Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

The Prime Minister pondered for a moment, then said cautiously, "Your Majesty is a wise and far-sighted person. I believe that supervision should be strengthened, more inspectors should be sent, and those who violate the law should be severely punished to serve as a warning to others."

The Chief Censor echoed, "I second the motion. The Censorate has drafted regulations to expand the scope of inspections and increase unannounced visits..."

"Monitor, punish severely..." Qin Ming interrupted them, his tone still calm. "If it could be eradicated, why would it have come to this? I've heard that the grain transport from Jiangnan has only new rice stored in the warehouse, and the old rice is distributed as relief. Meanwhile, the military equipment from Hedong looks good in the accounts, but the actual equipment is in poor condition. Are your inspectors unable to see this, or... do they not want to see it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the four of them's faces suddenly changed, their undershirts instantly soaked with sweat! Could it be that His Majesty knew so much about such a secret matter?!

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty will die!" The Chief Censor fell to his knees. "I failed to observe!"

"Get up." Qin Ming's voice was slightly cold. "I'm not asking you to blame me for your negligence. I'm asking why you were negligent? Is it because of a flaw in the system, or is it because people are unpredictable?"

He stood up and walked to the map of the western border, but his eyes seemed to penetrate the map and look deeper.

"I wish to do three things."

"First, reform the performance evaluation system. No longer will heroes be judged solely on taxation and criminal justice. Three new categories will be added: 'Public Security,' 'Public Opinion,' and 'Innovation.' Officials will be dispatched from the Censorate to conduct undercover inspections, listen to the people's voices, and verify achievements on the ground. Those who excel will be generously rewarded, while those who fail... will be immediately dismissed and investigated!"

"Secondly, establish a 'rotational transfer' system. Prefecture and county officials will be rotated every five years and not allowed to stay in one place for long. Officials in key government offices like the grain transport, salt and iron, and military equipment will be transferred every three years to serve in other places, severing their complex and intertwined interests."

"Third," he paused, his voice growing deeper, "we will establish an 'Auditing Department', independent of the Ministry of Revenue and directly under my jurisdiction. We will select officers proficient in mathematics and with clean backgrounds to audit granaries, treasury funds, and project funds throughout the country. Any discrepancies between accounts and actuals, or any embezzlement or misappropriation of funds, can be reported directly to me! I grant them... the power to execute first and report later!"

These three measures, like three heavy hammers, struck the hearts of the four important officials hard! This was no mere purge; it was a radical overhaul of the entire bureaucracy! The reform of the examination system directly addressed the fundamentals of official administration, the rotation system cut off local influence, and the Audit Office was a sword hanging over the heads of all officials in charge of finances and grain!

"Your Majesty... this... this policy is good, but... if you implement it too hastily, I'm afraid... it might cause unrest in the government and the country..." The Prime Minister's voice trembled as he tried to dissuade him. This affected too many interests and too wide a swath of society.

"Turbulence?" Qin Ming turned abruptly, his eyes blazing. "Compared to the destabilization of the nation's foundation caused by corrupt officials, boiling public resentment, and inadequate border defenses, which is less serious?!"

His voice suddenly rose, with unquestionable determination: "My decision is made! Draft an edict immediately and announce it to the world! Anyone who dares to obstruct the new policies or pretend to obey but secretly disobey will be charged with treason, regardless of official rank!"

"Your Majesty...your Majesty obeys!" The four dared not say another word, kneeling deeply on the ground, their hearts already filled with turmoil. They knew that a storm far more profound and cruel than the war in the West was about to engulf the entire imperial bureaucracy.

The decree was quickly drafted, sealed, and announced to the world.

Like throwing an ice cube into boiling oil, the entire imperial bureaucracy erupted in chaos! Memorials from local prefectures and counties poured into the capital like snowflakes, some subtly expressing their concerns, some directly citing difficulties, and some secretly colluding to delay or even prevent the implementation of the new policy.

Qin Ming had anticipated this. He remained unmoved and instead pressed forward with a more assertive attitude.

He personally selected the first batch of officials for the Audit Department, most of whom were young and capable officials from humble backgrounds, proficient in mathematics, and well-known for their integrity. He gave them golden medals and authorized them to exercise great power.

He urged the Censorate to speed up the formulation of new performance appraisal rules and sent Tingfengwei to secretly monitor the reactions of various places to the new policy.

As for the rotation system, he did not allow any discussion and directly selected the first batch of hundreds of officials involved in the grain transport, salt administration, and border control, and gave them a deadline to take up their posts!

The resistance was enormous, and undercurrents were surging. Some officials even attempted to resist by bribing Audit Department officials or colluding with local tyrants to create trouble and prove that the new policies were "disturbing to the people."

However, they underestimated the emperor's determination and means.

Shortly after the Audit Department officials left the capital, several local officials attempting to bribe or exert pressure were apprehended by the sudden appearance of the Tingfeng Guards. With irrefutable evidence of their crimes, they were immediately arrested and brought to the capital, their property confiscated! The speed and ruthlessness of the actions were truly chilling.

At the same time, Qin Ming instructed the Censorate to promote several governors of remote counties who were capable of implementing the new policies and had outstanding political achievements, entrust them with important tasks, and set an example.

Using both kindness and force, a two-pronged approach, opposition was gradually suppressed by iron-fisted measures and clear guidance. After experiencing initial shocks and pains, the imperial bureaucracy was forced to operate with difficulty along the new trajectory set by the emperor.

The effect is immediate.

Less than a month after its establishment, the Audit Department uncovered a series of major cases that shocked the government and the public: the massive deficit in granaries in the three Jiangnan prefectures, the counterfeiting of military equipment in Hedong, and the embezzlement of grain transport losses. A number of previously entrenched and intractable corrupt officials were rooted out, with countless cases having their properties confiscated and executed. Officialdom was shaken to its core!

Although the implementation of the round-robin system caused some confusion in the early stages, it effectively broke the monopoly of local forces and curbed the growth of "local tyrants".

The new examination system has allowed many officials who have worked hard but failed because of their lack of strategic skills to come to the fore.

The body of the empire is undergoing a severe pain and rebirth like scraping bones to cure poison.

On this day, Qin Ming was reviewing the latest case file submitted by the Audit Department. Ying Qi quietly entered and handed him an unsigned secret letter.

"Your Majesty, the envoys from the Hunxie tribe in the northern border have secretly contacted the Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple... and a prince."

Qin Ming paused for a moment as he opened the letter. His eyes swept over the few words on the letter, and a cold glint suddenly appeared in them.

Hunxie tribe...Prince...

Internal troubles have not yet been resolved, while external troubles have already arrived. And these external troubles seem to have quietly connected with internal troubles.

He slowly put down the secret letter and looked at the huge map of the empire again.

This war had never stopped, it had only changed battlefields and formats. The enemy he now faced was more subtle, more cunning, and... more dangerous.

"Keep investigating." His voice was icy. "I want to know what they're trying to do."

"Here."

Inside the warm room, the flickering candlelight stretched the emperor's silhouette against the cold wall, like a lonely night watchman, gazing at the demons and monsters stirring in the darkness. The empire's long night seemed far from over.

"Investigate." Qin Ming's voice cut through the silence in the warm room. It was only one word, but it was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Ying Qi silently obeyed, merging into the shadows once more. The Emperor's cold command had already set his course: follow the clues and dig deep, not only to uncover the Hunxie Tribe's plot, but also to uncover the rat hiding within the walls of the Imperial Court, daring to collude with foreigners!