Empress: Your Majesty, please respect yourself, I don't want to be promoted

Soon, after she introduced the arrangement of Xuanji Guard clearly, she explained the difficult problem mentioned yesterday.

"The Great Xia has lasted for thousands of years, and there are more than ten thousand clans in the world, spread across 75 provinces in the three capitals. The Xuanji Guards have been expanded twice and now only have more than a thousand people. Although the funds provided by His Majesty are quite generous, the manpower of the Xuanji Guards is basically It cannot meet such a huge demand for manpower, and now we can barely maintain the supervision of twelve provinces, and it is difficult to continue to advance..."

Hearing this, Lu Chen suddenly understood.

Still old problem.

too few people.

Daxia is a vast country, ten times larger than the third-largest country in the world before he crossed over. A thousand elites drawn from the Xuanwu Guards faced such a large land area and vast provincial area. , it is simply not enough to fill the gaps between teeth.

Moreover, it is very difficult to expand the number of top elites like Xuan Jiwei who are all highly skilled. If they try to make up for the loss, it will most likely have the opposite effect.

Not to mention anything else, just family background and loyalty can turn away many people.

Lu Chen held his chin and thought.

"if it is like this."

After a while, his vision gradually returned to clarity.

"Then concentrate the manpower in one place and only set up guard posts in each provincial office."

Hearing this, Fu Huan frowned inexplicably.

"If this is the case... I'm afraid it will be difficult to play a thorough supervisory role. After all... Xuanji Guards are responsible for far more than just restructuring, but also..."

Having said this, she hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice: "Huaiyu, what you are pursuing is long-term peace and stability. In this case, the policy strategy must consider the long term, and whether it is the Xuanji Guard or the Xuanwu Guard, Essentially, they are all members of the Holy Realm and are not affiliated with the Great Xia court."

"The Holy Land cannot always be the support of the imperial court."

The king of the special kingdom of Holy Land has never been hereditary, but is chosen by the Holy Relics themselves.

Therefore, no matter how close the relationship between the Cangming Holy King and the Empress is in this generation, everything will return to the original point.

By that time, Xuanji Guards will no longer be Xuanji Guards.

No matter how reliable and trustworthy the Xuanji Guards are today, even if only one local guard post can supervise the entire province, it is nothing more than a mirror.

Facing Fu Hua's reminder, Lu Chen's expression remained extremely calm.

"I know."

He said calmly: "From the beginning, I had no intention of relying on the power of the Xuanji Guards for a long time. As long as they can help the court open up the situation, it is enough."

Chapter 207 Restructuring

Lu Chen looked at Fu Hua and asked softly: "Liangyu, when I was in Yuzhou before, you often visited various counties in Yuzhou with me. With your talent, you should know a lot about the operation of the grassroots government agencies of our Great Xia Dynasty. Is it almost done?"

Fu Ye nodded.

"Basically."

Although Fu Hua and Gu Simiao are both strong in the Guiyi Realm and hold high positions at a young age, they are still very different in nature.

Gu Simiao was proficient in martial arts and was a talented commander, but Fu Hua was a practitioner of both holy and martial arts and was not a pure martial artist.

When she was in the Holy Realm, she was not only the commander of the Xuanwu Guards, but sometimes she also assisted the Holy King Cangming in handling government affairs. She was a true all-rounder in both civil and military affairs. Therefore, when she was accompanying Lu Chen in Yuzhou, She learned much more from Lu Chen's unique way of governing than Fang Yu's half-baked disciples.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Then you should know that in a county with a radius of more than two hundred miles, almost all the civil affairs power lies in the hands of the county magistrate."

Fu Hua nodded again.

There's nothing incomprehensible about it.

Although the county magistrate is only a seventh-rank sesame official, in terms of locality, his power is frightening. The sky is high and the emperor is far away, and he can even be called a local emperor.

But this kind of thing has been like this for thousands of years, and she didn't think there was anything unusual about it.

Gu Simiao glanced at Lu Chen, and said softly, "Huaiyu, is there any problem with this?"

"Of course there are problems."

Lu Chen said without hesitation.

Fu Hua asked subconsciously: "You mean..."

Lu Chen shook his head and said calmly: "The local county magistrate has too much power, which is never a good thing for the local people or the court."

Hearing this, the two of them couldn't help but be startled, and then they frowned at the same time, with a look of confusion on their faces.

"Why do you say that?"

Lu Chen naturally knew that many of the concepts he took for granted did not exist among the original inhabitants of Central Continent who were similar to the ancients in his concept.

So he patiently explained: "In our Daxia Dynasty, the official rank of the county magistrate was only seventh grade, but he had the powers of punishment, prison litigation, public security, tax collection, corvee, education, etc. The political power itself, to put it bluntly, was legislation, There are three powers: executive and judicial. In addition to having no legislative power, today’s county magistrates have administrative and judicial powers firmly in their hands.”

"Although the county magistrate does not have the power to legislate, he does have the power to interpret laws. Sometimes he can interpret the laws issued by the court according to his own needs to achieve a certain purpose."

Having said that, he sighed inexplicably.

"In a county, the affairs of hundreds of thousands of people are all decided by the county magistrate with one word. Life and death are taken away. With such power in hand, thousands of well-beings are tied to one body. The future of many people depends on one thought. There is a risk. How huge.”

Hearing this, Fu Hua suddenly fell into deep thought, and even Gu Simiao began to think seriously.

As the former governor of Huangzhou, her main duty was to defend the enemy from outside. Therefore, although she held military and political power, she did not interfere much in the civil affairs of Huangzhou. She just let the county governments go according to her past experience. Autonomy, as long as local officials can complete designated goals and tasks.

So Lu Chen's words were quite surprising to her.

