In a blink of an eye, Yan Shannong has been in Xingang for six years. Now he is 84 years old, but he can still cook. His body is really strong. It is obvious that he has not yet reported to the King of Hell...

This is normal. The lunatics of the Taizhou School are all full of vitality. As long as they don't commit suicide, living to eighty or ninety years old is like playing. But there is no one who doesn't commit suicide...

Seeing Yan Shannong trying to order more dishes, Zhao Hao hurriedly stopped him with a smile and said, "No need, we brought some wine and food when we came."

"Because of this incident, I have been wanting to invite the young minister to dinner for a long time. I am so grateful for your kindness..." The old man held Zhao Hao's hand and apologized continuously.

Those who have received dictatorship education are different, and their attitude is particularly correct.

"Oh, Mr. Shannong, you are too polite. If you continue like this, I won't dare to visit you again." Zhao Hao laughed.

While the two were talking, Zhao Shizhen and Hu Shizhong set up a round table under the loofah rack and put on the table the cooked food and stewed goods they bought on the way, as well as two dishes and a soup that the old man had prepared earlier - garlic fried loofah, stir-fried beans, and egg and seaweed soup.

The old man was originally going to make some smashed cucumbers and garlic, but the smell was too strong and he was afraid that it would irritate the guests, so he ate the cucumbers raw instead.

After another round of courtesy, Zhao Hao took the seat as the guest of honor, Yan Shannong as the host, and the others followed suit.

There was no need to mention the politeness of thanking and toasting. After three rounds of drinks, the host and the guests began to chat in a drunken atmosphere.

Zhao Haochao likes chatting with those who study liberal arts, especially these days when Wang Zheng pesters him with math, physics and chemistry questions every day, which makes him nervous, afraid that he will give a wrong answer and be laughed at by the children.

It was very relaxing to be with Master He Xinyin and his apprentice. We talked about philosophy and social reform. We just let our imagination run wild. There was no correct answer anyway. We could always correct ourselves if we made a mistake.

As they were chatting animatedly, a guard came in and reported quietly that the local headman wanted to see Mr. Liang about something.

"I'll go." Hu Shizhong, who was serving on the side, ran out, and came back a little later and said with a smile: "Nothing, it's just that the head of the village, Wang, saw so many people coming to our house and asked about the situation."

"The young man is quite responsible." Zhao Hao nodded with satisfaction.

Li is the name of a city block by the group. It is also the most basic administrative unit, on the same level as a production team in the countryside. However, the head of the li is not responsible for arranging production, nor can he be responsible. Therefore, the head of the li has more households under his jurisdiction than the head of the production team, usually about 300 to 500 households in a li.

Like 'shi', 'li' is also new wine in old bottles, and Zhao Hao has given it different connotations.

Traditionally, the head of the village was selected by officials from among the people with outstanding reputation and ability. He was the link between the government and the people. He was also responsible for managing the people in the village on behalf of the court, maintaining public order in the village, reporting public opinion in a timely manner, etc.

Because feudal dynasties generally could not afford a large civil service, they had to generally adopt a small government model. Local officials did not have enough administrative teams to complete the tasks assigned by their superiors, so they could only pass the buck, and the tasks of village heads became increasingly heavy.

The village head had no salary and no subordinates, so he could only rely on the power of the clan. The clan leaders, the gentry and the big landlords, were also happy to take on such responsibilities, because the greater the responsibility, the greater the power.

Local officials were transferred when their terms expired, but the village heads and the clans, gentry and big landlords behind them remained in their places for generations, and it was obvious who the common people would listen to.

Over time, a pattern of imperial power not extending below the county level and rural self-government was formed. In fact, it was not just the villages, the government's governance of the cities was also unable to reach the grassroots level, and the local bosses represented by the village head were still responsible for controlling the people.

At first, some people suggested that Zhao Hao implement the Lijia system in the 18 administrative districts. After all, this autonomous system has been in operation for thousands of years and can basically maintain local stability while saving a lot of administrative resources.

But Zhao Hao doesn't think this is a good idea. In his opinion, the village head is a cadre who directly interacts with the people and is related to the image of the group in the minds of every family. He is also the executor of the group's decisions at the grassroots level and is directly related to the strength of the group's execution.

How can such an important cadre allow ordinary people to recommend amateur players? And not even pay them...

It must be done by professionals! And they must be selected according to the standards of administrative chiefs!

Therefore, the village heads and production team leaders of the 18 administrative districts are all formal group management employees, classified as administrative level 11, and section-level cadres.

Moreover, the village head is not alone. There are also deputy village heads and three to five clerks. These people are responsible for the affairs management, daily security, dispute mediation, problem solving, household registration, health inspection, and other tasks assigned by their superiors. After a few years, as long as they are not exhausted to death, they can be competent for more difficult work...

