Full-time Creation Master

Wanyangdu!

The morning light streamed through the carved windows of the government office, illuminating the three open performance evaluation forms of officials on the long rosewood table.

Zhang Biyan sat upright at the desk, his dark blue official robe neatly fastened, and his jade belt tightly fastened at his waist.

His left hand rested on the assessment booklet, while his right hand gripped an extra-large capacity water-based pen, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Those distinctive turquoise eyes, sharp as an eagle's, swept across the names on the pages with an undeniable air of authority.

"Li Mingyuan, Director of the Qingzhou Magic Security Bureau, received a below-average rating in his initial assessment."

He was plagued by frequent psionic security incidents, his resource allocation was lagging, his subordinates' reports gave him low marks, and the public's opinion of him was generally lukewarm.

A mediocre talent who is neither greedy nor greedy!

How dare someone like that submit a promotion application?

He slammed his pen down heavily on the inkstone, splashing a small amount of ink. "Sir, cross out his name."

He's demoted one rank and transferred to the position of deputy director of the border psionic monitoring station, so he can see what true dedication looks like!

The official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, who was standing to the side, quickly responded, his brush trembling slightly.

Everyone knows that Prime Minister Zhang has just taken office and implemented an official performance evaluation system.

It's not the kind of thing where you just joke around, hand in two forms, and praise the glorious era.

It is a real constraint on officials!

The requirement was that the Ministry of Personnel should "only consider actual performance, not personal relationships."

Even if it's royalty, aristocratic families, or elders, they can still be suppressed if they fail the assessment.

The minor officials in the hall all lowered their heads and even held their breath.

"Zhang Xiang, please calm down."

A gentle voice broke the solemnity.

Wang Wenyan, holding a teacup, slowly walked to the long table. He was wearing a slightly loose casual outfit with his sleeves rolled up, and a friendly smile on his face.

Unlike Zhang Biyan's tense demeanor, his mere presence eased the atmosphere in the hall considerably.

"Although Mingyuan's performance evaluation is below average, your evaluation method has just been implemented, and senior, middle and junior staff are still in the adaptation stage."

"Not everyone can be as capable as you, Prime Minister Zhang!"

Wang Wenyan took a sip of tea, his tone sincere, without the slightest hint of pleading, "The Great Xia Dynasty has just been established, and there is already a shortage of grassroots spiritual energy security officers in Qingzhou."

He is mediocre!

But it won't cause any major problems!

Moreover, they are familiar with the local psionic nodes and the basic staff configuration, and a sudden transfer could easily disrupt the connection.

It would be better to wait until we have more manpower before transferring him!

He then changed the subject, aligning himself with Zhang Biyan's core assessment criteria: "Just a heads-up, this will be included in the next quarterly assessment, with the Ministry of Personnel sending a specialist to follow up and supervise."

This way, the authority of the assessment method is not undermined, grassroots order is maintained, and the implementation of new policies is smoother.

As he spoke, his eyes swept over the several clerks in the hall.

Seeing that they quietly breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't say anything more.

It is clear that they have grasped the right balance in "showing compassion for the grassroots".

It takes into account the needs of the middle and lower classes, and does not violate the principles of the new policy.

Wang Wenyan came from a humble background and understands the importance of grassroots connections, which is the key to his ability to build a network of connections among middle and lower-level people.

Zhang Biyan frowned slightly, tapped her fingertips lightly on the assessment booklet, and nodded after a moment of contemplation: "Okay."

If the observation period is still one month and the person still performs poorly, they will be removed immediately!

If the quarterly assessment still fails to meet the standards, the position will be downgraded directly without further discussion.

His tone remained firm, but he had clearly left room for cooperation: "Minister of Personnel, add this to the assessment notes and assign someone to follow up."

"Yes!" the official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel replied quickly.

Wang Wenyan smiled and replied, "Prime Minister Zhang is wise."

His words were very pleasing, and he showed no shame whatsoever for being a "sycophant" to his peers.

Just then, Gao Yucai strode in carrying a stack of official documents.

