Li Zhen led the people to leave the Shuntian Mansion Yamen, and Gui Liang took the people back to the government office on the way. When leaving, Gui Liang even said that he had no contact with Li Zhen until he died, and that he would completely draw a clear line with Li Zhen.
In response, Li Zhen could only smile helplessly.
It was impossible for him to invalidate the law for the sake of Shunfu alone. For Li Zhen, the country was founded by him, just like his son. Moreover, China had just been established and was just a newborn baby. It could not withstand the After much trouble, Zhilan went back to her room alone after returning home, while Li Zhen went to the study first, checked the affairs of the country one by one, dealt with the things that needed to be dealt with, and then went to Zhilan's room.
In the room, Zhilan was sitting alone and sulking.
It's impossible not to be angry about things during the day.
Anyway, it was her biological father who knelt down to plead with Li Zhen, but Li Zhen was unmoved. Li Zhen came to Zhi Lan, smiled and said, "What's the matter? You are still refusing to forgive Shun Fu for me." I’m angry about something.”
"Not angry."
Zhilan snorted and turned her head away.
Li Zhenxiao said: "Being angry will cause wrinkles and make you look less beautiful. Don't be angry."
Zhilan replied: "I have become old and yellow a long time ago."
"My Zhilan is young and beautiful. She is a great beauty. How come she is so old? Who, who dares to say that? I went to deal with him with a kitchen knife to see if he still dares to say that."
Zhilan chuckled, rolled her eyes at Li Zhen, and said, "You're the only one who can carry a kitchen knife and a gun."
Li Zhen replied: "Whether it's a kitchen knife or a gun, as long as it can make my Laner angry, it's all worth it."
"Who is your Lan'er? I am not."
Zhilan snorted but said nothing.
Li Zhen turned Zhilan's face over and said with a smile: "Okay, everything today is all my fault. This time, I disobeyed my old father-in-law and made the old man lose face. At the same time, my wife also lost face. , it’s all my fault for losing my loved ones. Next time, next time, I will definitely not disobey my old father-in-law’s request and follow my wife’s instructions without any ambiguity.”
Zhilan said angrily: "It was your fault in the first place."
Li Zhen added: "What you say makes sense, what you say is correct."
Zhilan knew Li Zhen's character. If a relative breaks the law again next time and encounters such a situation, the result will still be severe punishment. She will never show mercy outside the law. However, Li Zhenneng lowered his head and apologized to her. This is the biggest concession. If she really ignores Li Zhen, she will be affected in the end.
Zhi Lan put the unhappiness in her heart behind, suppressed the sadness of losing her loved ones, opened her heart and chatted with Li Zhen, chatting about common things. The two had not seen each other for a long time and had a lot to say. Once you say it, it’s out of control...
Early the next morning, Zeng Guofan came to the Presidential Palace.
In the study, the two guests and host were seated.
Li Zhenxiao said: "Brother Bohan, during this period, the development trend of Beijing and the whole country is not bad."
Zeng Guofan looked excited and said with certainty: "Everything is fine. The court headed by President Zhao is protecting me. The officials are working hard and no one dares to do anything wrong. The court seems to be a sharp sword, ensuring that the officials We must be honest and upright, so that the orders we issue can be implemented to the greatest extent possible."
After a pause, Zeng Guofan continued: "I'm looking for the President because I have something to discuss with him."
Li Zhen asked: "What's the matter?"
Zeng Guofan looked serious and said unhurriedly: "For now, although many official positions have been established across the country, I don't think they are of much use. Instead, they can easily hinder the development of the government. For example, the post of governor established nationwide has The governor of Zhili, the governor of Liangjiang, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, etc., below the governor, are the governors of each province. The governor is responsible for multiple provinces, and the governor is responsible for one province. I think the governor is not necessary, and the governor can be removed directly. , directly connected by the governor of a province and the government, so without the governor, countless official positions will be reduced and officials will be streamlined."
After a pause, Zeng Guofan continued: "Similarly, there are many bloated officials under the governor, which can be streamlined. What I want to discuss with the president is the adjustment of officials nationwide, but this is a very dangerous matter. , once there is a slight mistake, it will cause a series of things."
Li Zhen asked: "Brother Bohan, why did you suddenly think of adjusting the official structure?"
Zeng Guofan smiled and said: "When Vice Premier Shi and I were dealing with national affairs, we also looked through the official structures of many countries and looked at the situations in many countries. We found that many of our officials are unnecessary and do not maximize the number of officials. Officials take advantage of it, so it must be dealt with properly."
"Okay, I support this."
Li Zhen said: "Since you have to do something, you must do it well."
Zeng Guofan said: "Has the President agreed?"
Li Zhen said: "I agree. The specific changes are not a matter of deleting one or two. The bigger ones come from the Manchu and Qing system. We founded the country, but most of them follow the Manchu Qing's official positions and have nothing of their own. , simply carry out a thorough purge, reform the official system left by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and implement the official positions of New China."
Zeng Guofan asked: "Does the president have any ideas?"
Li Zhen continued: "Brother Bohan understands the situation in various countries and has a detailed understanding of the officials in his own country. Let's sort it out one by one. At present, you are the prime minister and the highest-level official in the country, and you are responsible for: Each department has a series of officials under it, which belong to the government."
"It's a matter of local government. Let me tell you what I think."
"At present, after the governor is removed, he will be the governor of each province. Below the governor is the prefect, and below the prefect is the county magistrate. Many of these names are difficult to pronounce and difficult to write down. Many people don't know. My idea is to change the governor to The governor means the chief of a province, which is very vivid and appropriate; the names of each prefecture are also changed, the prefecture is changed to the city, and the prefect is changed to the mayor, which means the chief of a city. For example, the prefect of Wuzhou Prefecture is changed to Wuzhou city, officials are called mayor of Wuzhou City.”
"The position of mayor has long existed. During the Warring States Period, it was called a city official. During the Han Dynasty, six major cities including Chang'an, Luoyang, Handan, and Linzi had mayors for the purpose of managing the market. Now, we follow the example of provincial governors. Let’s unify the names and call them mayor. It sounds better and is easier to manage.”
"From the mayor down, the chiefs of each county are called county heads, each township is called township chief, and each village is called village chief. It's simple and clear. A big structure of the country is revealed. As for the rest, there are still things that need to be deleted. , let’s discuss one by one what Brother Bohan thinks.”
Zeng Guofan stared at Li Zhen blankly, and after a long while, he said: "Why can the president say so many things so easily? Vice Premier Shi and I couldn't figure it out even after racking our brains."
Li Zhen laughed and said: "I just pay more attention to the situation abroad. This is based on external reference. The United States has governors, so let's also get a governor."
In a word, Li Zhen covered up the past.
Zeng Guofan did not ask further questions. The matter mentioned by Li Zhen was enough for him to keep busy. Zeng Guofan said goodbye and left, preparing to sort it out before discussing it with Li Zhen. Just after Zeng Guofan left, a soldier came in and reported: "President, Minister of Finance Qiao Zhiyong has been waiting in the hall for a long time and has something to discuss with you."
Li Zhen stood up and said, "I'll go immediately."
After saying that, Li Zhen stood up and left the study, walking towards the hall.
