Imperial Examinations, Fewer Marquises, a Million-Strong Army!
The morning assembly ended, leaving a mess behind.
The empire has only recently been established, and as it continues to grow, its operations are expanding and its affairs are becoming increasingly complex...
In just a few years of reform, Qin Daoyuan has already expended a great deal of effort.
Don't be fooled by his ruthless killings; some officials served two or even three dynasties without hesitation, seemingly heartless, but in reality, he was eradicating a cancerous force...
The more senior officials there are in the court, the more entrenched and complex their networks become, naturally reducing efficiency and creating an endless number of brothers-in-law...
The necessary elimination of factions is a necessary blood transfusion for the empire!
Otherwise, it will only become more and more troublesome, to the point that it becomes too big to handle and escapes the control of the Qin Clan, which is something the Qin Clan cannot accept...
Therefore--
All the unprovoked deaths are for a better future for the empire!
"The imperial court needs fresh blood, whether it's from the Han Academy or the Combat Commanders Palace, these founding fathers who followed the Great Qin..."
"We need to replace them. We can see the loyalty of the older generation, but the loyalty of the younger generation in each family and clan is questionable..."
Inside the main hall--
Qin Xuanze silently walked out of the side hall. As the most knowledgeable person in the Qin Clan regarding state affairs, he had served as an official in the imperial court for two hundred years...
Having lived through three dynasties, he can be considered the person who understands the true nature of empires best!
His words carried considerable weight.
Among the Xuan generation, besides Qin Xuanzi, they are among the most outstanding...
Upon hearing this—
Qin Daoyuan bowed respectfully to him. Officially, they were ruler and subject; privately, Qin Xuanze was his grandfather's generation. As for Qin Xuanze's words...
He has to listen, and he also has to consider it carefully!
"Master Ze is right. Although the Han Academy and the Combat Commanders Palace are the foundation of the empire, their positions have never changed. As for the Wang Clan, Meng Clan, and Lady Han..."
"The vested interests are too powerful; they need to be dealt with seriously."
"Furthermore, the reduction of the number of imperial lords must also be put on the agenda. The lords who have been enfeoffed are unevenly powerful, wasting the empire's resources..."
"We must further reduce the number of these feudal lords!"
As he spoke--
Three scrolls appeared before Qin Daoyuan...
The existing system of six Grand Secretaries within the Imperial Han Academy will be expanded to nine, with some of these positions...
It will be conducted through the imperial examination system, open to the entire empire!
All students of the Imperial Academy can enter the court as officials through the imperial examinations, and the term of office for the nine Grand Secretaries is fixed at 100 years...
A century later, the next round of imperial examinations will be necessary.
Similarly--
The Combat Commanders Palace also holds martial arts examinations, increasing the number of generals from six to nine, with the examinations rotating every century...
It kept pace with the changing of emperors throughout history.
This led to a new system where each new emperor brought his own court, and new rules were established regardless of which Lineage it was.
No two individuals can simultaneously hold the positions of one of the Nine Great Scholars or one of the Nine Great Generals, nor can one be a civil official and the other a military officer—this forcibly limits the upper limit for each major Lineage...
In order to prevent Aristocratic Clan and influential families from becoming too powerful, they either had to take up a position as a scholar or a general.
The civil and military institutions together form the eighteen pillars of the empire today!
Every hundred years, a selection process occurs, corresponding to the younger generation of Golden Core cultivators. Those with better aptitude often Core Formation around the age of one hundred and fifty...
And at this age, not too young, not too old, just right!
This was one of the reforms to come, while the other two documents before Qin Daoyuan corresponded to the plan to reduce the number of feudal lords...
Now, the number of those who have been granted titles of nobility in the empire is more than two hundred!
Even some marquis titles were once held by Dao Foundation Lineage, which is vastly different from the current structure of the empire...
Therefore, this time--
Qin Daoyuan acted ruthlessly, reducing the number of imperial marquises to eighteen and openly allowing numerous Lineage to compete for them...
What Qin Daoyuan wanted were eighteen Golden Core Late Stage...
Even a marquis at the Golden Core Peak Stage is a top-tier Lineage power with the potential to achieve the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul and become a member of the upper three ranks of the Immortal Clan...
Externally, it can be used by the empire!
Internally, it can bring stability to the region!
As for those marquis Lineage whose titles were stripped, they returned to ordinary life, and for them to rise again was simple...
First, one must pass the imperial examinations to become one of the nine Grand Secretaries or nine Grand Generals. After serving as an official for a century, one must prove their talent and absolute loyalty...
Only by clashing with a host of new and old forces can one finally win the title of Imperial Marquis.
If there are no vacancies among the eighteen marquises, a newcomer can challenge a former marquis, provided they kill the current marquis...
He could then replace the marquis and become the new marquis of the empire!
This is also known as: Bloody Battle for Replacement!
Qin Daoyuan intended to use this method to constantly provoke the powerful and influential within the empire, instilling in them a sense of crisis and relentlessly forcing them to become stronger...
Once it enters a period of decline, a constant stream of challengers will emerge, seeking to replace its original ecological position...
Only by constantly maintaining a sense of crisis.
Only in this way can the corruption of the empire's high-level combat power be guaranteed; only such a force can become a pillar of the empire...
A qualified, sharp knife!
The third file corresponds to the changes in the empire's military...
With the simplification of the imperial system, the changing dynamics within the court, and the empire's continued expansion...
The Imperial Army also needs further strengthening!
In addition to the existing three basic legions, six more army groups were added, bringing the total number of cultivators to 900,000...
The commander of each army group is a general from the Combat Commanders Palace!
They were responsible for controlling the empire's military power, reporting directly to the Qin Emperor, and the position of Commander of the Imperial Guard was established, to be held by members of the Qin Clan family throughout history...
It also retained the structure of an army group.
Its primary responsibility is to protect Northern Nether Capital...
At the same time, the Imperial Guard combined the functions of the Net and the Shadow Secret Guard, serving as both the Emperor's personal guard and the eyes that looked down upon the empire...
They are the executors in the shadows, and the purgers of the empire!
They are infiltrators who have penetrated enemy forces, and also loyal servants who are absolutely devoted to the Empire. This is the Empire's Tenth Legion...
Imperial Guard Army!
In total, there are nine legions and the Imperial Guard, comprising a million cultivators—this is the path Qin Daoyuan paved for the imperial system...
(I didn't pay attention a couple of days ago, but now I realize my herpes has flared up again. It's incredibly uncomfortable and painful. I'll catch up with you all tomorrow afternoon.)