He was dressed in a trench coat, his beard and hair were neatly combed, and his face carried the calmness that comes with the passage of time. His aloofness remained, but he also had a touch of seriousness from being busy with official duties.

"Both prime ministers are here, it's a good opportunity for them to meet."

Gao Yucai placed the official document on the table and pushed it in front of the two men. "This is a summary of the assessment and appointment of graduates from Magic University and other universities across the country, as well as a list of outstanding graduates from the previous year's 800 million college students who are available for appointment!"

Furthermore, recent cases of "newly appointed officials failing to adapt" reported by judicial and supervisory departments directly align with Zhang Xiang's performance evaluation method.

When he mentioned "Magic University," his tone carried a natural concern rather than deliberate pride.

As a fellow prime minister, Gao Yucai was called Minister Gao (of the Ministry of Rites) by countless students, who were in charge of recommending students.

Zhang Biyan, who served as both Minister of Rites and Chancellor, held the power to promote, appoint, dismiss, and abolish all officials in the civil service system.

With his worldly wisdom and daring, he suppressed the civil officials of the entire Great Xia Dynasty using the performance evaluation system, making him the most prominent of the three!

Zhang Biyan immediately picked up the summary booklet and flipped through it. His blue eyes were still sharp, but with a touch more caution: "The core of the assessment method is 'actual performance'."

There may be some misunderstandings at the grassroots level, but the intentions are good and the execution is error-free, so it can be forgiven!

Some methods outside the rules can be tacitly accepted as long as they are examined honestly.

"Zhang Xiang is mistaken."

Gao Yucai immediately spoke, his tone carrying the stubbornness of a scholar, yet not lacking in restraint.

"Good intentions are fundamental, but 'extra-standard methods' should never be readily accepted."

For thousands of years, as long as the higher authorities dared to open this door, new officials would illegally use force to deal with people in order to meet their performance targets.

While it appears efficient, it has actually crossed the line of public order regulations.

He opened the case compilation in the official document and pointed to one of the pages: "You see, these more than ten cases have already caused dissatisfaction among merchants."

If not corrected in time, it could easily breed public resentment and become a hidden danger at the grassroots level.

The performance evaluation method requires actual results, but even more importantly, it requires compliant results.

Otherwise, the higher the efficiency, the greater the potential risks.

Zhang Biyan paused, looked down and re-examined the case, her green eyes darkening: "You're right, I didn't consider it carefully."

He did not stubbornly insist on his own opinion, nor did he expect Gao Yucai, the highest-ranking official in the judiciary, procuratorate, and court system, to agree to illegal acts.

He then turned to Wang Wenyan and asked, "What do you think about this?"

We must neither dampen the enthusiasm and efficiency of grassroots staff, nor compromise on compliance.

Wang Wenyan put down his teacup and slowly replied, "The issue of the high phase point is crucial."

When dealing with matters at the grassroots level, the biggest problem is prioritizing efficiency over compliance, which can easily lead to chaos over time.

In my opinion, it would be better to proceed in two steps: First, let Gao Xiang take the lead and select a group of law students to cooperate with judicial supervision to conduct a special training on "compliance and performance balance" for grassroots staff, and clarify the boundaries.

Secondly, in subsequent performance evaluations by the Ministry of Personnel, "compliance" will be included as a core indicator, with its weight split equally with actual performance, thereby guiding grassroots staff to abide by the rules from the root.

As for the efficiency issue, why not just bring the extra-rule methods into the rules?

Law enforcement officers need to conduct a thorough self-examination before and after any incident, acting solely out of a sense of public duty, without any concern for personal gain, career advancement, or fame.

"I agree with Prime Minister Wang's line of thinking."

Kao Yu-tsai responded immediately, "Universities can allocate manpower at any time, and I've asked the academic affairs office to rush out the training materials overnight."

As long as the Ministry of Personnel issues a document to coordinate with relevant departments in various regions, it can be rolled out within a week.

