My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 430 Building a Platform from Soil: The Crown Prince's Reforms

In Li Chengqian's view, the most useful group of remonstrance officials was to supervise all officials, which is similar to the later Imperial Censorate.

After Wei Zheng left with the Crown Prince's wishes, the group of remonstrating officials stopped making trouble, and there was nothing worth making trouble about anyway.

According to the Crown Prince's next plan, although they lost the power to advise the monarch, they gained the power to supervise all officials.

Comparatively speaking, this power is the most tangible. You know, advising a monarch is hard work. Everyone knows that honest advice is hard to swallow. If you encounter an easy-going emperor, it's fine, but if you encounter a difficult one, you can easily be thrown into prison.

In other respects, the government office was actually considered an honest and upright one, with little to no personal gain, only a good reputation.

When one enters officialdom, who wouldn't want to wield great power?

However, only a minority of people hold real power; most people still want a little bit of power.

Not everyone is Wei Zheng, and besides, Wei Zheng himself wasn't poor; he just liked to pretend to be poor.

The remonstrating officials were naturally quite satisfied, and even those with stubborn ideas dared not oppose the Crown Prince.

With the remonstrance officials remaining silent, the court officials naturally began to draft regulations for adding officials, as previously requested by the crown prince.

The addition of officials, to put it bluntly, is a reform of the system. Li Chengqian may not have said it, but officials with ideas can naturally understand it.

If you can't grasp it, it means you lack talent and your ideological awareness is too low.

However, to be fair, Li Chengqian didn't actually expect them to come up with any good regulations.

After all, there have been ideas about reforming the system for some time now.

The number of documents piling up in the Eastern Palace was increasing, and Li Chengqian only glanced at most of them briefly.

Some of the suggestions were quite good, but they were somewhat one-sided.

Given the limitations of the times, it's quite remarkable that they have this much insight.

Among them, the most innovative proposal was the one submitted by Fang Xuanling.

The overall approach is already very similar to Li Chengqian's. The fact that Fang Xuanling was able to write to this level is largely due to his high position.

After all, having managed state affairs for so many years, he naturally has many ideas.

East Palace.

Standing before the map, as Li Chengqian traced the densely packed county and prefecture markings with his fingertips, what came to mind was the clear outline of the modern administrative system of later generations.

As a time traveler from the information explosion era, he knew that although the "prefecture-county system" had been used for thousands of years, its ambiguous hierarchy and mixed powers and responsibilities harbored countless breeding grounds for inefficiency and corruption.

What he needs to do now is to graft a system of officials onto the framework of the Tang Dynasty that can take root in the local context and also incorporate modern elements.

He firmly established the foundation of this reform on the two administrative units at the "county" and "prefecture" levels, which are closest to people's livelihoods.

In his vision, each county should establish "Six Ministries of the County," corresponding to the functions of the Six Ministries of the Imperial Court.

The county's Ministry of Personnel was responsible for the assessment, appointment, dismissal, and salary of officials within the county. The county's Ministry of Revenue was in charge of land tax, population, and granaries.

The county's Ministry of Rites was responsible for sacrificial rites, education, and the imperial examinations. The county's Ministry of War was in charge of public security, post stations, and corvée labor within the county.

The county's Ministry of Justice was in charge of criminal cases, litigation, and theft enforcement. The county's Ministry of Works was responsible for water conservancy, roads, and city defense repairs.

The county magistrate is no longer the "patriarch" who manages everything within the county, but rather the "county head" who oversees the overall situation.

The county magistrate was appointed to assist him, and he was further divided into six departments. The tasks that were previously handled by a few people, such as the county magistrate, county lieutenant, and registrar, were broken down into more than twenty specific positions, so that every junior official was clear about the boundaries of his authority and responsibilities.

Those who collect taxes need not concern themselves with judging cases, and those who repair bridges need not concern themselves with moral education; each should perform their duties and bear their responsibilities.

Moving up to the prefectural level, the "Six Ministries of the Prefecture" were established in a similar manner.

The Ministry of Personnel was responsible not only for managing officials under the prefecture, but also for supervising the performance evaluation of officials in the counties under its jurisdiction.

The State Revenue Department was required to compile the tax revenues of each county, verify the accounts, and submit a report to higher authorities.

The state criminal department is to review difficult cases in various counties and supervise major cases.

The State Works Department is responsible for coordinating large-scale projects within its jurisdiction, such as dredging inter-county rivers and laying official roads.

As the highest official of a prefecture, the prefectural governor's duties leaned more towards coordination and supervision, ensuring the uniformity of government orders across counties, while also reporting the situation within the prefecture up the chain of command to the circuit level, and then from the circuit to the six ministries of the imperial court.

The brilliance of this system lies in the fact that it not only retains the basic framework of the Tang Dynasty's "court-province-state-county" system, but also refines and solidifies the power chain through the "six ministries".

Like a big tree, the roots are the emperor, the trunk is the six ministries of the imperial court, the main branches are the prefectures, the side branches are the counties, and the newly appointed officials are the veins that spread throughout the branches and leaves, transporting nutrients (government orders and resources) from the roots to every leaf and the people, and feeding back the situation at the grassroots level to the root system.

