At last, the Imperial Secretariat's lineup had taken shape.
Of those on Cao Mao's list, only Xun Xu had yet to take his post.
After the younger faction's comeback, the imperial court had become considerably livelier.
Liveliest of all were Cao Mao's meetings with his palace officials.
These palace officials gathered in Taiji Hall and proposed all manner of ideas for future national policy.
The literati of the Two Han Dynasties had never lacked boldness, but Great Wei's present literati went a step further. Their ideas were truly radical, leaving even Guanqiu Jian, who was attending one of these meetings for the first time, quite shaken.
Great Wei's path was becoming increasingly clear. Through reforms on multiple fronts, it had already forged a path of its own, markedly different from Later Han's.
Gathered here, the palace officials discussed only a handful of matters.
How to raise the imperial court's revenue, how to increase the population, how to improve the people's living standards, and how to strengthen the military.
Watching the ministers around him unleash their wild imaginations, spittle flying everywhere, Guanqiu Jian's eyes filled with astonishment.
They had shattered even his leisurely composure.
Great Wei's fortunes rested in these people's hands?
Under Zhong Hui's influence, they all seemed terribly impatient, eager to accomplish more.
On the subject of raising revenue alone, Guanqiu Jian heard plenty of crazy ideas.
These included, but were not limited to, such outrageous suggestions as "allowing private coin minting," "taking inventory of merchants' assets and requiring anyone with more than twenty thousand coins in assets to surrender half," and "selling public fields."
Fortunately, these were only suggestions. Matters had not yet reached that point.
It was just that Cao Mao was exceedingly indulgent toward his palace officials.
Guanqiu Jian had never witnessed a meeting of palace