Chapter 66 The Clash between Ancient and Modern People

Sheren wrote quickly, and everything the emperor and his minister had said today came to life on the paper.

Zhao Huan took a quick look and found that what the attendant had recorded was exactly the same as what he had said, without any embellishment, such as "protracted war", "top leader", "staying alive", "arrogant", etc.

Hundreds of years later, when future generations study the history of the Song Dynasty, they will be amazed to find that our ancestors were so fashionable so long ago, and this has resonated with people for hundreds of years.

"Tell me in detail what it means to trust the Prime Minister?"

"Any monarch who wishes to revive a nation and eradicate chaos must have ministers who share the same aspirations and values, supporting them. Just like fathers and sons, or brothers in a family, they must cooperate and coordinate their actions."

"Your Majesty now selects talents to resist the enemy and defend the country, often from those who actively advocate war. This is a great waste of court talent."

"To be frank, most officials in the court are fence-sitters, their decision to fight or make peace dependent on the prevailing winds of the court. I hope Your Majesty will treat them with sincerity. If they haven't committed serious offenses, then be lenient with them, allowing them to work diligently and achieve success in their careers."

"In this way, the virtues between ruler and subject will be passed down to future generations."

"Mr. Zhao, please interrupt me. I've been trusting my advisors since I ascended the throne. At the end-of-year banquet for all ministers, I said we would let bygones be bygones and look forward to the future."

Zhao Huan was full of energy. "Mr. Zhao, I'll give you a lesson in management. You said most officials are fence-sitters. I'd venture to guess that it's around 70%."

Zhao Ding was shocked: "Your Majesty has also done some research?"

In order to obtain relatively accurate data, Zhao Ding spent more than one hundred taels of silver to conduct a "questionnaire" to the coachmen, servants, guards and other servants in the homes of many officials in Bianliang City, and only then did he get first-hand information.

"I haven't investigated, nor do I need to. Whether it's a high-ranking official or a low-ranking official, he's still a human being. Humans have their own natures, and they must follow the laws of birth, old age, sickness, and death, greed, anger, ignorance, and desire."

"Management, first and foremost, is about managing people, not things. Management theory states that 70 percent of people will obey management. That is, as long as the leader provides good guidance, clearly defines rewards and punishments, and insists on resisting the Japanese, these people will turn their guns and fight the Jin army."

"The reason I say 70% is because 15% of people are born troublemakers. No matter what system you implement, what requirements you make, or how much rewards or punishments you give, they will have their own ideas and it's difficult to control them. People like Tong Guan, Wang Fu, and Cai Jing are all like this. If there are common interests, then use them. If the interests are different, it's best to dismiss them and let them go to avoid causing trouble."

"Another 15% are born good people, good husbands at home, good employees at work, and always hold themselves to the standards of moral role models. These are the least of my worries. As long as I can find the right people for the right positions, they will shine brightly and illuminate others. These are the little suns of the court."

Zhao Ding looked ashamed and said, "I'm sorry for showing off my knowledge before an expert. It turns out Your Majesty already has a theory in mind."

Zhao Huan waved his hand. "You are exploring on your own, while I am standing on the shoulders of giants. There is no comparison between the two. It is already very good that you can come up with this. It is far superior to others."

Zhao Huan frowned. "Theory is one thing, practice is another. I've only been on the throne for a short time, and during my time as Crown Prince, I didn't get along with Cai Jing, Wang Fu, Zhu Zhen, and others. It will take a long time to figure out how to make them feel comfortable."

Zhao Ding immediately spoke up: "I am willing to share your Majesty's worries."

Zhao Huan smiled and said, "Since you've already spoken, I'll take charge of everything. I'm waiting to see your human resources report. It's hard to do anything without a position. You can first become a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel. I'll have the Shangshu take care of you."

“…Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Zhao Ding was a little bit enlightened. I was making a report to the emperor and his subjects, right? I was promoted. It is true that gold will always shine. I am so awesome.

“What’s the point of this public selection of talents?”

"Public selection of talents means openly selecting talents through the imperial examination system, then promoting the capable and demoting the incompetent, so that everyone can make the best use of their talents. Only a monarch with the help of talented people can govern the country."

"During the reign of the retired emperor, this fairness was severely undermined. During the few years that Cai Jing served as prime minister alone, six of his sons and four of his grandsons served in important positions at court. Furthermore, he also extensively installed his own trusted aides in prominent positions."

"According to normal regulations, the promotion of ministers is the responsibility of the Ministry of Personnel, which has a set of standardized procedures. However, Cai Jing took advantage of his position as prime minister and his power to appoint officials in an extraordinary manner, which is called Tangchu."

"Tangchu is an unconventional practice, only occasionally and exceptionally, but in Cai Jing's case, it has become commonplace. He appoints one today, and another tomorrow. It's much faster than the Ministry of Personnel. Because the Ministry of Personnel needs to conduct an assessment, but Cai Jing doesn't. If you obey and give me money, I will let you take the position."

"Oh, this is just like bad money driving out good. The functions of the Ministry of Personnel have been weakened by Cai Jing."

"That's roughly what I mean. Aside from Cai Jing, there were also Liang Shicheng, Zhu Zhen, and many others who interfered with the Ministry of Personnel's talent selection process." Zhao Ding continued, "In the court, everyone is assigned a position. Those who form cliques and flatter others occupy high positions, while truly talented people are relegated to local positions or low-paying government offices. Without an extremely wise monarch who can discern the true nature of human nature, how can outstanding talent be discovered?"

Zhao Huan agreed: "This kind of behavior that undermines the fairness of the exam, if it were put into practice today, would be considered cheating in the college entrance examination. It's a serious matter, and no official, no matter how high, could tolerate it."

"I understand. I will definitely focus on restoring fairness in talent selection. Anyone who dares to interfere will be dismissed from office. I appoint you as a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel. You must keep a close watch on me. Anyone who dares to break the rules of the game and report to me will be killed."

"Your Majesty is very violent, but I like it."

"On the surface, there's no difference between military tactics and scholarly conduct, but in reality, the two are interconnected. Scholars with honest and upright conduct will have upright opinions and a clear distinction between right and wrong. The court will reward and punish according to merit, and the people will be convinced..."

"As for the saying, 'Do your best in your work,' the Way of Heaven and the Way of Man are actually one and the same. Human behavior is also the behavior of Heaven. When humans complete their own tasks, Heaven will certainly accompany them. This is natural. Your Majesty is a true dragon. You should do your best to complete human tasks and adapt to Heaven's will. The time to revive the Great Song Dynasty, restore the country, and eliminate the Jin Dynasty's harm is not far away..."

It's so mysterious. Doesn't this mean that if you bloom, butterflies will come to you; if you are wonderful, heaven will arrange everything for you!

This dialogue between the emperor and his ministers lasted from noon to night, covering politics, military affairs and culture. When Zhao Huan was in the mood, he gave Zhao Ding additional positions in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue. He was truly an all-rounder.

If you practice a little, you will become the prime minister.