Appointment

Karl carefully put away the preliminary organizational chart, stepped out of the somber main building of the castle, and came to the slightly noisy but vibrant outer city.

The sunlight shining on the streets under repair made him feel a little more relaxed.

He hadn't gone far when he saw the steward Edgar leading a few people toward him. Upon closer inspection, he recognized Tommy, his mother Anna, and his sister Sarah.

"My lord!" Tommy, upon seeing Karl, immediately led his family to bow respectfully, their faces beaming with gratitude. "Thank you for your kindness, my lord. Steward Edgar has arranged accommodations for us."

Karl smiled gently and stepped forward to offer a slight gesture of support, "No need for such formalities. This is what you deserve. You have rendered a great service this time, and it is the Lord's responsibility to properly settle the families of meritorious officials."

He looked at his weathered mother, whose eyes were now filled with tears, and at Sarah, who was curiously looking around and whose face had finally regained color. He felt a sense of comfort in his heart.

"We just happened to run into each other. I'll go with you to see the new house." Karl gestured for Edgar to continue leading the way.

The group arrived at a two-story wooden house near the inner city wall in the outer city. Although the house was not luxurious, it was quite clean and sturdy compared to the large number of simple shacks at the foot of the mountain.

Pushing open the wooden door, the interior was even more delightful. The house had clearly been carefully cleaned and furnished, with a fireplace, tables, chairs, beds, and other basic furniture. There was even a pot of unidentified wildflowers on the windowsill, exuding a warm and cozy atmosphere.

"Wow! What a big house! And there are stairs!" Sarah exclaimed, like a happy little bird, running up and down the stairs, exploring every corner of the new home. A long-lost, radiant smile, belonging to her age, bloomed on her pale face.

Tommy's mother also touched the sturdy furniture with emotion, tears welling in her eyes, and thanked Karl and Ed repeatedly.

As Karl watched this scene, a soft spot in his heart was touched.

He said gently to Tommy's family, "The conditions here are acceptable. Please settle in comfortably. This is only a temporary arrangement. Once the first Tunbao on the plain below the mountain is built, there will be more spacious and safer stone houses there. At that time, you can move down there and truly settle down."

After comforting and settling Tommy's family, Karl and Edgar left the cabin and went to a relatively quiet corner outside.

"Edgar, there's something I need to discuss with you." Karl took out the still-wet organizational chart from his pocket and handed it over. "These are some preliminary ideas for the future governance structure of Carnford. Take a look."

Edgar respectfully accepted the parchment and began to read it carefully.

As his gaze moved downwards, the expression on his face gradually changed from calm to surprise, and then to deep thought.

This structure divides power so clearly and meticulously, with departmental functions linked together, that it far surpasses the extensive management model common in this era, which relied on the Lord's personal prestige and a few stewards to handle all miscellaneous tasks.

"My lord, this..." Edgar looked up, his eyes filled with admiration and a hint of uncertainty. "This framework is extremely well-thought-out. If it can be implemented, it will surely make the governance of the territory orderly and efficient. However, such a detailed division of labor requires a large number of reliable people, and we currently..."

His gaze fell on the position he had been assigned to, and when he saw that he was to be the head of the Organization Department, he felt immense pressure. He quickly said, "Sir, the Organization Department is in charge of all the promotions and appointments of officials, and the responsibility is extremely heavy! I am not knowledgeable enough and I am afraid that I am not up to the task and will fail your trust."

Karl had anticipated his reaction. He patted Edgar on the shoulder, his tone firm and trusting. "Edgar, I have never doubted your ability and loyalty. It is precisely because the responsibility is so great that it must be shouldered by you."

"I'm assigning you this responsibility not so you'll do everything yourself and exhaust yourself, but so you can use the authority of the Organization Department to quickly identify, select, and cultivate talent capable of sharing these duties!"

