The New Cabinet
"Rostovsky, the former imperial foreign minister, will serve as imperial finance minister!" Mikhail announced the new appointment.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Rostovsky was overjoyed.
Compared with the imperial foreign minister, the finance minister undoubtedly held a higher position.
Before the office of imperial prime minister was established, the finance minister had even been considered the highest-ranking minister in the imperial cabinet.
Even now that the office of imperial prime minister had been established, the finance minister was still considered second only to the prime minister.
Rostovsky was very pleased to be appointed finance minister.
"Pobedonostsev, director of the Imperial Orthodox Affairs Administration, will serve as imperial deputy prime minister while retaining his position as director of the Orthodox Affairs Administration. He will also serve as minister of the Imperial Ministry of Supervision!"
Mikhail continued announcing the appointments.
Pobedonostsev was stunned. He had not expected Mikhail to appoint him deputy prime minister and minister of supervision as well.
The Ministry of Supervision was a new department Mikhail had established; nothing like it had existed before.
"The Imperial Ministry of Supervision will be responsible for overseeing imperial officials at every level and will answer only to the tsar. I am deeply dissatisfied with the empire's current officials at every level.
"Not only are many of these officials corrupt, but quite a few are also passing themselves off as musicians in the orchestra.
"The Imperial Ministry of Supervision must drag every one of them out and bring them to justice.
"I will absolutely not allow the empire's officials to continue to rot!"
Mikhail's attitude was resolute.
If the empire's bureaucracy were allowed to carry on like this, it would only drive the empire further into decline.
Mikhail hoped to clean up the official ranks as soon as possible and bring about a fundamental transformation of the empire's bureaucracy.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I guarantee that I will purge the ranks of officials at every level throughout the empire!" Pobedonostsev was elated.
Although he had not become imperial prime minister, His Majesty the Tsar still placed great trust in him! Otherwise, he would not have made him deputy prime minister and minister of the newly established Imperial Ministry of Supervision.
This was a department that could oversee imperial officials at every level and answered only to the tsar.
It was easy to imagine just how high his position and how great his power were.
Mikhail had entrusted Pobedonostsev with such an important responsibility partly because they were already close. Another reason was perhaps that Pobedonostsev had come from the clergy and was one of the few upright men among the many cabinet ministers.
Putting Pobedonostsev in charge of cleaning up the empire's official ranks was making full use of his talents.
Mikhail nodded. He believed Pobedonostsev would not betray his trust.
Even so, cleaning up the Tsarist Russian Empire's official ranks would be no easy task.
After years of accumulation, corruption in the Tsarist Russian Empire's official ranks had long since reached the roots.
In another timeline, this had also been a major reason for the Tsarist Russian Empire's collapse.
In this timeline, Mikhail had no desire to see it all happen again.
Even if cleaning up the Tsarist Russian Empire's official ranks would be an extremely long process.
Mikhail believed that as long as he kept pushing this system forward, it would eventually produce results.
The Tsarist Russian Empire had a vast population, and there was no telling how many people wanted to become officials.
Even if the current officials were dismissed, replacements could quickly be found.
Even if their replacements gradually became corrupted as well, they could simply be replaced again.
Besides, Mikhail had no intention of letting those corrupted officials off.
Not only would all their property be confiscated and turned over to the state, but they would also be sentenced and sent straight to work on construction sites and in mines.
Mikhail was going to push hard for infrastructure and industrial development across the country, and both would require a great deal of labor.
Those corrupt officials would make a very suitable labor force.
"Stolypin will serve as imperial minister of internal affairs," Mikhail announced the new appointment.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Stolypin was excited as well.
He had been promoted directly from a local official to a minister in the imperial cabinet, and to the relatively powerful post of minister of internal affairs at that, in charge of the police system throughout the country. Naturally, he was overwhelmed by the favor.
In another timeline, Stolypin had also been a famous figure and had even served as imperial prime minister.
After taking office, he had pushed reforms in an attempt to reverse the Tsarist Russian Empire's decline.
Regrettably, he had ultimately been assassinated.
Had he not died in the assassination, the Tsarist Russian Empire might have fared quite differently.
In this timeline, Mikhail would naturally give him a chance.
Mikhail then instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to do everything in its power to arrest members of the Bolshevik Party.
Mikhail had long since dumped the shit bucket for Tsar Nicholas II's assassination on the Bolshevik Party's head, so naturally he would seize this opportunity to do everything in his power to wipe it out.
Even if he could not wipe out the Bolshevik Party completely, he would deal it a devastating blow, leaving it unable to survive in the Tsarist Russian Empire, much less grow stronger.
Of course, a steadily weakening Tsarist Russian Empire whose people lived in hardship was undoubtedly exceptionally fertile soil for the Bolshevik Party.
Many people joined the Bolshevik Party precisely because they had lost all hope in the Tsarist Russian Empire and wanted to bring about change.
But Mikhail believed that as long as the empire took the initiative to change and steadily improved the people's living conditions,
the people would not lose hope in the empire and would not join the Bolshevik Party.
At the same time, Mikhail also ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to give the Imperial Ministry of Supervision its full assistance and join in cleaning up the empire's official ranks.
This would also provide the Imperial Ministry of Supervision with armed support.
After all, apart from the imperial army and navy, the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs was undoubtedly the empire's most powerful organ of force.
The empire's senior officials all knew that His Majesty the Tsar intended to place great importance on Stolypin, and many could not help looking at him with envy.
Mikhail then announced a series of new appointments.
Muravyov would serve as imperial foreign minister, replacing Rostovsky, who had become finance minister.
Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich would serve as imperial minister of the army. Admiral Pavel Tyrtov would serve as imperial minister of the navy.
The previous navy minister had also supported Grand Duke Nicholas. Although the imperial navy had not actually taken part in the civil war, Mikhail clearly wanted someone he trusted to serve as navy minister.
The imperial navy was also undoubtedly a priority for the Tsarist Russian Empire's future development.
Whether the empire had to deal with the Japanese Empire or the British masters behind the Japanese, building a powerful navy was indispensable.
Mikhail then announced the appointments of the imperial ministers of justice, transport, and national education. He also established three new departments—the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Health—and appointed new ministers to head them.
The ministries of the entire Tsarist Russian Empire's cabinet had been reshaped according to Mikhail's will.
Once the empire had truly completed the cleanup of its official ranks, perhaps the Tsarist Russian Empire really could reverse its decline and avoid growing weaker still.