Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 160: The Zhuge brothers are ready to be used.

The internal affairs of the Jiqiu faction are currently mainly handled by the Minister of the Interior, Zhuge Gui.

However, Zhuge Gui's abilities were only those of a prefect of a single commandery.

When Ji Qiu was the governor of Mount Tai, he employed Zhuge Gui to handle domestic affairs, and he was barely competent.

But now that Ji Qiu already has a province, it's a bit of a stretch to still need Zhuge Gui.

It's not that he's disloyal, it's just that he really can't do it!

Therefore, this is precisely the time when Ji Qiu lacks top-notch domestic affairs talent.

Zhang Zhao happened to be the most outstanding domestic affairs talent of this era!
Therefore, Zhang Zhao believed that even if he missed Ji Qiu's angel round, he could still occupy an important position in the future development of Ji Qiu's power.

After all, quite a few angel round investors end up being kicked out.

As power grows and influence increases, who gets what position ultimately depends on strength!
Ji Qiu naturally welcomed Zhang Zhao's arrival with open arms and feet.

Firstly, as Zhang Zhao had previously analyzed, he lacked top-tier domestic affairs talent, while Zhang Zhao was precisely that.

Secondly, he had long harbored the idea of ​​replacing Zhuge Gui.

This is not only because Zhuge Gui's talent is no longer a match for the current power of Ji Qiu.

Also, because Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Liang had both grown up.

Zhuge Jin is eighteen years old this year.

Eighteen years old is considered an adult in modern times, and in this era, one is more likely to take on family business and stand on one's own.

More importantly, as the world entered a period of warring states, diplomatic efforts involving alliances and counter-alliances became increasingly important.

Zhuge Jin's greatest strength was in diplomacy!
Therefore, Ji Qiu had already decided to establish a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and appointed Zhuge Jin as its Minister.

Zhuge Liang is eleven years old this year.

Although eleven years old is still a child, for a prodigy like Zhuge Liang, his abilities are not limited by age at all.

It has been two years since the fall of the Zhuge clan in late autumn.

For two years, Zhuge Liang was constantly studying.

His modern knowledge is in no way inferior to that of a modern 211 university graduate.

He not only possesses modern knowledge, but also knowledge of the Three Kingdoms period.

He merged the knowledge from these two systems, unleashing unprecedented creativity.

The Research Department, which was established a long time ago but is little known to outsiders, is shining brighter and brighter.

Ji Qiu is preparing to officially launch the Research Department at the upcoming summary meeting of the first year of Chuping.

At that time, the status of the research department will be greatly enhanced!

As the Minister of Scientific Research, Zhuge Liang's position, even if it did not reach the level of the Minister of Political Affairs or Military Affairs, would certainly not be inferior to that of the Minister of Propaganda, Education, or other departments.

However, whether it is to appoint Zhuge Jin as the Minister of Foreign Affairs or to elevate the status of the Ministry of Scientific Research, there is a prerequisite.

Zhuge Gui must step down from his position as Minister of State.

Many things must be governed by rules from the very beginning.

Ji Qiu will not allow the entire Zhuge family, all three of them, to become ministers.

Thirdly, giving Zhang Zhao a high position can help win over the hearts of the people of Xuzhou in the autumn.

The main enemy in the next stage of autumn will inevitably be Tao Qian of Xuzhou.

To deal with Tao Qian, we must approach it from both military and political perspectives.

In terms of military affairs, there's not much to say; it's simply about fighting.

Politically, the plan was to use tactics of appeasement and division to undermine Tao Qian's cooperative relationship with the powerful families of Xuzhou, while simultaneously making it easier for them to accept his rule.

The reason he killed Wang Lang and then persuaded Zhao Yu to surrender was for this purpose.

Zhang Zhao was undoubtedly a more influential and talented man from Xuzhou than Zhao Yu.

Acquiring Zhang Zhao is almost equivalent to acquiring half of Xuzhou's talent pool!
Based on these three points, there's no need to say anything else.

Ji Qiu immediately appointed Zhang Zhao as the Executive Vice Minister of the Ministry of Political Affairs, gradually taking over the power held by Zhuge Gui!

After introducing Zhang Zhao's situation, let's take a look at the ranking of the civil and military talents under Ji Qiu's command.

In terms of the hierarchy of scholars, Zheng Xuan ranked first.

This man is a top-ranking scholar. Not only is he a figure under Ji Qiu's command, but he is also a prominent figure in the entire Nine Provinces!

Next was Kong Rong, a first-rank official.

Third are Xu Rong and Zhang Zhao, both of the third rank (intermediate level).

Fourth are Lü Bu, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, all of whom are at the initial level of the third rank.

The secret techniques of these four people are all of the unparalleled type.

The speed at which this type of secret technique is upgraded seems to be closely related to their career development.

When you're in the prime of your career, you'll advance very quickly.

