long-term stability, they cannot just copy it, but adapting it is a good strategy."

Li Xiang followed Li Chengqian's steps in small steps, tilted his head and asked again: "Father, this change involves a lot of people. Can the officials accept it smoothly? I heard that the officialdom hates change the most. If you are not careful, there will be complaints."

Li Chengqian smiled faintly and patted Li Xiang on the shoulder: "At the beginning of the change, resistance is inevitable. But I am not acting rashly. Liaodong is a vast land with few people and has just been under the rule of the king. It is a good place to try out the new rules."

"If we can run in smoothly here, there will be less resistance when we promote it in the future. Besides, the national strength of the Tang Dynasty is growing day by day, and it can withstand this kind of experiment. We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater."

Li Xiang seemed to be thinking about something. After a moment, he said, "Father is right. But where will the talents come from to set up so many new offices? I am worried that if we put them together hastily, it will cause problems."

"The issue of talent is indeed a difficult problem, but it is not unsolvable." Li Chengqian stopped and looked at the hustle and bustle of the city outside the palace wall. "The trend of respecting literature is growing in the Tang Dynasty. There are many academies in various places, and there are many knowledgeable young people."

"Let's first select a group of people and train them to familiarize them with the new rules. Besides, there are many young officials in the court who are ambitious and eager to make a difference. They want to gain experience in Liaodong. Over time, talents will emerge in an endless stream."

Li Xiang's eyes lit up: "So father has already made preparations. But, father, this system of civil servants, military officers, and judges not interfering with each other can prevent tyranny, but what if they shirk responsibility when something happens?"

Li Chengqian frowned slightly. He had thought about this before. "That's why we set up the Supervisory Department, which is dedicated to supervision. Once there is shirking of responsibility, the Supervisory Department can conduct a thorough investigation and punish the person. Not only that, I also plan to formulate detailed government regulations to clarify the time limits and procedures for handling various matters in various departments, so that they have rules to follow and no excuses for shirking responsibility."

Li Xiang was full of admiration and said, "Father, you have thought it through. I have learned a lot from you."

After saying that, he hesitated a little and said, "But it's just such a drastic move, will grandfather agree to it?"

This question involves a lot of things, and only Li Xiang dared to ask.

Other ministers, whether it was Li Dejian or Li Daozon, were very taboo on this issue.

From a small perspective, Li Chengqian's system reform was adapted to the local conditions of Goryeo and Silla.

But from a broader perspective, it is tantamount to establishing a new court outside the Tang Dynasty court.

You should know that His Majesty is still alive and well, and the Prince has already started to implement new policies.

Li Chengqian looked up at the sky and took a long breath. "I will explain the pros and cons of this matter to the emperor. The emperor is a man of great talent and strategy. As long as it can make the local administration of the Tang Dynasty clean and the people prosperous, I believe he will support it. Besides, how can reform be without risks? As the crown prince, I should work for the long-term welfare of the Tang Dynasty. I have to face some storms head on."

Li Xiang understood that his father had no intention of discussing this with his grandfather and was acting first and reporting later.

Whether my grandfather agrees or not, my father will continue to do it.

This made Li Xiang feel a little worried.

He actually didn't want to see the conflict between his father and grandfather become too serious.

After all, they are a family, not to mention that he is the eldest grandson of the emperor.

Of course, in terms of stance, he must stand on his father's side.

According to the traditional inheritance system, the Prince of Wei should be the first to take the throne as the eldest grandson of the emperor. However, given the current situation in the Tang Dynasty, if his father falls, he will fall as well.

Grandfather loved his fourth uncle more than him, the eldest grandson.

Outside Shenwu Palace.

Li Daozon followed Li Dejian to the government office.

The prince has given them a lot of instructions today, so they need to work overtime to write down the detailed rules.

The prince set the framework, but they were responsible for formulating and executing the details.

This is undoubtedly no small undertaking.

For example, they are responsible for coordinating the selection list of each official, the site selection for the establishment of three yamen in various places, the promotion of the prince's new policies, official training and a series of other tasks.

"Master Li."

Li Daozon walked to the front of the government compound and suddenly shouted.

Li Dejian also stopped and looked at Li Daozon.

Needless to say, Li Dejian actually knew very well what Li Daozon wanted to talk to him about.

"Prince, this is the order of the Crown Prince. You and I can only obey."

Li Daozong asked, "What would the Duke of Wei think?"

When Li Dejian heard Li Daozon talking about his father Li Jing, he was silent for a moment.

In a sense, he is now on the opposite side of his father.

"Father will understand me."

After saying this, Li Dejian didn't want to say any more and left.

Li Daozon stood there for a long time, finally heaved a long sigh and walked towards the government office.

No matter how he thought about it, for Li Daozon now, he could only act according to the prince's orders.

However, before handling government affairs, Li Daozon began to write secret letters.

That's right.

Ever since the crown prince relaxed his supervision over him, Li Daozon would often write letters to tell His Majesty, who was far away in Chang'an, everything that happened on the crown prince's side.

Li Daozon was Li Shimin's most loyal younger brother. The relationship that had lasted for decades could not be changed by just a few words from the crown prince.

However, Li Daozon only picked up the pen to write a few words and then stopped.

He looked at the contents of his letter and frowned slightly.

These words seemed to be telling Your Majesty that the Crown Prince's new policies seemed to be in conflict with the Tang Dynasty.

After crumpling up the paper and thinking for a long time, Li Daozon started writing again.

Choose your words carefully and try to avoid any misunderstandings that may arise from His Majesty's side.

(End of this chapter)