Promoting newcomers and consistently infiltrating the "veterans" is beneficial to all three of them!

Zhang Biyan nodded in agreement: "Let's do it this way. I'll have someone from the Ministry of Personnel take over."

In addition, I have an idea to discuss with you both regarding the appointment and removal of officials, especially the filling of vacancies at the grassroots level.

He picked up another assessment booklet: "Currently, there are more than 3,000 vacant positions at the county level and above reported from various places."

Among them are areas like Qingzhou and Suzhou, which are severely affected.

I've initially shortlisted a group of outstanding new recruits, but considering the transition to grassroots levels, I'd like to hear your opinions.

"..."

"That's natural," Gao Yucai replied. "I've already compiled a list of the 800 million college students graduating this year, categorized by their majors."

In subsequent appointments and removals, I will provide recommendations based on the job requirements to ensure a good fit between the person and the position.

However, there's something I need to tell you both.

Recently, many prominent families and former officials have been trying to find out about the list of appointments and removals through various channels.

They even sent people to me to pass on messages, hoping to place their own children in key positions.

I've seen all the candidates, and they are indeed promising young talents!

Moreover, his character is impeccable, and his stance is very firm!

They are even more loyal to His Majesty than many commoners!

Some clever ones asked me to assign their people to the most arduous but also most rewarding front lines.

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the government affairs office became slightly tense.

Zhang Biyan's face darkened, and he tapped his knuckles lightly on the table: "I've also received quite a bit of news."

These powerful families and former bureaucrats wanted to take advantage of the transitional period following the implementation of the performance evaluation system to install their cronies and relatives in power.

"It's not against regulations or laws, it's just disrupting our new policies."

"It's more than just exploiting loopholes."

Wang Wenyan's tone also became more serious. "From what I understand, there are still a few former bureaucrats making collusion in private."

They claim the performance evaluation method is "harsh on lower-level officials," hoping to incite some mid- to low-level officials to respond passively and thus pressure us to relax the evaluation standards.

Gao Yucai added, "They also put effort into student recommendations."

This year, the amount and number of donations to schools and the number of students sponsored have increased more than tenfold.

They are trying to attract university graduates and control the talent pool from its source.

But since it's a good thing that's being given away for free, we can't stop it!

"Hmph, wishful thinking." Zhang Biyan snorted coldly, her eyes sharp as knives. "The assessment method is the foundation of the new policies of the Great Xia Dynasty."

The rise of powerful clans can become a hidden danger to a dynasty.

We must not let them cause trouble.

He looked at the two men and said, "My idea is that the list of appointments and removals should be open and transparent."

The scions of prominent families gradually gathered together, forming independent teams to avoid influencing other teams.

"Qin Feng, Song Zhong and others' teams have always been mostly from aristocratic families!"

As long as the suppression remains intact and there is no betrayal, the composition of the legion can be discussed later.

Moreover, the fact that a portion of the scions of aristocratic families were drawn into the enforcement and confiscating teams reveals that, undeniably, their unwavering convictions and comfortable lives made them more resistant to temptation and more ruthless than those of ordinary commoners.

"That's a good idea," Wang Wenyan agreed. "Openness and transparency are the best shield. If the reputation verification is thorough, no one can say anything!"

"......"

The three reached a consensus again and each picked up the relevant official documents to start sorting out the details.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the three people in a warm glow on the documents on the long rosewood desk.

The three people in front of the case, though with different personalities and focuses, always worked in unison and with perfect understanding on the core issues of safeguarding the new policies of the Great Xia Dynasty and responding to internal and external challenges.

They may have different styles of doing things and different factions with different focuses.

However, at this crucial juncture when the Great Xia Dynasty was newly established and new policies were yet to be implemented.

This tacit understanding between Chu Ming and his ministers—a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject (the Great Xia Dynasty did not need to fight)—became the strongest foundation supporting the steady progress of the new policies.

The sunlight outside the window was soft, and the lights inside the government office had not yet been turned on, but a vibrant energy could already be felt, quietly spreading as the three worked together.