"Wouldn't doing this from the start have settled everything?"
Lin Ke sat back down as well.
Still, he had gained a new perspective on these Gentleman Realm figures.
They placed tremendous importance on their authority!
And it seemed that this was not merely because they coveted power.
As Minister Xun had said earlier, remaining in a minister's position for long enough would allow one to advance into the Gentleman Realm at an astonishing speed.
They affirmed their own path, then fulfilled the duties of their office and put that path into practice.
People like these had to be brought down.
Otherwise, those who walked different paths could not make plans together.
Their paths differed, and conflicts would certainly arise again in the future. It was better to take action against them early.
But he was rather busy now and had no time to deal with these ministers.
Besides, replacing them would require a complete changing of the guard.
Right now, he had no one available to use. If the departments wound up half-paralyzed like the Rites Department, it would be even more troublesome, making it difficult to get anything done.
Perhaps he would at least have to wait until the university was established and fresh blood began flowing into officialdom.
"Lord Lin, how should we cooperate with you?" The minister of the Punishments Department now appeared to have fully capitulated. "Everyone in my department will do everything in their power."
Lin Ke did not stand on ceremony. He raised a finger. "Step one: place the entire Personnel Department under control, including its archives, books, and ledgers. If a single person escapes or a single volume is damaged, it will count as destruction of evidence, and those responsible must be held accountable."
"Step two: organize personnel from the Punishments Department to