He pointed to the "Organization Department" on the organizational chart and emphasized, "The position of the Organization Department is rightfully yours. What Carnford needs most right now is talent. I'm giving you the greatest authority. You can independently evaluate and promote people you think have potential. Just report the final candidates and reasons to me. We need to build this framework and then put the right people in the right positions. Only in this way can we achieve long-term development."

Hearing Karl's trust and delegation of authority, Edgar felt a surge of warmth and a sense of responsibility.

He took a deep breath, carefully folded the parchment, solemnly tucked it into his robes, and bowed deeply to Karl: "Your Excellency's foresight is profound, I understand! I will do my utmost to live up to your trust! I will quickly reorganize the existing personnel according to this structure and begin searching for talent from all sides, striving to get this system up and running as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing Edgar's understanding and commitment, Karl's eyes lit up with approval. He further elaborated, "Very good, Edgar. You understand my intentions, which is crucial. The Organization Department is the engine and heart of this new structure and must be the first to operate efficiently. You need to set up its framework as soon as possible; you can't rely on just one person to support it."

He pointed to the "Organization Department" on the organizational chart and gave specific instructions. "In addition to you, the minister in charge of the overall situation, two deputy minister positions should be established immediately, with each responsible for a specific task."

"One department oversees the civil service system, responsible for the selection, evaluation, and file management of all non-military officials in civil affairs, finance, industry and commerce, etc.; the other department oversees the military personnel system, responsible for the promotion, merit and demerit assessment, and talent reserve of all military personnel from rank-and-file soldiers to commanders at all levels. Civil and military roles are separated, with specialized management."

"At the same time," Karl continued, his thoughts clear, "the Organization Department needs to establish several key departments, such as the Evaluation Department. This department's responsibility is to formulate unified and fair standards and evaluation procedures for officials, and to conduct quantitative or qualitative assessments of the performance, abilities, and character of all serving and candidate officials."

Given Carnford's current severe talent shortage and dire need for reconstruction, Karl proposed an unconventional selection approach. "At this stage, we lack sufficient time and resources to thoroughly examine a person's qualifications and background."

"Therefore, the Evaluation Department must immediately begin designing a practical 'examination' method. Whether one wants to serve as a civilian clerk or hopes to be promoted to non-commissioned officer, one must pass the corresponding examination to determine one's basic reading, writing, arithmetic, professional knowledge, or military skills. The principle is 'the capable should be appointed,' proving oneself through examinations and actual performance, rather than simply looking at one's background or who recommended one."

Edgar listened attentively, nodding earnestly and quickly noting down the key points. "Your Excellency is wise! Using examinations for selection can indeed minimize nepotism and quickly identify truly talented individuals. I have noted down the setup and examination methods for the Evaluation Department and will immediately begin drafting the detailed rules."

"Yes," Karl nodded, and continued, "Assessment alone is not enough. We also need a special agency to carry out the appointment and dismissal procedures, and set up a ' Appointment Department '. This department is responsible for making specific recommendations for the appointment, dismissal, promotion, demotion, and lateral transfer of officials based on the assessment results of the Evaluation Department, vacant positions, and the qualifications and merits of officials, and handling all related documents and handover procedures."

Finally, Karl clarified the process and the final decision-making authority. "The Evaluation Department is responsible for the assessment, the Appointment Department is responsible for making recommendations, and you, as the Organization Department, will ultimately review and approve them to form a formal personnel appointment and dismissal proposal, which will then be submitted to me for final approval. In this way, the process is clear, the responsibilities are clearly defined, which can improve efficiency and ensure fairness to the greatest extent."

Edgar had fully grasped Karl's complete vision. Although the system was in its infancy, it was structurally rigorous and brimming with pragmatism and innovation. He bowed and replied, "Yes, sir! I understand completely! I will immediately establish Organization Department according to this framework, personally leading teams to the grassroots and among the refugees to investigate and identify the first batch of promising talents. The newly established Evaluation Department will organize unified tests for preliminary screening, and the Appointment Department will compile the list. After my review, I will submit it to you as soon as possible!"