Reforms usually do not go smoothly because the reason for the reform is problems at the bottom of society, and these problems cannot affect the upper class in the short term.
Once reforms really begin, they are bound to affect the interests of the upper classes of society, so reforms throughout the dynasties often encounter twists and turns.
But the reforms proposed by Lu Chen this time are different. The new source of power will accelerate the entire society. Many signs have already appeared at the local level, and the officials in the court are increasingly feeling that official duties are heavy.
In fact, it would be okay if they were a little tired, but the key is that many times they are so tired that they vomit blood and cannot do some things well.
What it all comes down to is that their knowledge reserves are not enough. The books of sages they have read are now difficult for them to deal with some emerging things.
In order to solve these problems, Lu Chen felt it necessary to further subdivide Da Qi's administrative departments.
At the same time, officials in the court and officials who would enter the officialdom through the imperial examination in the future would need to go to the Chinese Academy of Sciences for specialized study and training.
Of course, if someone from the Chinese Academy of Sciences wants to serve as an official in the court, there will be no such concerns.
Therefore, Lu Chen suggested that if necessary, certain departments could set up some consultant positions, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is willing to send people to provide guidance.
Of course, the relevant departments need to settle the expenses during this period.
There were even some important departments that Lu Chen simply proposed to let people from the Chinese Academy of Sciences take charge of.
Naturally, all the officials in the court were unhappy about this matter. How could someone from the Chinese Academy of Sciences suddenly become the top leader? This is against the rules.
However, they were indeed scratching their heads when it came to handling some matters, so they didn't say anything definite. It wouldn't be too late to discuss this matter later.
"Everything else is easy to deal with, but the establishment of a railway department is urgent. I hope you can consider it carefully for the sake of the country." This was the last sentence Lu Chen said before leaving the court.
After the court was dismissed, the officials walked out in groups of three or four. Cui Shanzhan did not pay any attention to anyone along the way, but was thinking about his own things.
After leaving the palace, the family steward hurried forward and helped Cui Shanzhan brush off the non-existent dust on his body and said, "Sir, shall we go home now?"
"I'm not going back. Let's find a restaurant, ask for a private room and order two small dishes. I want some peace and quiet."
"Okay, let's go to the pedestrian street then?"
"Let's not go there this time. Let's go to another restaurant."
"Okay, then you sit down."
With a whip, the horse quickly disappeared at the end of the road.
When they arrived at the place, Cui Shanzhan entered the private room and started drinking by himself.
Not long after, the steward came in from outside and whispered a few words in Cui Shanzhan's ear. Cui Shanzhan frowned slightly, thought for a while and then said, "Please invite the person in."
Soon, the eldest prince opened the door and bowed to Cui Shanzhan with a smile, saying, "Master Cui, it's been a long time."
Cui Shanzhan looked at the eldest prince in front of him, who looked a little excited, and said, "I heard that Your Highness is about to leave for his fiefdom. I wonder what you want to see me for now?"
It is generally against the rules for court officials and princes to meet privately, especially since the eldest prince has a very special status and it is easy to violate taboos.
So Cui Shanzhan didn't want to waste any more words with the other party. After finding out what was going on, he planned to leave quickly.
The eldest prince smiled and didn't rush to talk about the matter. He sat down opposite Cui Shanzhan, grabbed the wine pot and poured himself a glass of wine. After taking a sip, he slowly said, "I heard that Lu Chen proposed to reform the court structure in the court today. I wonder if this is true?"
"Since the eldest prince can ask this, he must have his own information channels. Why bother with this?"
"Alright, since Lord Cui doesn't like beating around the bush, I'll just say it directly. I think Lu Chen's proposal to reform the court structure at this time is simply harbouring evil intentions! I don't think he's satisfied with just being a state teacher anymore!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Shanzhan raised his eyebrows and said, "Prince, please be careful with your words. There are some things you cannot say carelessly."
"Why, Lord Cui, the dignified Minister of War, is he also afraid of that charlatan?"
"I'm not afraid, I'm just talking nonsense. You can't tarnish someone's innocence like this. It's not what a gentleman does." Cui Shanzhan said to the other party in a light tone.
The eldest prince wasn't upset by this. He laughed heartily and said, "Evidence? Doesn't Lu Chen's proposed reform plan count as evidence? What did he say in court? He wanted to establish a Ministry of Railways. This department would be financially independent and would have its own law enforcement department, completely independent of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice. What is he trying to do? Establish his own little kingdom?"
Cui Shanzhan didn't rush to speak, just staring at the wine glass in his hand. After a long while, he said quietly, "Even if that's the case, it doesn't mean anything. Wasn't the Jinyiwei considered his personal army?"
"That's different. When the Jinyiwei was first established, it was under the banner of inspecting drugs. Moreover, their number was not large, and the area they could cover was limited."
"But if he really sets up a railway department, then wherever the railway reaches, his influence will also extend. Has Minister Cui ever thought about how terrible this would be?"
In fact, this is also the reason why Cui Shanzhan did not agree to set up a railway department. Lu Chen actually said that there must be a supervisory and law enforcement department on the railway, so a special government office must be established, and there must be troops stationed at each station. Cui Shanzhan knew very well that if Lu Chen really got things done, he would really take away a large part of his power.
Now that the eldest prince has made it clear, Cui Shanzhan has to consider it carefully.
After a long while, he looked up at the eldest prince and said, "Why are you discussing this with me, eldest prince? You can report these insights to His Majesty, and His Majesty will certainly handle them."
"Father has long been bewitched by that demonic Taoist priest. Now, he won't listen to anything I say."
"So? You came to see me? What's your purpose? Do you want me to make a report? To be honest, I am a nobody and my words carry no weight. I'm afraid His Majesty won't listen to my opinion."
"No, I think the demon is too powerful now. He has influence throughout the court and among the people. We can't defeat him by taking our time! The only solution now is to cut the Gordian knot!"
"What did you say?!"
Cui Shanzhan was startled and stood up quickly, knocking over the tables and chairs, causing the food and wine to scatter all over the floor.
However, at this moment, he had no intention of paying attention to these things. He stared at the eldest prince and said, "Do you know what you are saying? Have you thought about the consequences of doing this?"
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