At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

'Is the Emperor planning to attack the Southern Army?'

'Are they still planning to target the Yu Du Magistrate's residence?'

Shao Bing wasn't the only one who was surprised and suspicious.

Upon hearing this, Liu Chen's eyes darted around. He glanced at Shao Bing, then at the Emperor, and began to ponder in his heart.

Given the current political landscape, the spread of the emperor's authority is an unstoppable trend.

The key point is that in the previous struggles and conflicts, the Ministry of Revenue and the Six Doors were taken down one after another, as was the case in Gyeonggi Province. Moreover, in that competition, it was inevitable that a group of people would seize power.

But Liu Chen found it strange that the emperor would mobilize the southern army.

After all, the Northern Army led by Han Qing had been completely wiped out, and more importantly, Han Qing was very obedient. Under such circumstances, it would be a losing proposition to rashly attack the Southern Army.

But if the intention wasn't to target the Southern Army, then the Yudu Magistrate's Office would have been even less necessary.

Liu Chen knew a thing or two about what kind of person Shao Bing was.

He has the ability, but the key issue is that he's a loyal but isolated official.

Having someone like this in the position of Yudu Commander is clearly much better than replacing him with someone else.

"I dare to say that the power of the Northern and Southern armies in Yudu is too great!"

While Liu Chen was pondering, Shao Bing composed himself, bowed solemnly, and said, "Although the two armies, one responsible for the inner city of Yudu and the other for the outer city, both restrain and deter the two armies, it prevents those with ulterior motives from taking advantage of the situation to do things that are detrimental to the country."

"However, the northern and southern armies are responsible for various duties such as guarding the garrison, inspecting the city gates, arresting thieves, enforcing prohibitions and patrolling at night, and so on. Some of these duties overlap with those of the Yudu Lingfu, which inevitably leads to some unnecessary incidents."

You really dare to say that.

Liu Chen stared at Shao Bing in surprise and suspicion. If you asked him to say this, he would never say it even if you killed him, because it involved far too many things.

"Let's not talk about anything else."

Shao Bing continued, "Take the influence of the central government, especially the case of the embezzlement of the armory and granary. The situation inside and outside Yudu has deteriorated rapidly. Countless treacherous officials want to profit from this, and then spread all kinds of rumors to stir up panic in Yudu."

"If the powers of arrest and inspection can be unified and a dedicated person is assigned from the Yudu Magistrate's Office, then I think there won't be so many people taking advantage of this loophole."

"But in reality, in order to resolve these matters, I need to first submit a memorial to the emperor, and then, in my capacity as the magistrate of Yudu, go to the military posts in the north and south to coordinate the troop strength with Han Qing and Xu Hui, so as to increase the patrol and arrest efforts of the various wards inside and outside the city."

"If things ended there, it would be fine. However, the people sent by the Northern and Southern armies are responsible for different areas and have different duties. The key issue is that the people from my Yudu Prefecture do not have direct authority over them. This means that any situation that arises during this period will inevitably lead to chaos..."

It seems that the position of Yudu Magistrate that my grandmother chose for me is truly excellent.

Chu Ling, standing with his hands behind his back, listened to Shao Bing's story and felt a sense of relief. He had come to the Yu Du Ling Mansion today not for any other reason than to see what kind of person Shao Bing was.

If possible, it would be best to let him handle some things.

If it's not good, then find someone else to solve it.

"In your opinion, it would be best if the powers of apprehending thieves, enforcing prohibitions, patrolling at night, and conducting inspections, which are subordinate to the Northern and Southern armies, could be separated?"

Thinking of this, Chu Ling looked at Shao Bing and said.

"!!"

Shao Bing's breathing became noticeably rapid.

He had considered this idea, but it involved far too much. If he were to act rashly without clear instructions, he would not only offend people, but more importantly, there was no guarantee of success.

But after hearing what the Emperor said, Shao Bing felt that this was a possibility.

"Your subject dares to offer this advice!"

Thinking of this, Shao Bing bowed and said, "For the sake of the stability of the central government, for the stability of Yudu, and for the sake of the Northern and Southern Armies, I believe that the powers of the Northern and Southern Armies to apprehend thieves, enforce prohibitions, patrol at night, and conduct inspections should be separated, and some powers should be transferred to the Yudu Magistrate's Office and some powers should be transferred to the relevant departments. This is the most foolproof plan."

The North and South armies have too much authority. Although the two armies are meant to check and balance each other, inconsistencies in coordination are inevitable when faced with certain special circumstances.

If someone with ulterior motives were to exploit this loophole, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In Shao Bing's view, the North and South armies should do what they should do, and not get involved in anything else.

"I think the task of apprehending thieves can be merged with the constables under the jurisdiction of the Yudu Magistrate's Office, and a patrol battalion can be set up under the Yudu Magistrate's Office," Chu Ling said calmly, looking at Shao Bing.