In order to implement this system, Li Chengqian had to break the old practice of having "too few officials and too many clerks".

He plans to increase the number of officials nationwide from the current 10,000 to 50,000 over the next three years through methods such as expanding the number of candidates through the imperial examination, improving the performance evaluation and promotion of officials, and diverting the sons of noble families.

The county-level six ministries were staffed with four levels: chief, deputy, principal, and clerk. The prefectural-level six ministries added two more levels: assistant director and director. The circuit and the imperial court further refined their departments and bureaus on the existing basis to ensure that each level had enough manpower to handle specific tasks.

This is by no means a simple 'increase in the number of officials,' but a reshaping of the power structure.

In the past, local officials often held multiple positions in civil affairs, military affairs, and the judiciary, making it easy for them to form separatist forces.

Nowadays, the county military department has no authority to mobilize troops and must be controlled by the prefectural military command. The prefectural military command is under the dual jurisdiction of the twelve guards of the imperial court and the Ministry of War, thus completely severing the direct connection between local officials and military power.

The county criminal justice department had to base its judgments on the "Yonghui Code" promulgated by the imperial court. Major cases required review by the prefectural criminal justice department, and death sentences required approval from the imperial criminal justice department. Judicial power was tightened at each level. Even the most basic tax collection required county-level household registration, prefectural-level household registration review, provincial transport commissioner supervision, and imperial household registration verification. This interconnected process reduced opportunities for corruption through institutional reforms.

At the top of this system has always been the emperor.

Through the hierarchical transmission of power from county to prefecture to circuit to the imperial court, power converged into the imperial power like rivers flowing into the sea, yet the division of labor among the six departments prevented the emperor from being overwhelmed by trivial matters.

Like the central government in later generations, it holds the highest decision-making power but does not need to get involved in the execution of specific affairs.

What Li Chengqian wanted was not to be a "workaholic emperor" who did everything himself, but to build a self-sustaining, efficient, and precise administrative machine. In fact, at this point, after the power structure was reorganized, the power of the prime minister was significantly weakened, and the change in power achieved the goal of reducing the prime minister's power.

If the court previously needed to rely on Fang Xuanling to manage state affairs, now that this system has been implemented, the power to manage state affairs is no longer necessary.

Of course, all of this had to be wrapped up under the guise of the Tang Dynasty.

Officials in the six departments of the county were still called clerks, and the heads of the six departments of the prefecture were still officials within the system.

The subjects for the imperial examinations were still mainly classical texts, but "miscellaneous subjects" such as mathematics, engineering, and law were quietly added.

Li Chengqian wouldn't create titles like "high-ranking official" or "mayor" out of thin air, but he used the old titles of "prefect" and "county magistrate" to put the new concept of "hierarchical management and clear responsibilities" into the old ones.

When Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji received this reform blueprint, they saw a dense array of official regulations, assessment rules, and lists of powers and responsibilities, but they might not have been able to see through the "modern soul" hidden within.

All they knew was that the Crown Prince wanted a more obedient, efficient, and controllable bureaucratic system—which precisely met the ultimate need for consolidating imperial power.

This reform is destined to proceed amidst skepticism and growing pains.

The conservatives would criticize the "redundant officials who drain the country's resources," and the nobles would resent the "cutting off of their access to the country's resources," but Li Chengqian was well aware that he was paving a path to the future for this vast empire.

This track may be full of thorns, but it will allow the Tang Dynasty to travel further on a smoother road.

At least, it can avoid the historical traps of collapse caused by the loss of control over power.

Imperial City Government Offices.

After Li Chengqian finished writing the document on reforming officials, he had the eunuch Wen Zhong deliver it to Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji for discussion.

Inside the meeting room, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, yet it could not dispel the somber atmosphere.

Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji sat facing each other, with Li Chengqian's reform plan spread out in front of them. The thick dossier was piled up like a small mountain, and every page was filled with tiny characters, densely packed yet clearly written.

They knew that this was a charter that the Crown Prince had spent more than half a month writing.

After reading it, the two remained silent for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The first to break the silence was Fang Xuanling. He picked up the top scroll, "County System Reform," and his fingers trembled slightly as he stroked the paper: "Fuji, have you... have you ever seen such detailed regulations?"

Changsun Wuji did not answer, but simply looked away from the file on "the division of powers and responsibilities of the six ministries of the state", picked up his teacup but forgot to drink it, and let the tea get cold.

His younger brother, Changsun Shunde, who had practiced medicine for many years, once told him that the meridians in the human body are extremely delicate, and even the slightest mistake could lead to death.

The regulations before me are more complex than the meridians of the human body, yet they are all interconnected and fit together perfectly.

“Look here.” Fang Xuanling pointed to the “County Personnel Department Performance Evaluation Regulations”. “For officials below the county magistrate level, the monthly performance evaluation must include four items: ‘Encouraging agriculture and sericulture,’ ‘Accusing lawsuits,’ ‘Repairing water conservancy,’ and ‘Catching thieves.’ Each item is divided into three grades: superior, middle, and inferior. The evaluation is reviewed by the state personnel department and summarized at the end of the year and submitted to the imperial personnel department.”

