Transmigrating to the Three Kingdoms as Lu Bu: I Have a Pseudo-Apocalypse System

On the third day of the sixth lunar month, in Chang'an City, at the Duke of Jin's residence.

Lu Bu sat in the main seat, surrounded by his trusted confidants including Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Meng Cheng, Shi Sunrui, Cao Xing, Cheng Lian, Hao Meng, Ma Chao, Zhang Xiu, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, and Xu Huang.

Since the beginning of the year, when he marched north to quell the Di, pacified Han Sui in the west, and took over Shangdang in Henan in the east, the three provinces have all come under Lü Bu's control, and there has been no more war.

"Gentlemen," Lü Bu said with great spirit, "Sili, Bingzhou, and Liangzhou have all been pacified. Now we should think about governance. In chaotic times, expanding territory is important, but governing the country and ensuring the people's well-being is also fundamental. Many outdated systems should also be reformed to pave the way for future pacification of the world."

Jia Xu cupped his hands in greeting: "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. The three provinces have just been pacified, and everything is in need of rebuilding. We need to establish systems, clarify rewards and punishments, and reassure the people."

Guo Jia said, "Looking around, the official system in various prefectures and counties is chaotic, salaries are inconsistent, and powerful local magnates control the villages, making it difficult to enforce government orders. If we want long-term stability, we must first reform the official system."

Lü Bu nodded: "Fengxiao is right. I am about to reform the official system and establish a nine-rank, eighteen-level official system."

"What are the nine ranks and eighteen levels?" Everyone was puzzled.

Lu Bu took out a scroll of silk and had his personal guards hang it on the wall. On it was a draft of the nine-rank, eighteen-level official system, which he had prepared based on his memories of later generations.

"Please take a look, everyone," Lü Bu said as he walked to the silk scroll. "This system divides all official positions in the land into nine ranks, each rank into two levels, namely, senior and junior, hence the name nine ranks and eighteen grades."

He pointed to the bottom line:

"The ninth rank is the lowest, such as county clerks, granary officials, and prison officials. The eighth rank is slightly higher, such as county assistants, county lieutenants, and registrars. The seventh rank is the county magistrate, the fifth rank is the prefect, the third rank is the governor, the second rank is the Nine Ministers, and the first rank is the Three Dukes."

"The positions of pavilion chief and village elder are included in the official staff but not in the official rank, while the village head is not part of the official staff of the imperial court, but enjoys subsidies from the county government."

Meng Cheng examined it carefully, his eyes gradually brightening: "This system is clear and well-organized, far superior to the current chaotic official system!"

Jia Xu stroked his beard and pondered: "My lord, rank is easy to determine, but what about salary? The court calculates salary in shi (a unit of dry measure), but grain prices vary from place to place, and officials often falsely report the number of shi to line their own pockets."

Lü Bu was prepared and pointed to the right side of the silk scroll: "The salary is divided into three parts: the first is the basic rice salary, which is determined according to rank and is issued at half cash and half grain based on the grain price in Chang'an; the second is the position allowance, which is determined according to the price of the area where you work and the complexity of your official position; the third is the performance bonus, which is issued at the end of the year based on your performance evaluation."

He explained in detail:

"A ninth-rank official receives a basic monthly salary of 20 shi of rice, equivalent to 40,000 cash; a position allowance of 10,000 cash; and an annual performance bonus of 50,000 to 100,000 cash."

"For grassroots officials who are officially registered but not ranked, the monthly salary is 10 shi (a unit of dry measure), equivalent to 20,000 wen (another unit of cash); the people elect their own village head (who is not officially registered), and receive a monthly subsidy of 2,000 wen, which is paid by the county government."

Cao Xing calculated, "In this way, even a low-ranking official can earn 20,000 coins a month (enough to buy ten bushels of millet), which is more than enough to support his family. If he works diligently, he will also receive a year-end bonus, which will surely help him to remain honest and upright."

Guo Jia nodded: "The salary is half cash and half grain, directly linked to the nine ranks and eighteen grades. In addition, there are performance-based rewards. The capable will receive more, and the mediocre will receive less, which will naturally motivate officials to work diligently."

Lü Bu looked at Meng Cheng: "Chief Clerk Meng, you were once the magistrate of Lantian County and are familiar with local administration. In your opinion, will there be any difficulties in implementing this system in counties and townships?"

Meng Cheng stood up and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, I believe the most difficult points are twofold: first, how should the current officials be ranked? If they are all re-ranked according to the new system, some people may be dissatisfied; second, the village head is elected by the people, and the local powerful families will definitely compete for this position. If the election is unfair, it will lead to chaos."