"Given the large number of neighborhoods inside and outside Yudu, five city patrol battalions can be set up under the directly administered patrol battalion to manage matters such as apprehending thieves in their respective jurisdictions. For example, if a murder occurs, it can also be handled by the patrol battalion. This will solve the problem more efficiently."

"Of course, under the Five City Patrol Battalion, patrol teams can also be set up in each ward. This way, the responsibilities will be clear. It would be best if the patrol teams could handle the issues that arise in each ward. If they cannot handle them, they should report to the patrol battalion under their jurisdiction. And for bigger issues, they should be handled by the directly subordinate patrol battalion."

"Your Majesty is wise!!"

Upon hearing this, Shao Bing immediately exclaimed excitedly, "If that's really the case, then any case that arises in the various neighborhoods inside and outside Yudu can be resolved immediately."

What Chu Ling said was essentially a process of centralizing and then decentralizing the power of arrests. In the future, any matters related to arrests that occur in the various neighborhoods inside and outside Yudu will be dealt with immediately.

Of course, this would require recruiting a lot of people to fill positions at all levels of the police force.

However, this was not a difficult task for Chu Ling.

The current Northern Army, formerly the army that quelled the rebellion, has many disabled soldiers, missing limbs, or even blind in one eye. It wouldn't be difficult to put them here to deal with petty thieves or even notorious bandits who have committed murder.

Furthermore, Chu Ling also planned to select a group of honest and reliable people from the Imperial Guard and have them supplement the patrols at all levels in Yudu.

Not everyone is suited to be a soldier.

Even within the Imperial Guard, it was the same.

"As for the powers of prohibiting night patrols and inspections, I think your suggestion is correct. It is indeed better to entrust these powers to the relevant officials." Chu Ling smiled and spoke his mind.

"I think the Imperial Guard Temple is quite good."

"Ok?"

Shao Bing frowned and looked at Liu Chen.

"Your Majesty! This won't do!"

Liu Chen, who was watching the show, became agitated and said, "The Imperial Guard is in charge of military equipment, ceremonial items, tents, and also the armory and granaries. If they really take over these areas, I'm afraid there will be trouble."

"Then hand over the authority over the armory and granary."

Chu Ling replied without hesitation: "The Military Commandery will be established under the Imperial Guard, with authority to enforce the prohibition, patrol, and other duties. The Military Commandery will be further divided into the Five City Military Commands, which will be responsible for all matters inside and outside Yudu."

"As for the establishment of the Five Cities Military Command, this can be discussed. In the future, if any matters affecting order occur in Yudu and the Yudu Magistrate's Office cannot resolve them, the Imperial Guards Office will step in to resolve them."

This joke has gone too far.

Liu Chen was incredibly nervous, but upon hearing what the emperor said, he dared not say a word, for he knew all too well why the emperor had done this.

This is the power to divide the Yudu Commandery and the Northern and Southern Armies.

This is equivalent to establishing a hierarchical system inside and outside Yudu. For petty theft, even murder, as long as it doesn't cause a stir in Yudu, it's all handled by the patrol camp. If it affects the stability of Yudu, it falls under the jurisdiction of the military command. If it really gets to the point that the military command can't handle it, then it's not too late to alarm the northern and southern armies.

This was definitely a good tactic, but it ended up getting Liu Chen into trouble.

'He really is the Emperor's elder brother.'

Seeing Liu Chen's actions, Chu Hui's lips curled into a slight smile. 'This is tantamount to putting Liu Chen on the hot seat, but it also strengthens the authority of the Imperial Guard, while simultaneously serving as a check and balance, a truly masterful move.'

'The key is that those who can enter the Military Command are absolutely loyal to the Emperor. This means that in addition to the Northern and Southern Armies, Yudu now has another Military Command—brilliant, truly brilliant!'

Chu Ling is always meticulous in his work.

Now that he has gained an initial advantage, he must further consolidate it.

In Chu Ling's view, the newly established Military Police Division was actually just an armed police force; it was just that the name Military Police Division was more acceptable in this era.

If the military is not needed, it should not be used lightly, otherwise it may lead to interference in politics, which is not good for the overall situation.

Similarly, in Chu Ling's view, the division of the North and South armies into the inner and outer city defenses should be changed in the future. The garrison forces of Yudu should be unified, while the North and South armies should be moved outside Yudu as the absolute elite directly under the central government. This way, they can check and deter each other, and at the same time, the central government can control a sizable elite force. This will not only deter the local areas, but also ensure that the central government can mobilize a large army in case of emergencies.

"You two ministers should promptly write a memorial to the Emperor regarding what I have said."

Thinking of this, Chu Ling looked at Shao Bing and Liu Chen and said, "I will review it after I have seen it. I will provide you with all the necessary manpower."

"The minister obeys the order."

Shao Bing immediately bowed and said.

"I...obey your order."

Liu Chen bowed with a complicated expression.

……

Finished at midnight. Please give me a five-star review and urge me to update!