System

The terms Dongfang Mao used were unfamiliar to the crowd, but after he provided a detailed explanation of the responsibilities for each department, they were finally able to grasp the general idea.

This Nine Ministries system was something Dongfang Mao had recently devised by referencing the Six Ministries and Cabinet of the Ming Dynasty, with a slight modification: he had split the monstrous Ministry of Revenue into three parts and added a new Ministry of Medicine.

The importance of the Ministry of Medicine went without saying, and it was also a concession Dongfang Mao had prepared for Tsunade—or rather, a way to stabilize her temper so she wouldn't truly fly into a rage, disregard everything, and walk away, which would leave him in a bind.

It might not be a perfectly refined system, but it was certainly functional for the time being.

By clarifying powers and responsibilities and establishing a rational division of labor, he hoped to prevent the internal administration of the New Martial Army from becoming too chaotic, while also using a respectable title to instill the concept of a formal bureaucracy into these bandits below him.

Furthermore, there was no position of Senior Grand Secretary or Premier above this Nine Ministries system; it reported directly to Dongfang Mao, the Grand Governor, centralizing all power.

As for whether he would be exhausted from handling every single detail himself?

At the moment, he only occupied the small city of Tsukimiura, so there was a limit to how busy he could be; if there were opportunities for expansion in the future and the scale grew, he could simply adjust the system then.

Beyond the civil bureaucracy, there would naturally be military institutions.

Regarding military administration, Dongfang Mao had already made improvements back in the village, and after further contemplation, he combined ancient and modern practices to establish the Privy Council to hold military command.

Military administrative affairs, however, fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War.

Simply put, the Privy Council managed training, combat, and troop deployments.

The Ministry of War, meanwhile, was responsible for recruitment, personnel, and the supply of armaments.

He had split military power into two.

Furthermore, Dongfang Mao did not appoint a head of the Privy Council, such as a Privy Commissioner; in other words, he exercised direct control over this institution.

The primary reason for doing this remained the same: to divide power and prevent any subordinate general or agency from becoming too powerful.

Although he believed that his prestige within the New Martial Army meant no one would dare to overstep, prestige was, in the final analysis, something intangible; it required a sound system to support it to ensure nothing went wrong.

The Privy Council oversaw various divisions and commanded the battalions of the New Martial Army, including the numbered battalions under the four commanders of the standing army, as well as the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guard was directly subordinate to Dongfang Mao, serving as the Grand Governor's personal escort.

Yet, with the framework built, it would all be empty talk without the right people.

Fortunately, the purge last night had left behind a large portion of the lower-level officials and some small-to-medium-sized families.

With these people, he could barely maintain the situation, allowing his nascent regime to undergo a brief transition and letting the currently chaotic Tsukimiura stabilize as quickly as possible.

As for whether these people would serve him wholeheartedly, Dongfang Mao was not foolish enough to trust them blindly.

Every person placed in an important position would be followed and monitored by two Night Patrol Bureau agents—one overt and one covert; if anyone truly intended to pull some tricks, they would have to consider whether their bond with their nine generations of kin was strong enough.

After the announcement, Dongfang Mao began to bestow rewards upon the group.

First were Yasuke and Kyuzo.

They were promoted to Commandants and Deputy Commissioners of the Privy Council, with an increase of two battalions under their command.

Jieshi, having contributed to the capture of the Magistrate Office, replaced the former position of Zenpachi, serving as Commander and Privy Council official, tasked with reorganizing the troops under his battalion.

Mataichi was appointed Chief Inspector and Privy Council official, tasked with coordinating the defense of the north and south gates of Tsukimiura.

Following the military officials, it was naturally the turn of the civil officials.

Shimizu Yano, who had been captured at the very start of the previous night, was dragged out by Dongfang Mao and appointed as the acting Minister of Revenue and Minister of Taxation.

Upon hearing the appointment, Shimizu Yano was completely bewildered; how had he suddenly become a high-ranking official for this rebel army?

If the Land of Rice Fields sent troops to suppress the rebellion in the future, wouldn't he become a high-ranking rebel?

For a moment, his heart was filled with bitterness, but seeing the half-smiling expression on Dongfang Mao's face above him, he could only grit his teeth and accept.

The Minister of Justice was to be concurrently held by Inumaru, the Chief of the Night Patrol Bureau.

The Minister of Works was to be filled by Zhengxiong, the old craftsman whom Dongfang Mao had rescued from the mountain stronghold as if he were a precious treasure.

On the side, listening to Dongfang Mao's string of decrees, the resentment in Tsunade's heart had dissipated before she even realized it, replaced by shock that she could hardly conceal.

She stared blankly at Dongfang Mao, truly unable to fathom where someone of his age had learned such things; to divide the powers of each department so clearly and construct an administrative system that was vast yet not bloated was simply mind-boggling.

Just then, Dongfang Mao looked toward Tsunade.

"Sister Tsunade, I leave the position of Minister of Medicine to you; I don't think anyone could be more suitable. As for you, Shizune, you shall serve as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Medicine, acting as Sister Tsunade's deputy."

Shizune, who was holding Tonton, widened her eyes in surprise—how did she get involved in this?

Tsunade, upon hearing this, nodded subconsciously, feeling that it wasn't a bad idea.

She had always been very interested in medical arts, and during her time in Konoha, she had served as the head of the Medical Department, so she should be able to handle the role of Minister of Medicine with ease.

Tsunade, who was busy thinking about how to establish the Ministry of Medicine, suddenly froze, then snapped back to reality.

Wait, wasn't she here to hold him accountable?

How did she suddenly end up joining his ranks?

Tsunade gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and glared at Dongfang Mao.

However, the moment Tsunade had agreed, Dongfang Mao had immediately turned his head away; he dared not provoke her further at this moment.

Seeing this, Tsunade could only lower her hands in frustration, thinking viciously about how she would torment this brat once the meeting was over!

After Dongfang Mao had made these appointments, only the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Finance remained.

As for the Ministry of Personnel, it went without saying that Dongfang Mao intended to keep it firmly in his own hands at this stage, and the same applied to the Ministry of War.

That left only the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Finance.

Regarding the Ministry of Rites, Dongfang Mao favored Tokichiro, who had previously organized the grievance-airing assembly; he was indeed a rare and exceptional talent.

As for the Ministry of Finance, the most suitable candidate was naturally Luzhen.

"Luzhen."

When Dongfang Mao's gaze found that familiar figure, he was instantly struck speechless.

Luzhen was dressed today in a white robe with wide sleeves, resembling the attire of a Confucian scholar.

A sash was cinched at his waist, and he wore a ladder-shaped cap with a white writing brush tucked into it.

He held a white feather fan in his hand, swaying it gently.

The others present also cast their gazes toward him, their expressions turning peculiar.

Yet, facing the many eyes upon him, Luzhen remained unmoved, his expression light and indifferent, his gaze sweeping over these crude warriors with a hint of faint disdain.