During periods of stagnation or decline in one's career, the pace of advancement will be very slow.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei are clearly in the prime of their careers.

After Ji Qiu provided them with civil and military officials and troops, these three protagonists of the era finally began to show their talents.

In just two months, Liu Bei not only captured Jibei Commandery, but also joined forces with the Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou who controlled Dongping Commandery, and conquered Lu State in Yuzhou.

He now controls three prefectures: Jibei, Dongping, and Lu, with a population of over one million and a powerful army of over one hundred thousand!
Even in today's world, he would be considered a prominent feudal lord.

Of course, the other warlords within Yanzhou were not idle either.

After Cao Cao captured Chenliu Commandery, he held both Dong Commandery and Chenliu Commandery, making him not much weaker than Liu Bei.

Liu Dai captured Shanyang and Rencheng counties, and now holds the three counties of Jiyin, Shanyang, and Rencheng, making him stronger than both Liu Bei and Cao Cao!

The entire Yanzhou region officially entered a period of tripartite balance of power.

The three warlords in the state were not only powerful in their own right, but also had powerful backers.

Cao Cao was backed by Yuan Shao, who had essentially taken control of the entire Ji Province, while Liu Dai was backed by Yuan Shu, who had essentially taken control of the entire Yu Province.

Behind Liu Bei was Ji Qiu, who had already taken over the entire territory of Qingzhou and occupied two counties in Xuzhou.

Unlike the spirited Liu Bei, Lü Bu has been having a tough time lately.

For Dong Zhuo, who had retreated to Chang'an, lost his ideals, and was preparing to spend the rest of his life in a drunken stupor in the Guanzhong Plain, Lü Bu's value was undoubtedly greatly reduced.

As value decreases, so does compensation.

Dong Zhuo treated him like a servant, ordering him around every day.

Lu Bu had no real power; the only troops he could command were a hundred or so personal guards.

Every day was incredibly miserable.

This naturally led to a significant slowdown in the speed at which his innate secret techniques could be upgraded.

As a result, after more than three months of no progress, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei managed to catch up by leaping a whole rank.

However, Lü Bu's life like this probably won't last long.

Because Wang Yun was already secretly contacting Lü Bu, preparing to assassinate Dong Zhuo.

Although Wang Yun no longer had Diao Chan, he still had other beauties.

Furthermore, in the entire incident of Lü Bu's assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo, Diao Chan merely acted as a catalyst. Considering Lü Bu's current situation, if the historical Lü Bu had been in the same predicament, even without any beautiful women, he would have been willing to assassinate Dong Zhuo!

However, unlike the historical Lü Bu, the current Lü Bu already has a master behind him.

Without Ji Qiu's permission, no matter how much Wang Yun talked, Lü Bu would not assassinate Dong Zhuo.

As for Ji Qiu, he did not intend to stop the assassination of Dong, but he needed to carefully choose the timing.

It must be in his interest.

But when is the right time to act in his best interest?

Naturally, it was time for him to evacuate all the lower-class people in the Guanzhong region.

After relocating the people from the surrounding areas of Luoyang, Ji Qiu turned his attention to the Guanzhong region.

The Guanzhong region was the most fertile area in the Han Dynasty, second only to the Three Auxiliary Regions.

There are more than ten million people here.

If everyone could be moved to Qingzhou, the entire Qingzhou would be populated.

By then, the population under Ji Qiu's rule will exceed 20 million.

He is capable enough to single-handedly challenge all the feudal lords in the world!

However, there was a small problem with Ji Qiu's plan to relocate the people of the Guanzhong region.

However, the Guanzhong region was ultimately Dong Zhuo's old territory, and Dong Zhuo's exploitation of this area was not particularly harsh.

As for ordinary people, as long as they have a way to make a living, they are unwilling to leave their homes.

Therefore, Ji Qiu can only move away those refugees who are completely unable to survive.

For those small landowners with meager assets, and for the powerful families both inside and outside the city, moving away was out of the question.

but it does not matter.

They'll soon come running over, begging Ji Qiu to move theirs out.

Because Ji Qiu was preparing to relocate all the displaced people from the lower classes, he launched an assassination attempt against Dong Zhuo.

With Dong Zhuo dead, the entire Guanzhong region would fall into complete chaos.

The warlords of the various Western Liang armies would fight each other, and massacres, killings, starvation, and death would become the daily occurrence on this land.

Then those who were unwilling to leave with Ji Qiu will understand what it truly means to be worse off than a dog in a chaotic world!
They'll come crying and begging to Ji Qiu's father to take them away...

The fourth-ranked scholars are Xi Zhong and Ren Hongchang, both of whom possess the peak of the fifth rank in innate secret arts.

The fifth group consists of Zhang Zhongjing, Yuan Huan, Zhuge Gui, Zao Zhi, and Wang Xiu, all of whom were high-ranking scholars of the fifth rank.

