Gao Boping Still Wasn't Qualified

If another ruler had asked such a question—someone as suspicious as Cao Cao or Sun Quan—their ministers would have been trembling with fear. Lan Tian's actions had already gone beyond what was ordinary for a provincial governor.

Lan Tian had established additional provincial offices and set up schools on a grand scale. He had suspended the Filial Piety and Integrity System and introduced an examination system for selecting officials. Taken lightly, such actions were wanton; taken seriously, they were little different from rebellion and declaring himself independent. As for appointing close associates and raising troops, those seemed almost unimportant by comparison.

Lan Tian was no ordinary provincial governor, and Liu Bei was no ordinary ruler.

Zhang Fei and Lai Gong, standing nearby, could both tell that Liu Bei wasn't questioning Lan Tian. It sounded just like an ordinary conversation between friends.

Lan Tian answered frankly, "That's partly true, but most of it is for the better administration of Jiao Province. Under the current system, the provincial government's duties are little more than an empty formality. Governance within each province is left entirely to officials at the commandery level. But every province differs in natural resources, population density, and level of development. If they continue to govern independently as before, the provincial governor's office has no reason to exist. Even from a purely military perspective, that makes it harder to consolidate resources across commanderies."

"Ziyu has always liked to look at problems from the big picture. He can spot the crux of a matter right away. How have the Six Ministries been working out?" Liu Bei asked.

"The Six Ministries System has only been in place for a few months. It'll take time to see how well it works. If there are problems with the way it's designed, we can revise