Chapter 449 Who Can Replace
After Cui Zhouping, who can take over the position of Chief Secretary?

Black Bear couldn't help but think about this question. As long as he was in Guanzhong, it didn't matter whether there was a chief historian or not.

Just like when he was on a campaign, there was no military commander because he was personally in charge of all camp affairs.

As the Chief Secretary, one must be fair and just, and it is very easy to do if one has a little bottom line and conscience.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to choose a new chief historian.

He is not required to do anything, just to occupy this position to avoid competition from other parties and cause bigger trouble.

After thinking for a while, and looking at the empty chair after Cui Zhouping left, he asked Zhuge Jin and the others, "Is Zhong Yuanchang in Ganquan?"

"Your Majesty, I arrived at noon the day before yesterday and am staying in the guesthouse."

"Bring the invitation and meet him tomorrow morning."

Black Bear had originally planned to meet Zhong Yao today, but he thought it would be better to wait a day as planned. This way, he would be able to think more calmly and comprehensively, and weigh the pros and cons when dealing with the matter.

After that, he stood up and said to Gao Jun, "Go home."

"Here."

Gao Jun left first, and Hei Xiong instructed Fa Zheng and Zhuge Jin: "Tomorrow, invite Zhong Yao to my private residence, Zi Yu stays in the shogunate to handle the correspondence, and Xiao Zhi comes to see me with the official documents."

"Yes."

The two men bowed together and watched Black Bear put on the cloak handed to him by Lu Bu, then strode away.

In the Office of the Chief Secretary, Cui Zhouping returned with a feeling of deep emotion and said to his bewildered subordinates, "Pack up my personal belongings and send them to my residence before curfew."

The officials responded weakly and then dispersed.

Cui Zhouping sat alone in the hall with a calm expression, thinking about personal and official matters.

Sima Zhi of the Western Cao held the power over personnel arrangements within the shogunate, and he could not influence people at will, so the officials within the shogunate lacked the necessary respect for him; Fu Gan of the Eastern Cao held the power to recommend officials for external posts, and handled official matters impartially, and did not give Cui Zhouping the opportunity to win over officials or sell favors.

After all, he has done almost nothing meaningful in his past as the chief historian.

With the checks and balances and separation of power both inside and outside, he, the chief historian, is just a decoration.

At this moment he suddenly understood that it was just a decoration.

Therefore, they felt that he was inappropriate and easily replaced him; just like the previous Chief Secretary Liu Ye, who performed flawlessly when commanding troops, but also lacked outstanding supplies, so he was sent to be a county governor and was separated from the central decision-making.

I am going to Wuwei to take up my post, and I just hope the journey will be safe.

He prayed silently. Now, not only did he have to move out of here, but the earthen building outside was also allocated to him. It was counted as the auxiliary room for all the successive chief secretaries.

When the new chief secretary takes office, he must hand over his current residence.

After thinking it over and making sure that he had not done anything life-threatening, Cui Zhouping took out a piece of paper, flattened it, picked up a pen, and began to write a letter to Zhuge Liang.

If I fall, Zhuge Liang might also be implicated.

The Sijin Duwei Mansion controls enormous wealth. Not to mention the gold and new machinery that can only be seen but not touched, the high-quality five-zhu coins produced every month alone prove that this is a good position to accumulate merit just by sitting there.

Even if Zhuge Liang can still keep this position now, without me, someone will definitely attack Zhuge Liang.

After writing a letter to remind Zhuge Liang to consider a retreat, he prepared to write another letter to Cui Yan.

Just as he was about to pick up the pen, he remembered that he was no longer the Chief Secretary. Even if he finished writing the letter, it would be difficult to deliver it to Cui Yan.

Unless it goes through the hands of Hebei merchants, but the background of these merchants is unknown.

He had no choice but to give up and left the Changshi Hall with a lot of emotions.

Soon, the news that Cui Zhouping was about to take up the post of Magistrate of Wudu County reached Zhong Yao's ears.

At this moment, Zhong Yao was sitting around the fire. The Ganquan Pavilion was packed with the Dongzhou scholars and their families who had returned with him.

Only when the weather turns warmer in spring can new Sihetu buildings be built for these people.

Therefore, when Zhong Yao came to Ganquan, he was assigned a newly built house, which was uninhabited throughout the winter.

