Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

Then Lingyan smiled and looked at Minister Zhou and said softly, "Minister Zhou, although I have some understanding of the specific affairs of the Ministry of Personnel, I would like to ask you to give me a detailed introduction so that I can better discuss related matters with you all."

Minister Zhou nodded slightly, then cleared his throat and began to speak slowly: "Your Highness, the Ministry of Personnel is an important department in our Great Zhao Kingdom that manages official affairs. Its responsibilities cover many aspects and are related to the integrity of the country's administration and the selection and appointment of talents. It bears great responsibility and is of extraordinary significance."

His voice was steady and powerful, carrying a sense of pride and reverence for his job.

"First of all, the Ministry of Personnel has a strict procedure for selecting officials. We recruit talented people from all over the country through various means such as the imperial examination and recommendation. The imperial examination is divided into the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination and the palace examination. Each level of examination is carefully organized to ensure that truly knowledgeable and talented people are selected. The provincial examination is held in various places to select outstanding candidates, who are then qualified to participate in the metropolitan examination."

"The provincial examination is a grand gathering of successful candidates from all over the country, held in the capital, and the competition is fierce. The palace examination is personally supervised by His Majesty to select the most outstanding talents to become the reserve force of our dynasty's officials. In addition, the recommendation system is also an important supplement to our talent selection. Officials in various places can recommend people with special talents or high moral character according to the actual situation."

"But in practice, we also face some challenges, such as how to ensure the fairness of the recommendation process and avoid nepotism."

As Minister Zhou spoke, he frowned slightly, clearly quite worried about these issues.

"Regarding the evaluation of officials, we have formulated detailed evaluation standards. Every year, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation of officials' performance, character, and abilities. The performance evaluation includes their achievements in areas such as taxation, public security, and livelihood projects during their tenure; the character evaluation focuses on officials' integrity, public service, and moral conduct; and the ability evaluation focuses on their ability to handle government affairs and their decision-making level. Based on the evaluation results, officials are rewarded, punished, or promoted."

"However, there are some problems in the current assessment process. Some officials may take short-sighted actions in pursuit of political achievements, neglecting the long-term development of the region. Moreover, the implementation of assessment standards is sometimes not strict enough, resulting in some incompetent officials remaining in office."

Minister Zhou's tone became somewhat heavy at this point, because he was well aware of the harm these issues posed to the Ministry of Personnel and even the entire country.

"Furthermore, the Ministry of Personnel is also responsible for the allocation and appointment of officials. Based on the actual needs of various regions and the abilities and characteristics of officials, it rationally arranges the positions of officials. This requires us to have a deep understanding of the situation of officials, while also taking into account regional differences and development needs."

"However, some difficulties may be encountered in the allocation process, such as officials' resistance to the allocation, and how to balance the interests of all parties to ensure that the allocation is fair and reasonable."

Minister Zhou shook his head helplessly; these issues had always been a difficult point in the Ministry of Personnel's work.

"In addition, the Ministry of Personnel is constantly working to improve the training and education system for officials. We regularly organize training for officials to enhance their professional skills and overall quality. The training content includes various aspects such as laws and regulations, administrative management, agriculture and water conservancy, in order to meet the needs of different positions. However, the effectiveness of the training still needs to be further improved. Some officials do not pay enough attention to the training and their enthusiasm for participation is not high."

A hint of anxiety was evident in Minister Zhou's eyes, for he was well aware of the importance of improving the quality of officials for national governance.

Lingyan listened attentively to Minister Zhou's introduction, nodding slightly from time to time.

After he finished speaking, Lingyan pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "Minister Zhou, I have already thought of a strategy to deal with the problems facing the Ministry of Personnel."

Upon hearing Lingyan's words, Minister Zhou's eyes flashed with surprise and anticipation.

He immediately straightened up, looking intently at Ling Yan, his face filled with a mixture of respect and eagerness.

He then leaned forward slightly and clasped his hands together in front of his chest.

With a mix of excitement and sincerity, he said, “Your Highness is wise and insightful. It is a great blessing for the Ministry of Personnel and for the Great Zhao Dynasty to devise a solution so quickly! I am willing to listen attentively to Your Highness’s wise advice and will do my utmost to cooperate with you to implement these strategies. I will dedicate myself to solving the problems of the Ministry of Personnel and to ensuring a clean and efficient administration for the country.”

Minister Zhou's eyes revealed his deep trust in Lingyan and his firm determination to reform.

It was as if one could already see the glimmer of hope that the Ministry of Personnel, under the guidance of the Lingyan Pavilion, would move towards a new era of glory.

His body trembled slightly, a sign that he could not contain his excitement.

At this moment, he was like a traveler who had been groping in the dark for a long time, finally seeing the bright ray of light that guided his way.

Looking at Minister Zhou's expectant and determined expression, Ling Yan nodded slightly, a gentle yet firm smile appearing on her face.

She gently raised her hand, signaling Minister Zhou to calm down, and then slowly said, "Minister Zhou, you flatter me. I know that the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel are of great importance, concerning the foundation of the country and the well-being of the people, and I will do my utmost."

Lingyan then began to elaborate on her solution: "First, regarding the selection of officials, the imperial examination is an important way for the country to select talents. We need to further optimize it. In terms of examination content, in addition to traditional knowledge such as classics and history, we should increase the weight of the examination on current affairs and policy."

"By asking candidates to offer their insights and solutions to current national challenges, such as water conservancy construction, disaster response, and border defense, we can select talents who possess both profound knowledge and practical problem-solving abilities."

Ling Yan's gaze was firm, her speech was moderate, and she clearly expressed her views.

Minister Zhou nodded repeatedly, his eyes gleaming with approval, and replied, "Your Highness's suggestion is excellent. Essays on current affairs can indeed test the candidates' practical abilities. In the past, the imperial examinations focused on memorization of knowledge. Now, by adding this part, the court will surely be able to select more practical talents."

After listening, Lingyan nodded and continued, "At the same time, the recommendation system should be strictly regulated. The recommender must explain in detail the candidate's talents and moral character, and attach relevant supporting materials. Moreover, a mechanism for tracing responsibility for recommendations should be established. If the candidate commits serious dereliction of duty or illegal or unethical behavior after taking office, the recommender shall bear corresponding joint liability."

"In addition, a special recommendation review group was established, composed of experienced, upright and impartial officials from the Ministry of Personnel, to conduct a comprehensive review of the recommended candidates to ensure their authenticity and reliability."

Upon hearing this, Minister Zhou's expression turned solemn. After a moment of thought, he said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. The standardization of the recommendation system is of utmost importance. In the past, there may have been oversights in the recommendation process, which allowed some incompetent people to infiltrate the officialdom. Now that we have such strict measures, we will definitely improve the quality of recommendations. I will immediately set about arranging the formation of a recommendation review team to ensure that every recommended person can withstand rigorous scrutiny."