"This is not a performance evaluation; it is clearly putting a rein on every official, and every move they make is being calculated."

Changsun Wuji finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse: "It's not just about performance evaluation. Look at the county's Ministry of Revenue's 'tax collection and management process.' From the village head's registration and the county magistrate's review, to the prefectural Ministry of Revenue's random inspection and the circuit transport commissioner's supervision, and finally the imperial Ministry of Revenue's verification, there are a total of seven checkpoints. Each checkpoint requires filing, signatures, and fingerprints. Even when Emperor Yang of Sui built the Grand Canal, the accounting records weren't this strict."

He picked up another volume, "The Hierarchy of Judicial Power," and his brows furrowed: "The county criminal department can only sentence three crimes: flogging, caning, and penal servitude. Exile must be reported to the prefectural criminal department, while death sentences must be tried jointly by the three departments of the imperial court: the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate. This strips local judicial power completely, leaving no room for maneuver."

Fang Xuanling sighed and turned to the "Official Selection" section of the file: "The most astonishing thing is this. The imperial examinations are divided into the 'Classical Studies' and the 'Practical Affairs' sections. The Practical Affairs section tests mathematics, engineering, law, and agriculture. Those who pass are directly appointed as principal officers in the six ministries of the county."

“Currently, any official who has served for five years without committing any wrongdoing can participate in the ‘official-to-civilian’ assessment. Those who pass will be promoted to a regular official position. This is to completely break the old practice of ‘officials being noble and officials being lowly’.”

Changsun Wuji put down his teacup: "Lord Xuanling, do you think this was something the Crown Prince could have come up with alone?"

Fang Xuanling looked up at him, his eyes full of confusion: "Otherwise what? The wording and thinking in the plan reveal the Crown Prince's style in every way: sharp, direct, and ruthless."

At this point, Fang Xuanling paused slightly, then changed the subject: "But these details... are too detailed, down to how many clerks should be assigned to each county, who should keep the seals of each department, and even the distance between post stations for official document delivery."

"This is not something that can be accomplished overnight, nor can it be figured out out of thin air by a prince in the inner palace."

"unless……"

Changsun Wuji paused, a hint of speculation flashing in his eyes, but then shook his head.

"nothing."

He didn't want to think about "ghosts and gods," but the sophistication of this system was beyond the comprehension of everyone in the Tang Dynasty.

The two fell silent again, each flipping through the files in their hands. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting moving patches of light on the files and illuminating the chilling clauses.

The county was established with "six ministries," corresponding to the functions of the six ministries of the imperial court.

Each department has four levels: Minister (upper ninth rank), Deputy Minister (lower ninth rank), Clerk (outside the official ranks), and Clerk (third rank outside the official ranks).

The responsibilities were clearly defined down to the county-level household registration department, which required daily accounting of tax collection, verification by the deputy head every three days, and review by the minister every five days.

The prefecture was divided into six ministries, each with three levels of officials: Langzhong (a fifth-rank official), Yuanwailang (a sixth-rank official), and Zhushi (a seventh-rank official). Their authority covered all the counties under their jurisdiction. For example, the head of the prefecture's Ministry of Personnel was required to inspect one county every quarter to check the performance of the officials.

As an agency dispatched by the imperial court, the Dao was overseen by a Daotai. Under the Daotai, there were no six ministries, only the Jiancha Si (Supervision Office) and the Zhuanyun Si (Transportation Office), which were responsible for supervising local officials and coordinating tax collection, respectively, and were directly accountable to the imperial court.

The six ministries of the imperial court added departments and bureaus on the original basis. For example, the Ministry of Revenue added the "Household Registration Department", "Land Tax Department" and "Storage Department". Each department corresponded to the functions of the local six ministries, forming a three-level vertical management system of "county-prefecture-imperial court".

"To build a platform, you must first accumulate earth." Fang Xuanling suddenly said in a low voice, "This is the method of building a platform by accumulating earth."

Changsun Wuji raised his eyes: "What do you mean?"

“Look.” Fang Xuanling took out paper and pen and drew the shape of a high platform. The bottom layer was painted very thickly with a thick brush to write “county”, the middle layer was slightly thinner to write “prefecture”, and the top layer was the narrowest to write “imperial court”.

“In the past, the official system was like ‘piling stones to form a peak.’ The imperial court was the main peak, and the local areas were the attached stones. The main peak was high and steep, while the attached stones were sparse. Power was poured in one direction from top to bottom. When it came to the county, a county magistrate wanted to take on everything.”

"But the Crown Prince's system is like 'building a platform by accumulating soil,' with the thickest and widest base, containing the most officials in the county six ministries, gradually narrowing towards the state six ministries, and finally converging at the top with the imperial six ministries, ultimately giving power to the emperor."

"It's like building a high platform with countless baskets of earth, each layer tightly interlocked. The more solid the bottom layer, the more stable the top layer, and the center of gravity of the entire platform always rests under the feet of the emperor at the very top."

(End of this chapter)