Lü Bu pondered for a moment: "Current county-level officials will be assessed by the prefect, and their ranks will be determined based on their abilities and performance. Prefectural-level officials will be assessed by the governor, and so on. Those who are both talented and virtuous will be promoted rather than demoted; those who are mediocre and incompetent will be demoted or dismissed. As for the election of village heads—"

He paused, then said, "The county government will send officials to supervise the process, and the people will vote anonymously. Anyone found guilty of bribery or coercion will have their land confiscated and be exiled to the borderlands; the officials involved will be dismissed from their posts, imprisoned, and banned from holding office for life!"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, knowing that Lü Bu always kept his word.

Guo Jia nodded and said, "My lord's swift and decisive actions will surely deter the villains. However, I think we should first select a few counties to try it out and observe its effectiveness before implementing it on a full scale."

"That's exactly right," Lü Bu said. "Let's take Chang'an, Lantian, and Baling counties as pilot areas, start implementing it in July, and check it in September. If the reform goes smoothly, it will be extended to the entire Jingzhao Prefecture starting in October, and fully implemented in all three prefectures next year."

He looked at Jia Xu: "Wenhe, you lead the Ministry of Personnel to draft detailed rules, including a list of new and old official positions for each rank, salary details, and performance evaluation standards. The draft must be completed within seven days, and I need to review it."

"I accept the order," Jia Xu said, bowing.

Lü Bu then said to Shi Sunrui, "Old Rui, please assist Wenhe."

Shi Sunrui nodded: "I obey."

Lü Bu: "Chief Clerk Meng, please compile a list of the current official positions and salary levels in each county so that Wenhe and Ruilao can compare and make changes."

Meng Cheng: "Yes."

After the meeting concluded, everyone dispersed.

Jia Xu and Guo Jia walked out of the Duke of Jin's residence side by side. Guo Jia said in a low voice, "Brother Wenhe, if our lord's system is implemented, it will completely change the way the court selects and appoints officials. Nine ranks and eighteen grades, clear and concise, plus performance evaluation and rewards, officials will surely be diligent in their duties."

Jia Xu stroked his beard: "More than that, the village head is elected anonymously by the people, which is unprecedented and breaks the tradition of powerful clans in the countryside electing and monopolizing this position. Although it is only a minor position in the countryside, it gives the people a voice. If this continues, the power of the powerful to control the village will surely be broken."

He paused, then sighed, "Your Excellency's talent is truly beyond the reach of ordinary people. These systems, though seemingly simple, are in fact deeply thoughtful and far-sighted. I pride myself on my wisdom, yet I never imagined that the official system could be reformed in such a way."

Guo Jia nodded: "My lord often says that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; the system is the pot, the officials are the firewood, and the people's will is the fire. Only when the three are in harmony can a magnificent dish of prosperity be cooked."

The two men looked at each other and smiled, their respect for Lü Bu growing even stronger.

June 5th, western suburbs of Chang'an.

A newly built workshop covers an area of ​​more than 30 acres, surrounded by high walls and guarded by soldiers. The plaque above the gate reads three large characters: Papermaking Workshop.

Lü Bu, accompanied by Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Meng Cheng, and others, personally inspected the site.

The workshop owner was an old craftsman in his fifties named Cai He, a descendant of Cai Lun. He inherited the craft and was invited by Lü Bu to oversee the improvement of papermaking.

"Please take a look, Duke Jin," Cai He led the group into the workshop, pointing to the raw materials soaking in the pool. "These are paper mulberry bark, hemp fibers, rags, old fishing nets, and other materials. They are soaked, steamed, pounded, and rinsed to make paper pulp."

He then pointed to another area: "That's the papermaking area. The craftsmen use bamboo screens to scoop up the pulp, drain it to form a film, then dry and flatten it to make paper."

Lu Bu picked up a finished piece of paper and examined it carefully.

The paper was slightly rough and had a yellowish tinge, naturally not as good as the paper Lü Bu used in the modern world before his time travel. However, it was much cheaper than the bamboo slips and silk commonly used today, and also finer and smoother than the rough Cai Hou paper he had used before.

"How much can you produce in a day?" Lü Bu asked.

Cai He replied, "If there are enough raw materials, a hundred craftsmen working day and night can produce a thousand sheets a day. Each sheet is three feet long and two feet wide, suitable for writing."

"What is the cost?"

"Each sheet of paper costs about five qian (approximately 15 grams) in total for raw materials and labor. If mass production is carried out, the cost can be reduced to three or four qian (approximately 15-16 grams)."