As soon as Chen Jigang left, Liu Bowen and Zhu Sheng asked for an audience together.
Zhu Sheng has now been promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Liu Bowen, as one of the six prime ministers, is currently in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Civil Affairs under the instruction of Zhang Yangquan.
The reason for the two coming here is also very simple. After Jiangdu's army defeated Chen Youliang, the territory more than doubled, and the local officials were not enough.
Liu Bowen said: "Your Majesty, at present, county magistrates in various places are temporarily filled by hundreds or thousands of households. These generals are good at fighting, but governance is not their specialty. Officials need to be dispatched quickly to govern!"
Zhang Yangquan asked: "What's the difference between the candidates for the Ministry of Personnel?"
Zhu Sheng said: "The gap is huge, at least two hundred people are needed!"
"Do you have any solutions?"
Liu Bowen said: "After discussing with Zhu Shilang, I think there are two feasible methods."
Zhang Yangquan asked: "What two methods?"
"First, hold another imperial examination. Second, select outstanding people from the civil servants to be promoted to officials, and then add the officials who surrendered to the civil servants to the civil servants."
Zhang Yangquan frowned and said, "Why is he a civil servant and not a junior official?"
Liu Bowen and Zhu Sheng were stunned.
After a long while, Zhu Sheng said slowly: "Your Majesty, since the Tang and Song Dynasties, the subordinates have evil intentions and are deeply disgusted by the people. All dynasties have explicitly ordered the subordinates not to participate in the imperial examination."
Subordinate officials are divided into civil servants and subordinate servants. However, because they work in the same yamen, over time, they are collectively referred to as subordinate officials.
Zhang Yangquan believes that there is no hierarchy between people, it is all formed after tomorrow.
The reason why subordinate officials are disliked by others is because the upper-level dignitaries have blocked their path to advancement, and vested interest groups are no longer willing to share the cake with them.
They have no way to make progress and can only turn around and exploit the people.
Just like those eunuchs who were castrated, they had no spiritual sustenance, and the only things they could pursue were red and white things.
Zhang Yangquan said solemnly: "The root cause of the harm caused by subordinate officials is corvee service. Now that corvee service has been changed, subordinate officials, like officials, all receive salary to do things, and there is no distinction between high and low!"
Liu Bowen thought for a while and said: "What the king is saying is that subordinate officials are originally poor people. In this case, suitable people should be selected from outstanding subordinate officials and promoted to officials!"
Zhang Yangquan nodded and said: "Then follow the second method to solve the current shortage of officials! In addition, the third subject of the imperial examination can also be prepared to avoid the shortage of officials again during the Northern Expedition in the future!"
The two agreed in unison and resigned.
Zhang Yangquan continued to handle official duties silently. Half an hour later, the personal guards came to report, and Guo Niansheng and Lu Liangzuo asked for a meeting together.
Guo Niansheng held a drawing in his hand and said: "Your Majesty, this is the palace style drawing selected by the ministers from dozens of architects. Please take a look."
Zhang Yangquan took it and took a look, only to see that the drawings were extremely complex, and the palaces were arranged in an orderly manner. Although they were not completely symmetrical, they seemed to give people a strange sense of smoothness.
He didn't know much about architecture, so he didn't comment much. He just asked: "Who designed this drawing?"
Lu Liangzuo said: "It was presented by Li Weigong, the most famous craftsman in Jiangnan."
Zhang Yangquan nodded and said: "Then let's start construction according to the drawings. Have the eight workshops been selected?"
Guo Niansheng said hurriedly: "Not yet, there are too many workshops signed up to undertake, and we are trying to find ways to select."
Zhang Yangquan said: "Then get this matter done as soon as possible."
The two of them agreed and left together.
The north wind was bleak, and it was September before I knew it.
Although the war in Jiangnan is not over yet, it has become stable. I wonder if Chen Youliang was too unpopular before. After conquering Huguang and Jiangxi provinces, very few people rebelled.
Fujian has high mountains and long roads, and there is no news from Chang Yuchun yet. The Yuan army in Henan is slowly marching towards the east, and there is a faint tendency to surround Shandong.
When the Red Scarf Army in Shandong saw the Yuan army attacking, they also stopped their internal strife, connected with each other, and were on guard together.
For a time, the fighting in the south and north of the Yangtze River stopped, and the world ushered in a long-lost time of peace.
After several major events have settled recently, Zhang Yangquan's work has been reduced a lot these days, and it is rare that he has become leisurely again.
On this day, after being busy for a while, he walked along the corridor towards the back house.