Although she was a warrior, she was not just a general, but a general. She was quite interested in Lu Chen's novel remarks.

Moreover, even if she was not interested before, now she still wants to try to touch upon the way of saving the world that Lu Chen majored in.

At this time, Lu Chen said again: "At the same time, because my Daxia selects monks by cultivators, many monks are dedicated to proving the Tao and ascending, and they only care about cultivating. They don't have the people in their hearts, so how can they talk about governing the country and the people? Like Master Xia Yan There are not many people in the whole of Daxia who care about the people like this."

As soon as these words came out, Fu Hua and Gu Simiao couldn't help but look a little weird.

They are also cultivators, seeking immortality and proving the way...it's a matter of course...

However, after what Lu Chen said, a strange feeling slowly emerged in their hearts.

Lu Chen's meaning is very clear. Cultivators, or monks who are dedicated to enlightenment and ascension, are not suitable to be officials.

After all, serving as an official brings benefit to one party. If the county magistrate, who is concerned about the welfare of all people and has great responsibilities, only has cultivation in mind, he will not care about the life and death of the people, and naturally there will be no talk of prosperity and development.

Even if such an official does not commit corruption, abuse the people, or collude with others, he is of little use to the court, and is of no benefit to the people.

The imperial court gave you a salary and power to serve as an official because it expected you to manage the place well. After all, the emperor's salary is the only thing that worries the emperor. But in the end, you don't do anything, and you still occupy the manhole and don't shit. How can this be a good thing? ?

Thinking of this, the two of them frowned almost at the same time, and then looked at Lu Chen worriedly.

Lu Chen's words... Although there is nothing wrong with what he said, but... as a court official, it is not very good to question the national policy of the Great Xia Dynasty...

Of course, they are not against Lu Chen's remarks, but...such words are not suitable for too many people to hear, at least not for too many people now. After all...this is a national policy that has lasted for thousands of years, but it is related to the world's sect. It is a matter of great importance for the interests of the family, the aristocratic family, the wealthy family, and the gentry...

If so many people are touched, not everyone can bear the torrent in this world.

I'm afraid even the Holy King Cangming would have to think twice before doing this kind of thing. How can Lu Chen, with his small body, handle it?

click...

The small hands under the sleeves of Fu Yu and Gu Simiao suddenly let out an imperceptible crisp sound.

Then the two looked at each other, and each could see the special meaning in the other's eyes.

Under the rare tacit understanding, everything is silent.

Lu Chen naturally didn't know what the two of them were thinking at this time.

After saying so much, he felt his mouth was a little dry, so he picked up the tea on the table and took a big sip.

"Besides..."

After drinking the tea in the cup, Lu Chen continued: "The study of sages is Chinese studies. What most monks practice is the way of sages, and most of them specialize in this, and also study things such as mathematics. There are very few so-called Taoists who rely solely on the words of saints and sages to govern a place. It is a joke to say that half-step sages can rule the world!"

Speaking of this, a flash of disdain quietly flashed in his eyes.

"The teachings of sages teach about etiquette, justice and integrity, and about loyalty to the emperor and serving the country. They are all general principles. They do not teach at all how to settle accounts, how to control floods, how to judge cases..."

"If you don't understand anything, you will be easily deceived. It's fine if ordinary people are like this, but if a dignified county official is like this, it is equivalent to harming the people. If something happens, he may seem innocent, but in fact he is an unforgivable crime!"

As soon as these words came out, Fu Hua and Gu Simiao's expressions changed slightly at the same time.

After a while, Fu Hua silently picked up the teapot and poured Lu Chen a cup of tea.

"Huaiyu, the biggest problem facing Xuanji Guards now is the serious lack of manpower and the inability to effectively supervise various places."

After putting down the teapot, she raised her head slightly, looked into Lu Chen's eyes, and asked softly: "Huaiyu, what you just said is shocking, but...it doesn't seem to have anything to do with this matter, right?"

As if he didn't want Lu Chen to talk about these very sensitive topics for Daxia Dynasty anymore, Fu Huan's way of speaking was a bit direct.

"The problems are all the same."

Lu Chen leaned back slightly, leaned comfortably on the soft back of the chair, and said with a relaxed expression:

"If the problem of local government inaction is solved, the problems encountered by Xuanji Guard will naturally be solved."

Hearing this, Gu Simiao couldn't help but asked curiously: "So... Huaiyu, how do you plan to change this situation?"

"It's simple."

Lu Chen smiled slightly.

"Decentralization is enough."

Chapter 208 Sour

"Decentralization?"

As soon as Lu Chen said these words, Fu Hua and Gu Simiao were instinctively surprised at the same time.

"That's right, it's decentralization."

Lu Chen supported his chin with one hand and rested his elbow on the armrest. He said with a very relaxed expression: "Since the concentration of power in one monk has so many disadvantages, it must be separated, at least administrative power and judicial power. Separate and functioning independently.”

In fact, in order to fundamentally solve the problem, it is best to reverse the universal concept of "all religions are ignored and only respect the sages", and to cancel the preferential treatment policies for monks such as tax exemption.

Although there is nothing wrong with the way of sages, after all, those who can become sages are great beings. Naturally, the knowledge and doctrines they left behind cannot be useless, otherwise they would not become the orthodox Chinese studies of many dynasties and be highly praised by all dynasties. The emperor paid attention to it.

At least at the macro level, the sages' studies laid the foundation for the great unification of the Central Continent dynasties, unlike Xizhou, which had less than [-]% of Central Continent's land area but was dotted with countless political powers, forming a mosaic throughout.

However, the teachings of sages are not perfect, and there is no perfect theory in this world. No matter what kind of theory, it must have its limitations.

This sage's way is fine for building a foundation, but it is useless when it comes to governing a country and doing things.