Chapter 387 Civil Service System
It was no secret that the prince would occasionally stand alone on the deck to look at the scenery or even talk to himself.
Ever since he reached an agreement with Hughes last time, the prince could hardly wait to board the ironclad ship back to Castel.
The reconstruction and reorganization of Blood Harbor had not even started, the victims needed to be comforted, and the damage needed to be counted. Normally, the prince should not have been in charge of the territory at this time, but he did so anyway.
The prince simply gave some brief instructions and then threw the work to Galahad and the bureaucrats he had promoted, then boarded the ironclad ship without even bringing any attendants with him.
Hughes couldn't tell whether this was bravery or recklessness. As long as he had any idea about Grand Duke Tis, he could make him die in Castel without any evidence.
Later, Zeus thought about it and felt that perhaps it was his refusal to swallow the blood port that inexplicably gained the prince's trust. Who knew what this guy, who always acted unexpectedly, was thinking.
The Crusaders on the ship deliberately kept their distance from the prince. After all, this was Castel's ship, and if they got too close, they could easily be mistaken for surveillance.
But the prince always took the initiative to contact the Crusaders, chat with them whenever he had the chance, and occasionally borrow holy books to read.
He never talked about sensitive topics and never asked about weapons and equipment. He was just very interested in Castel's system.
Hughes did not follow the Empire's civil service system on the island. The thirteen-level civil service system was extremely advanced in that era, as it gave talents at the bottom a way to move up.
But it was not advanced enough because it did not completely remove the nobles from the bureaucracy.
The thirteen-level civil service system did leave a way out for the nobles after all.
Although it was not stated explicitly, the nobles were able to exploit various loopholes. For example, civil servants above level eight could be awarded titles, so how could one be promoted from a level eight civil servant to a level seven?
It’s not enough to just wait for seniority, you have to produce results.
However, civil servants at this level do not have the qualifications to be independent directors, and there is no work that can produce results to be assigned to you. It is simply a vicious circle.
But the nobles are different. They can support each other within the system, and things that are extremely difficult for ordinary people can be accomplished by the nobles with just a few clicks of their fingers.
If this continues, the aristocratic families will inevitably once again seize power in the empire.
Why not solve it? Is it because the Queen doesn’t want to?
These paths were deliberately left behind by the Queen. It was very simple. The foundation of her rule was the aristocracy. Without the aristocracy, no one would execute her orders. If she did not leave a way for the nobles in exchange for their cooperation, she could not even implement the civil service system.
The empire is the country of the nobles, not the common people. She is the queen of the nobles, and being able to give the common people a way out is already a great compromise for the nobles.
As long as she remains the queen, she will never be able to resolve this matter.
Unless you start over again.
The reason why she was able to kill all the nobles in Blood Harbor was because there were no longer these restrictions. The thirteen-level civil service system had trained a large number of grassroots bureaucrats with management experience. Without aristocratic management, these people could maintain the operation of the territory.
Of course, this civil service system has made Blood Harbor what it is today, but it has also put shackles on its future.
The Queen was willing to fake her own death and start over again, so she naturally would not allow the nobles to hold power again. However, she did not know how to reform it, as this had never happened in history.
But Castel is different.
From the very beginning, Hughes had no intention of enfeoffment of nobles.
He was a border earl with great autonomy, and Castel was his country.
And Hughes has no historical baggage or resistance to reform. As long as he doesn't want to be a noble, no one in the world can use nobility to suppress him.
His experience before the time travel made him realize how destructive the system would be once a hole was opened.
Hughes directly used examinations as the most important indicator for selecting civil servants.
If you want to climb up in the civil service system, you must have both grassroots management experience and advanced learning experience. If you want to be in charge of a certain area of power, you must have relevant work experience.
For example, Gaia is responsible for the management of the explosives production line, so she must have worked on this production line before she is allowed to hold a superior position in this area.
Even though Alexei had led troops into battle himself, he was allowed to serve as a military officer in the Crusader Army.
The only exception might be Chloe, who had not died before becoming the representative of the sacrificed personnel. This set of rules was a bit complicated and cumbersome, but people had no complaints - Castel was Hughes' fiefdom, and he had the final say. Even if he wanted to do something against the will of heaven, no one could say anything, not to mention that it was just a slightly troublesome system.
After all, it also provides a channel for people at the bottom to rise.
The people of Castres did not understand the profound meaning of Hughes's handling of the matter, but Isabella was different.
As the queen of the empire, she was always trying to find ways to save this huge empire, and she even faked her death and gave up her power and position to start over.
The system designed by Zeus may seem ordinary at first glance, as if it was something the lords came up with on a whim. But the more you look into it, the more you discover its subtleties.
The biggest advantage of this civil service system is its stability. The bureaucrats who are selected must be proficient in practical affairs and have considerable scientific literacy.
But the disadvantage is that it is not aggressive enough and there is no institutional encouragement for risk-taking.
This part is supplemented by Hughes himself. The research directions he defines are often beyond people's expectations, but they are always proved to be correct in the end.
And judging by the evasive attitude of the Crusaders, Castel must have another system to check and balance. Just like the empire's alchemist system, scientific research should have an independent way of operating.
I just don't know why he is unwilling to announce it to me. This is the conclusion Isabella came to through casual chatting over the past few days.
Why can't it be made public? There is no need to guess. It must involve some taboos. It is said that there is an evil god burning in the stove on the island, so it is not necessarily that there is no sacrifice to another one.
It's even possible that Zeus has established a new cult with himself as the core. She is not completely ignorant of the affairs of the secret society.
But it doesn’t matter. The corrupt system is more dangerous than the evil god. Isabella would rather cooperate with the evil god than trust those nobles.
Castel, how many more surprises can you give me?
Thinking of this, her gaze slowly fell on the transparent spirit beside her.
"Prince, I only have one request of you." She lowered her voice.
"What?"
"Listen carefully, there must be many magical things on that island. You have already heard what Galahad said. When you see them, don't make embarrassing noises like you did when you saw the airship."
"W-what! I'm not that weak. Besides, you haven't been to the island. You might end up being as embarrassed as Galahad!"
"Oh, how is that possible?" Isabella sneered, "I am the empress of the empire. What have I not seen?"
(End of this chapter)
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