Chapter 809: 771. The Discussion For Appointnt Of The Head Of The 6 Ministries Pt.2
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Mi Zhu hearing that imdiately bowed deeply. “Your Majesty,” he said with solemnity, “if you believe this humble servant worthy of such a task, I shall give my every breath and drop of ink to ensure the people’s burdens are eased, and the treasury remains a wellspring of the state.”
Lie Fan smiled faintly and nodded, pleased both by the nomination and Mi Zhu’s humble resolve. “Then it is decided. Let it be recorded, Mi Zhu is appointed Minister of Revenue. May your guidance bring stability and abundance to the realm.”
Applause broke out, restrained but respectful.
The hall ca alive again with discussion. And then, from amidst the officials, a firm voice spoke.
“Your Majesty, I wish to put forward a na for the Ministry of Works,” said Liu Ye, stepping forward with quiet confidence.
Lie Fan looked toward him with interest. “Very well, Master Liu Ye. Tell us who you believe shall guide our laborers and artisans, who shall build our roads and dig our canals. Develop the entire land under us and make it prosperous for all.”
“Your Majesty,” Liu Ye said, “through war, I have seen firsthand how critical infrastructure is to the lifeblood of empire. Roads, granaries, canals, walls, and tools, these are not luxuries but necessities. And I know no man more diligent, more thorough, and more attuned to the needs of builders and laborers than myself.”
A quiet murmur rippled again. Liu Ye’s self nomination was bold, but not unrited. As an artisan and administrator of laborers under Lie Fan, he had proven himself again and again, pragmatic, competent, and fiercely focused.
“Master Liu,” Lie Fan said, “can you ensure our roads remain open, our cities fortified, our canals hold strong, and everything developed and built stands strong?”
Liu Ye smirked. “Your Majesty, if you approve of , I’ll make sure even the rats in the storerooms are happy with the strong walls and roofs over their head.”
Lie Fan considered him for a long mont, then smiled faintly. “And so you shall prove it again. Let it be known, that Liu Ye is appointed Minister of Works. Let our bridges be sturdy, our granaries stand tall, our roads lead always to peace, and our buildings stand strong until the end of tis.”
Liu Ye bowed with gratitude and stepped back.
Next ca the Ministry of War. Silence lingered a beat longer, this post, after all, held imnse power. The sword of the state could guard or destroy. A delicate matter, given Xun You had been appointed as the Grand Commandant. The minister would handle appointnts, logistics, and the empire’s vast military bureaucracy and equipnt.
From among the officials, a young yet calm voice erged.
“I would like to propose a na, Your Majesty,” said Zhuge Liang.
All turned, intrigued. The young strategist stepped forward, hands folded in perfect decorum.
Lie Fan raised an eyebrow. “Speak then, Master Zhuge Liang.”
“For the Ministry of War,” Zhuge Liang said, “I recomnd Master Sima Yi. His understanding of military structure is unmatched. He understands the art of war as few do. But war is not rely battles, it is supply lines, discipline, and the morale of n. The Ministry of War requires not only a warrior but an organizer. Master Sima Yi is that man.”
Now, the murmurs were not only agreent but respect. Even those who disliked Sima Yi among the civil and military officials, due to his relation with Lie Fan as his brother in law, had to acknowledge his brilliance. He was sharp, cold perhaps, but absolutely effective.
Sima Yi, who was reserved, stepped forward and bowed. “I am ready, should Your Majesty believe suited to wield this responsibility, not in blood, but in discipline and preparation.”
Lie Fan nodded, satisfied. “Let it be so. Sima Yi, Minister of War. Let your pen be sharper than any blade, and your order more powerful than any charge.”
Three ministries were filled. Three to go.
For the Ministry of Personnel, perhaps the most crucial in ensuring ritocracy and order in the bureaucracy, Lie Fan looked again to Zhuge Liang, who had now proven himself a voice of insight.
Pang Tong didn’t even hesitate to say the na he thought was the perfect choice. “Your Majesty, Kongming is obviously the only choice for such a position.”
Zhuge Liang sighed. “Shi Yuan, must you—”
“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t want it,” Pang Tong shot back. “You’ve been ntally reorganizing the bureaucracy since you ca to join under Master Sima Hui’s tutelage.”
“I only have written reforms,” Zhuge Liang said. “I have overseen and taken note of n of character. I have studied the Imperial Examination system and devised recomndations to strengthen it. I only want to ensure that our empire is filled with n chosen by talent, not lineage.”
Lie Fan studied him for a mont. Then he smiled again.
“You are young,” Lie Fan said. “But greatness cos in all ages. And your vision for the realm’s talent has already begun shaping our officials. Let it be known, that Zhuge Liang is appointed Minister of Personnel. Bring us minds that will build this empire.”
Zhuge Liang bowed deeply, his eyes filled not with pride but with gravity.
For the Ministry of Justice, the murmurs began to point to one man naturally and it was Xun You the Grand Commandant who spoke it aloud.
“Your Majesty, if I may, I suggest Master Chen Gong.”