Even the kang had never been heated before. The first time it was heated, smoke leaked out and moisture came in everywhere. On the first night, Zhong Yao could only sleep on the bed board. It was only today that the moisture accumulated on the kang for a whole winter finally dissipated.

Sitting on the kang, he rubbed half a piece of tangerine peel in his hands, then raised it to his nose and smelled it.

It seems that in this way, you can savor the fragrance and sweetness of citrus.

When the Chief Clerk Yang Guang saw Zhong Yao's expression, he asked, "Lord Yuan Chang, now that Cui Zhouping has been promoted, who can take over?"

"What I said doesn't count."

Zhong Yao laughed as he spoke: "It's not that there is no one to use, but that we dare not use him. Cui Zhouping was promoted from the countryside, and once he gained power, he interacted with Hebei. With such a precedent, why would we use people of great family names and celebrities?"

Yang Guang also laughed softly, although it was not a very willing laugh, but this was also the embarrassing fact before him.

The personnel power was firmly grasped by the other party, and the draft of the Title and Salary Law was leaked. The various ready-made county governors and county magistrates were the most anxious to push for the promulgation and implementation of the Title and Salary Law.

In this way, they can determine their titles according to their positions, and even if the titles are one or two levels lower, that is acceptable.

As long as I am here, you can enjoy all kinds of relevant treatment and powers.

Even if he resigned from office, he could still retain his title in his hometown or native place, and could participate in local governance as a village elder or councilor.

This is much more comfortable than being an official.

The county magistrates and county clerks were eager for the promulgation of the Title and Salary Law, and before the promulgation of the Title and Salary Law, people like Yang Guang were eager to occupy a favorable position.

It now seems that after returning from the expedition to Shuzhong, a group of county officials will be taken action.

This made Yang Guang feel more urgent, but Zhong Yao, as he was older, was more open-minded about these things.

Things like the Title Act are by no means easy to implement.

How could a large number of people easily steal a large number of titles that were obtained through fighting for one's life?
Since they are unwilling to give it and can't keep it, there is no point in you getting anxious.

Anyway, he is the Minister of the Court and the Inspector of the Imperial Guards. No matter what the future holds, as long as he remains cheerful and lives to that time, he will have everything he deserves.

So I'm really not anxious and I even have the energy to joke.

When they stopped laughing, Zhong Yao said, "Who among the heroes in the world is not from a noble family? Just wait patiently, the Grand Marshal will select the best and appoint the best."

"Yes."

Yang Guang responded. He and Zhong Yao had been cooperating intermittently. There was really no other way but to stick together for warmth.

Even if you keep your distance, since you previously served as Zhong Yao's chief clerk, in the eyes of the current shogunate, you are still in the same group.

Rather than avoiding suspicion and wasting opportunities, it is better to join forces.

At this time, Zhong Yao's chief clerk You Chu strode in with a stiff face, glanced at Yang Guang, and whispered to Zhong Yao: "Mingsir, the shogunate's East Division just appointed 28 county governors and county magistrates, 24 of whom are in the three prefectures."

"What arrangements have been made for the original people?"

"I heard that the original county magistrate proposed to bring the government warehouse under the jurisdiction of the county, so I was transferred to Shuzhong to repair the Jiange Road."

You Chu's face was droopy. This time he hit the bridge of Sili Xiaowei's nose. Although it was not fatal, his face was covered in blood, and he could no longer hide his weak nature.

Originally, the establishment of the Three Auxiliary Commanderies severed the connection between the Sili Xiaowei and the counties. There was Gan Ning in Hongnong and Shang Yao in Hedong, and they basically ignored the Sili Xiaowei's office.

Now that so many county magistrates have been severely punished and replaced at one time, how will other county magistrates view the Sili Xiaowei Office in the future?
Zhong Yao no longer concealed his anger. Couldn't he discuss this with me first?
Or did he suspect that he was the one who instigated these people to demand the right to dispatch and manage the treasury?

Thinking of this, Zhong Yao's expression became more and more unnatural.

The county treasuries should be managed by the local authorities. There is nothing to criticize about this. It's just a matter of returning to normal.

But this...

Yang Guang standing next to him was also dazed, feeling unwilling, ashamed and angry.

Such a large-scale purge, in which well-dressed people were sent to Shu in large numbers to do hard labor, was a move that even during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling, they did not dare to humiliate well-dressed people in this way.

How many of those who can become a county magistrate or county head are not well-dressed men?

(End of this chapter)