~~

Speaking of Zhao Hao's reform of the village head system, Yan Shannong was full of praise and said: "The young minister's move to send village heads is a stroke of genius! It seems to have cost a little more salary and office money, but it has been rewarded a thousand times."

"This is not a new method. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the village head was given an official position and two subordinates were assigned to him. However, it was useless." Zhao Hao smiled modestly:

"It works well overseas mainly because there are no educated people among the immigrants and they are deliberately divided and distributed. If you ask me to do this in mainland China, I'm afraid I'll have to equip the village head with troops."

"Clan gentry..." He Xinyin said vaguely while chewing on a cucumber. The utopian experiment he had done back then, the Juhetang, was a demonstration of the power of clan gentry. With such a powerful local tyrant, the parachuted village head really had to rely on the army to stand firm...

"Young Lord, you are too modest." Yan Shannong drank some wine and gradually revealed his true colors. "The cause of this incident is not important, what is important is the result - your group's organization and control over the people is really admirable. Even the Qin State after Shang Yang's reforms could not compare with your group."

"Hahaha, Mr. Shannong is getting more and more ridiculous." Zhao Hao laughed loudly and said, "We are just an ordinary business, at most we are a little bigger in scale. How can we be compared with a country? They are completely unrelated..."

"Have there ever been a company like yours?" Yan Shannong said jokingly as he filled his pipe with tobacco. "It has its own territory, army, and officials, makes its own laws, collects taxes, declares war, and signs treaties with other countries."

"Uh..." Zhao Hao was speechless for a moment, then said: "There should be...

If he had not appeared, the Dutch East India Company, which was established fifteen years later, would have been able to mint currency, sign treaties with foreign countries, wage wars, and establish colonies. In just a few decades, it would have developed into the richest company in the world, with 150 merchant ships, 40 warships, 50,000 employees, 10,000 private armed forces, and most of Southeast Asia.

As for the British East India Company, let alone the Jiangnan Group, it is still a little brother compared to it...

However, these two companies have not been established yet, and as long as Zhao Hao does not vacate the ecological niche, it is estimated that there is no chance of them being established.

In fact, what he wanted to talk about was the Hanseatic League, which was established in 1344. They had a Supreme Council and a Supreme Court, and cities that joined the league had to abide by the decisions of the league's authority. Each city had a public finance and navy, and had the right to conduct diplomacy, declare war, make peace, and conclude treaties. It monopolized the North Sea trade in Europe for more than 200 years.

However, the Hanseatic League was too loose in organization, with no constitution, no written system or executive body. It had strong financial resources and reputation, but could not transform them into combat effectiveness. After the rise of sovereign states in Europe, life has become increasingly difficult, and it is on the verge of a dead end. Zhao Hao was embarrassed to talk about them, and it was almost a negative example.

"You've already done it, why are you afraid of what others will say? We've all lived under your rule for seven years!" He Xinyin said coldly while chewing a cucumber, "If you insist on lying with your eyes open, we have nothing to talk about."

"Yes, even if we don't say it, there are plenty of people who will." Yan Shannong asked his disciple to light a cigarette, took two puffs and said, "In fact, whether it is called a country, a group, or a gang, they are all gangs established for a certain purpose, based on a certain purpose, and according to a certain organization. What's the problem with comparison?"

"Doesn't your group pay special attention to organizational strength?" He Xinyin had obtained Zhao Hao's permission and had thoroughly investigated the group, so he naturally saw through it and said, "Let's not compare anything else, just organizational strength. We say that your group's organizational strength is stronger than that of the Qin State. Is there a problem?"

"If we are still not as good as our ancestors who lived two thousand years ago, then there would be a real problem." Zhao Hao said lightly.

"Oh, hahaha!" Master He Xinyin and his apprentice also laughed. Yan Shannong praised them, "Well, who else but me? This is the demeanor that the head of Jiangnan Group should have!"

He sighed and said sincerely, "I said these things without intending to offend you, young Lord. I really cannot thank you for your kindness, so I can only offer you honest advice that may be unpleasant to the ear. Please don't blame me, young Lord."

"Mr. Shannong, please speak. I am willing to listen." Zhao Hao nodded slightly.

"It is true that Jiangnan Group is flourishing, but it seems to be flourishing, but in fact..." Yan Shannong said sternly:

"It's the most dangerous moment!"

Zhao Hao was silent after hearing this, and after a while he asked in a low voice: "Why do you say that, old man?"

"Do you even need to ask? Jiangnan Group is too big now, like an elephant in the yard, it can't be hidden!" Yan Shannong said in a deep voice: "In fact, many people in the house have seen it, and the owner of the house would not be completely ignorant. It's just that he can't make the decision, so he pretends not to know."

"But time is on the side of the young. The autocratic old butler will eventually grow old, and the young master will always take back his power." After a pause, he said in a creepy tone:

"Besides, he has waited too long and is extremely anxious. Once that day comes, he will definitely take revenge crazily! By then, the old butler will no longer be around. Who will he vent his resentment towards?"