Lie Fan nodded. “Say your reasoning, Grand Commandant.”
“Master Chen Gong has always walked a line between law and conscience,” Xun You said. “His sense of fairness is not blind, it sees the truth and understands the spirit of the law. In a world where justice can be bent by wealth or fear, we need soone who will never bow to either.”
Chen Gong, stoic as ever, stepped forward. “If I may serve in this role,” he said, “I will ensure no innocent is punished, and no guilty escapes through gold or guile.”
“Then so be it,” Lie Fan said firmly. “Master Chen Gong, appointed as Minister of Justice. May our laws be neither sword nor shield but balance for all.”
And lastly ca the Ministry of Rites.
This ministry often overlooked was, in truth, the soul of the empire, where culture, ritual, faith, and diplomacy all converged.
Lie Fan now turned to the court. “Who shall be entrusted with the soul of our dynasty?”
From among them, a warm and charismatic voice answered.
“I would like to suggest Master Lu Su, Your Majesty,” said a courtier.
Eyes turned. Lu Su, the affable and articulate thinker, had long been a bridge between factions, faiths, and traditions.
“He understands diplomacy and reverence alike,” the courtier continued. “He has led envoys, organized rituals, and overseen the priests and monks alike without bias.”
Lu Su stepped forward, calm and composed. “If chosen, I will ensure that the rites give honor to both Heaven, Your Majesty, and the people. That the world shall see not only Your Majesty’s power, but Your wisdom and Your civility as well.”
Lie Fan nodded once more. “Let it be so. Master Lu Su, Minister of Rites. May our ancestors smile upon us, and our rituals bind our people in unity.”
With that, all six ministries were appointed. The hall fell into a mont of hushed reverence, not only had the highest offices been filled, but they had been filled with purpose, insight, and balance.
Lie Fan sits tall on the Dragon Throne. “Let these appointnts be recorded. Let their mandates be sealed. Let these six n serve not for glory, but for legacy. For what we build here must outlive us all.”
The mont Lie Fan spoke of the next appointnts, the air in the imperial court shifted.
He had just entrusted the Six Ministries—the backbone of the state—to n of brilliance, and yet, what followed was no less significant. In so ways, perhaps even more so.
“For now,” Lie Fan said, his voice calm but carrying the weight of authority, “we turn to those departnts that do not rely serve the state, but serve the very heart of the Empire. They serve , and through , the Mandate of Heaven itself.”
There was a hush. Not from fear, but from gravity.
Lie Fan’s words bore the truth of imperial administration: while the Six Ministries structured governance for the realm, these next institutions were limbs of the throne itself, answering to no one but the Son of Heaven.
“The Imperial Household Departnt,” Lie Fan continued, “the keepers of our imperial household and the sanctity of our palace grounds. The Imperial Archives, where our knowledge and mory are preserved. The Departnt of Service, for those who ensure every function of palace life continues without falter. And finally, the Censorate. Our eyes and ears, the n who rooted out corruption and investigated malfeasance.”
At the last, a current of unease ran through the room. The Censorate, though rarely spoken of with ease, was understood by all to be the shadow looming behind every administrator. They were both watchdogs and executioners in the world of officials.
Their reports could raise or ruin, and their judgnts had the Emperor’s implicit backing. But what none save a trusted few knew was that Lie Fan had already created a silent blade that surpassed even the Censorate in scope, the Oriole Agents. His eyes in every city, his ears in every room, and his shadow in every shadow.
But that was for him to know. Now was the ti to shape the court, as all watched with silent anticipation.
Lie Fan remained seated, but his eyes turned to a man near the second row of civil officials, Mao Jie.
“Master Mao Jie,” Lie Fan said, drawing attention with his words, “you have long served in silence, organizing my court and ensuring harmony where others see only ceremony. You understand dignity without extravagance, necessity without waste.”
Mao Jie stepped forward and bowed deeply, face calm and composed. “Your Majesty honors more than I deserve.”
“Modesty suits you, but it will not excuse you from service,” Lie Fan said, his lips quirking slightly. “You are henceforth appointed Director of the Imperial Household Departnt. May you serve not only the palace, but the people, for what the Emperor lives among must reflect what the Empire stands for.”
A respectful applause rippled once again through the hall. Though Mao Jie was not the most politically visible in Lie Fan’s court, his competence was widely acknowledged. Clean, efficient, and apolitical, exactly what the Imperial Household required.
Lie Fan turned to the next matter.
“The Imperial Archives. The library of our wisdom, the vault of our laws, the mirror of our mory.”
There was only one na spoken from the ranks before Lie Fan could even continue his words.
“May I suggest Master Yi Ji, Your Majesty,” ca the voice of Xun You, calm and confident. “There is no more appropriate guardian of knowledge in my mind than Master Yi Ji.” And truly, most nodded in agreent. Yi Ji had always had a penchant for scholarly thought, an unfailing mory, and a deep reverence for literature and historical precedent.
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Na: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 34 (201 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 ( 20)
VIT: 623 ( 20)
AGI: 623 ( 10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0
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