The sixth are Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Zhang Ning, Dian Wei, and Taishi Ci, all of whom are mid-level scholars of the fifth rank.

Seventh are Li Dangzhi and Yu Jin, both of whom are junior fifth-rank scholars.

The eighth group consists of Jia Xu, Zhao Lei, Wei Yan, Gao Shun, Gan Ning, Man Chong, Lü Qian, Guo Jia, Fa Zheng, and Ma Jun, all of whom are top-ranking scholars of the seventh rank!

After reviewing our basic capabilities, it's time for the meeting.

Summary meeting of the first year of Chuping.

The meeting was held in the newly built Beihai New City Auditorium.

The hall is located in the heart of Beihai New City, surrounded by neatly trimmed evergreen pines and cypresses, which stand like loyal guardians, protecting this sacred temple day and night.

The main building of the Great Hall is constructed of light gray granite, and its massive size casts a huge shadow under the sunlight, inspiring awe.

The front features twelve towering stone pillars, each as tall as a three-story building, with exquisite auspicious cloud patterns carved on their surfaces. Each pattern seems to contain the sedimentation of time and the concentration of power.

The stone pillars support a wide eave, beneath which are engraved gilded seal characters that gleam in the sunlight, exuding majesty and nobility.

The heavy bronze gate opened slowly, emitting a deep hum, as if it were an echo of history.

Inside the door is a hall with a ceiling over twenty meters high, and a magnificent mural painted on the dome, depicting the epic of heroes and the inheritance of civilization against the backdrop of heaven and earth.

Surrounding the mural are rings of chandeliers inlaid with dazzling crystals, casting light like a sky full of stars, yet appearing soft and restrained in this solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Ascending the smooth, mirror-like marble steps, one encounters exquisite reliefs adorning the walls on either side, recording past glories and triumphs.

Each relief tells a story, and each figure is lifelike, as if telling those magnificent historical chapters.

Upon entering the auditorium, one is greeted by a vast space filled with neatly arranged dark brown leather chairs, exuding a silent yet undeniable sense of order.

Shining with a sacred light under the lamplight, this is a place where wisdom and decision-making converge, bearing countless missions and responsibilities.

Ji Qiu sat in the very center of the dais.

Below is a bustling crowd.

There are many people attending the meeting today.

All the civil and military officials under his command who were at least sixth-rank officials came to attend the meeting.

Of course, the vast majority of people here are only qualified to listen in.

Only the ministers of each department were allowed to speak.

Specifically, the ministers included Zhuge Gui (Minister of State Affairs), Xi Zhong (Minister of Military Affairs), Guo Jia (Minister of Security), Jia Xu (Minister of Intelligence), Zao Zhi (Minister of Industry), Yuan Huan (Minister of Agriculture), Zhang Zhongjing (Minister of Health), Zhang Ning (Minister of Propaganda), Zheng Xuan (Minister of Education), Zhuge Jin (Minister of Foreign Affairs), and Zhuge Liang (Minister of Scientific Research)...

"It's that time of year again, time for the annual summary meeting."

Seeing our business thriving day by day, and seeing more and more people attending the summary meeting, I feel very gratified.

"Enough of the small talk, let's hear from Mr. Jun Gong on behalf of the Ministry of Government," Ji Qiu said with a light laugh.

Zhuge Gui's expression was somewhat complicated. Looking at the prepared speech in his hand, his eyes were filled with melancholy.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this will be his last speech as Minister of State at the year-end summary meeting.

Following this conference, he will formally hand over the position of Minister of State to Zhang Zhao, the Permanent Deputy Minister of State.

As the first Minister of State under Ji Qiu, he witnessed Ji Qiu's power grow from nothing to what it is today.

Now that he is about to step down, he harbors no resentment.

Firstly, he knew that his abilities were no longer sufficient to meet the requirements of the Minister of State.

Secondly, he knew that he was stepping down to make way for his two sons.

Family succession and the passing of the torch are good things.

Although there was no resentment, there was still a lot of emotion and reluctance to part.

Faced with this position that truly allowed him to realize his ideals and ambitions, who could truly give it up without any reservations?

Zhuge Gui took a deep breath, then picked up his speech and said, "The Ministry of Government has two central tasks this year: the relocation and resettlement of the people and the construction of Beihai County."

The relocation of residents was divided into two parts.

Firstly, the plan was to relocate all two million people from the five prefectures of Pingyuan, Jinan, Donglai, Langya, and Donghai to Beihai Prefecture.

The work is now mostly complete, and the people of Pingyuan County and Jinan County have been relocated.

About half of the people from the three prefectures of Donglai, Langya, and Donghai were relocated.

It is expected that the relocation will be completed by February next year.

Secondly, it was to settle the refugees and people from the Guanzhong region who were brought to the lord every day.

This number is around 20,000 per day. The Ministry of Government has established a receiving mechanism to ensure a smooth reception and resettlement process.

(End of this chapter)