Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 825: Chapter 5: Reforming the Bureaucracy (Part 2)

Zheng Cheng said solemnly, "Rest assured, my lord, I will manage the Ministry of Industry well."

"Then I will await your results." Zhao Yao said as he took an envelope from a drawer and handed it to Zheng Cheng, "Inside are the methods for making cement and glass. Read them now, and once you’ve memorized them, I’ll burn it."

Zheng Cheng didn’t know what cement and glass were, but he was sure that anything Zhao Yao made was bound to be good. He quickly took the envelope and opened it eagerly.

After looking at it for a while, he was utterly shocked. He looked up at Zhao Yao in disbelief, "Your Highness, this cement..."

"It’s a good thing, and its applications will be significant. Once it’s made, it will surely astonish the world, so you need to make it quickly." Zhao Yao said, "Once the glass is made, you can create items related to it, just like porcelain, understand?"

"I understand." Zheng Cheng said, continuing to read. After finishing, he trembled with excitement. Shaking, he returned the letter to Zhao Yao, "My lord, I’ve memorized it."

"You truly memorized it; you won’t forget it, will you?"

"My lord, it’s engraved in my mind."

"That’s good." Zhao Yao took the letter and burned it in the candle flame. "First, make the cement and glass, then I’ll have you do other things."

"Rest assured, my lord, I will make the cement and glass as soon as possible." Indeed, everything the lord made was unprecedented and extraordinary, though Zheng Cheng still didn’t know their uses.

"These two things must be made by May next year, so you and the craftsmen need to speed up."

"Yes, my lord."

"The laboratory hasn’t been built yet, so you and the craftsmen can work in the backyard of the Prince Mansion." Because Zhao Yao had no Princess, the backyard of Prince Han’s Mansion was empty and could be temporarily lent to Zheng Cheng and his team for their work.

"My lord, can we start work tomorrow?" Zheng Cheng was eager.

"Yes, if you encounter problems during the process, you can come to me."

"Yes, my lord."

"You go draw up the plans for the laboratory first; I have matters to discuss with Zheng Qian."

Zheng Cheng had the same intention, "My lord, then I shall take my leave." With that, he quickly left.

"Zheng Qian, your future position as Minister of Revenue will have similar responsibilities to your current role."

Zheng Qian, being more astute than Zheng Cheng, realized Zhao Yao intended to reform the official system when he heard about the Ministry of Industry.

"My lord, are you planning to reform the official system?"

Zhao Yao was slightly surprised by Zheng Qian’s insight and then said, "Indeed, I plan to abolish the existing positions of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers and establish a system of Three Departments and Six Ministries." From the historical developments in the world of his dreams, Zhao Yao discovered that Great Zhou’s current system was somewhat cumbersome. The system from Zhao Yao’s dream world, specifically from the Ming and Qing dynasties, seemed quite efficient.

Zheng Qian asked with curiosity, "My lord, what is the Three Departments and Six Ministries system?"

Zhao Yao explained in detail, "The Three Departments refer to the Central Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the State Affairs Office. The Six Ministries are subordinate to the State Affairs Office and include the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Justice."

Next, Zhao Yao briefly introduced the responsibilities of the Three Departments and Six Ministries.

After listening, Zheng Qian was so astonished that his eyes widened like bells.

"My lord, the Three Departments and Six Ministries system is wonderful." Although Zheng Qian had never held an official position, he was quite familiar with Great Zhou’s officialdom. He had previously been reluctant to become an official, partly due to the political intrigue and partly because he found the system too complicated. However, upon hearing about the Three Departments and Six Ministries system from Zhao Yao, he found it much simpler and more convenient than the existing system.

"Naturally." Zhao Yao also found the Three Departments and Six Ministries system practical, which is why he intended to implement it in his small court. Of course, the primary reason was that Great Zhou’s official system was overly complex and hard to remember. "By the way, I also plan to establish a cabinet. If you perform well, I’ll consider bringing you into the cabinet."

Zheng Qian asked, "My lord, what is a cabinet, and what is its function?"

"Think of the cabinet as a department composed of ministers I trust, dedicated to handling affairs for me." Zhao Yao explained the role of the cabinet. Of course, he wouldn’t delegate final decision-making authority to cabinet members. The cabinet would essentially serve as his personal secretariat; proposals from it would not be binding.

Zhao Yao wanted to establish the cabinet mainly because he didn’t want to be burdened with every single matter, nor did he want to have to make all decisions himself. If he had to decide everything on his own, he would likely meet an untimely end despite his noble title.

Upon understanding Zhao Yao’s description, Zheng Qian immediately grasped the importance of the cabinet.

"Rest assured, my lord, I will work diligently to enter the cabinet and relieve you of your burdens."

Zhao Yao was pleased with Zheng Qian’s response and smiled slightly, "I look forward to your performance." After discussing the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and the cabinet, Zhao Yao moved on to other topics.

Zheng Qian left after listening, then summoned Wen Daoji.

Zhao Yao had briefly mentioned the plans for official system reform to Zheng Qian, but he intended to discuss the functions of the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and the cabinet in more depth with Wen Daoji.

Wen Daoji, upon just hearing about the Three Departments and Six Ministries system, was as astonished as Zheng Qian. When he learned about the cabinet, he was utterly shocked.

"Your Highness, this, this, this..." The learned Wen Daoji found himself at a loss for words to describe his feelings.

"What do you think of the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and the cabinet?"

Wen Daoji swallowed and then spoke with excitement, "Good, extremely good, absolutely excellent!" Besides expressing approval, he didn’t know what else to say.

"I’ve already explained the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and the cabinet. You should understand what to do next without my further elaboration."

Wen Daoji understood Zhao Yao’s intent, but he felt somewhat troubled.

"Your Highness, your Three Departments and Six Ministries system requires quite a few officials, but currently, Swamp Prefecture doesn’t have any properly appointed officials." The previously legitimate officials had been eliminated by Zhao Yao.

"You can go to my second uncle to find people; over the years, I’ve trained many people, and it’s time for them to be put to use."

Wen Daoji was deeply shocked: His Highness had actually trained people before coming to Lingnan!!!

It seemed His Highness had long decided to come to Lingnan and had been preparing for it all along!