Walking around a rockery, I suddenly heard the sound of bowstrings not far away.
Xun Sheng walked over and saw a woman practicing archery on the martial arts field in the back house, with Qin Lingjun standing aside to guide her.
Just as Zhang Yangquan was about to walk over, the woman who was shooting the arrow suddenly caught a glimpse of him. She was shocked, her hand shook, and the arrow shot in the direction of Zhang Yangquan.
Yang Sanqiang stepped forward and blocked Zhang Yangquan. Fortunately, the arrow was not accurate and hit a tree nearby. The tail of the arrow could not help trembling.
The archery woman was startled and hurriedly knelt on the ground and said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I, I didn't mean to..."
That woman is Tao Ai, Qin Lingjun's apprentice.
This is not the first time Tao Ai has had an accident. Every time she practices archery, as long as someone approaches and is spotted by her, when she gets nervous, she will shoot the arrow at the opponent.
Qin Lingjun picked her up and said angrily: "You are not allowed to touch arrows anymore for the next few days!"
After finishing speaking, he quickly came to Zhang Yangquan and asked hurriedly: "Husband, are you okay?"
Zhang Yangquan waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's okay, how is your little apprentice?"
Qin Lingjun suddenly had a few black lines on his face.
"I have never taught such a stupid person. If we were in Longtan Village before, I would have given her a beating!"
Tao Ai, who was following, trembled when she heard the words, and said aggrievedly: "Your Highness, I, I also want to learn quickly, but my body always refuses to obey me..."
Seeing Qin Lingjun gritting his teeth in anger, Zhang Yangquan laughed and said: "Okay, I am a woman after all, so it is normal to learn slowly!"
Qin Lingjun shook his head and didn't bother to scold his apprentice any more. He asked Zhang Yangquan, "Husband, have you finished handling all the political affairs?"
Zhang Yangquan nodded, stretched, and said: "It's all taken care of. I was really busy a while ago!" He walked to the stone chair and sat down.
Qin Lingjun walked up behind him, squeezed his shoulders, and whispered: "Husband, I have heard some rumors recently."
Zhang Yangquan said: "Oh?"
Qin Lingjun said: "Some people say that Mr. Liu has an ambiguous relationship with Zhang Miaojing, a famous concubine in Hangzhou. He often hangs out in Jingmiaozhai, and he also has an enmity with Yang Weizhen because of Zhang Miaojing!"
Zhang Yangquan shook his head and said: "Who spread these rumors? Do you think someone like Liu Yushi would do such a thing?"
Qin Lingjun's eyes flashed: "Of course I don't believe it, but the news has spread widely, and I think it's a bit weird."
Zhang Yangquan was moved in his heart and asked: "Where did you hear the news?"
Qin Lingjun looked at Tao Ai.
Tao Ai hurriedly said: "I heard it when I was out shopping!" After a pause, he added: "After this incident came out, some news came out that Dr. Liu was shielding his relatives and pretending to be public for personal gain."
Zhang Yangquan's face hardened and he said: "It seems that someone wants to deal with Liu Bowen!"
Qin Lingjun smiled and said: "Husband, we haven't been on the streets for a long time. Do you want to go out on patrol incognito and do some investigation?"
Zhang Yangquan smiled and said: "Okay, if Qianqian comes back, let her go too."
Qin Lingjun shook his head and said, "No, I went to Daming Temple again early in the morning."
Zhang Yangquan knew that Shen Qianqian was seeking a son, so he shrugged helplessly and said, "Then let's go."
Tao Ai suddenly said: "Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, can I go with you?"
Qin Lingjun glared and said: "You stay in the school field and continue practicing archery!"
Tao Ai whispered: "You don't want me to touch the arrows?"
"Just hold your bow and stand there for two hours. I'll see if your hands won't shake next time!"
Tao Ai said with a sad face: "Yes..."
Seeing Qin Lingjun's appearance, Zhang Yangquan suddenly had the feeling that she mistook Tao Ai for Qin Lingsi.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but ask: "My little sister hasn't come back from Tongzhou yet?"
When Qin Lingjun heard this, she became angry and gritted her teeth and said: "This girl is getting more and more wild. She doesn't even send a letter back. I suspect that she is following someone else!"
Zhang Yangquan laughed and said: "Don't worry too much. Look at Lan Yu, Han Lin'er and the others, they can go to the battlefield at a young age. My little sister is smart and alert, nothing will happen to her."
The two of them changed into casual clothes, chatted for a while, and left the palace through the side door.