Chapter 397: Chapter 211: Two Countries Join Forces

Translator: 549690339

The issue of the lack of officials is a common topic.

Since the pacification of the three prefectures last year, Lu Yuan has been plagued by this problem.

Now, more than a year has passed, and the problem still remains unresolved, becoming a burden for him in founding his kingdom.

However, now that the court has officially conferred him as the King of Changsha, and his legitimacy issues have been resolved, this matter can be dealt with more easily.

Therefore, after hearing Sun Siwen’s words, Lu Yuan said at this time: “As for the issue of the imperial examination, I will issue a decree after I am officially ennobled and establish the kingdom. The Enke examination will be widely available within the national boundaries, and this will be used to select officials.”

“As for the inner affairs of the court, each ministry head and department head should be selected from the local officials who are talented. This will establish the framework for each ministry and department.”

“After their departure, the local areas will promote replacement officials.”

“First, set up the frameworks of the central court and local prefectures and counties, arrange the officials of each ministry and department, each prefecture, and county, and maintain their operation.”

“For the remaining vacant positions, wait for the imperial examination results, and then fill them with the newly appointed officials.”

As for selecting officials, it is the easiest solution for Lu Yuan at this time.

Just hold an imperial examination, and thousands of scholars and juren will naturally flock to serve him as if they were fish returning to the sea.

However, after listening to Lu Yuan’s words, Sun Siwen was not as optimistic, and said with some distress: “Your majesty, the problem of the shortage of officials can be solved by holding a new imperial examination. However, after years of war and chaos in Dongting Prefecture, the local area is exhausted, and the people are weary and scattered.”

“It is already difficult for the people to have enough food to eat, let alone study.”

“In these days, I have read the documents and household registers sent from the local areas.”

“After checking, I found that in the past four years, there are only about 2,300 scholars with Scholar’s Degree titles in our entire Dongting Prefecture and the nine prefectures of Jiangnan. This is not enough to fill the more than 1,700 vacant positions.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but feel a headache, and then asked: “How did Dongting Prefecture maintain so many officials with so few scholars in the past years?”

Sun Siwen replied: “Among the prefectures in Da Yue, apart from Linhai and Yuzhang, the other prefectures have not historically had strong academic atmosphere. In the past, the imperial court often selected scholars from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures to be assigned to various prefectures as officials.”

“For example, after I passed the juren examination, I was assigned from Yuzhang Prefecture to Dongting Prefecture.”

“Officials like me from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures account for half of the total number of officials in the prefectures of Da Yue. The remaining half are filled by scholars from the other six prefectures.”

“Now that Your Majesty is establishing a new country, many local officials from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures have abandoned their posts and left.”

“These scholars have their families and relatives in Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures and are under the control of the imperial court, making them untrustworthy.”

“Therefore, if Your Majesty wants to select officials, unless they are willing to wholeheartedly serve Da Yue in the future, it will be impossible to obtain help from the imperial court.”

“But without the scholars from Linhai and Yuzhang Prefectures, there is a lack of officials in Dongting Prefecture, and suitable people cannot be found.”

“Please make the decision, Your Majesty.”

Without enough officials, Lu Yuan’s Changsha State cannot operate.

But if he only seeks officials from the imperial court, does his territory belong to him or the imperial court?

This decision is tough, and Sun Siwen dares not make it on his own, so he can only ask Lu Yuan, the ruler, to make the choice.

After hearing this, Lu Yuan also fell silent.

In the past few years, Dongting Prefecture has suffered severe losses due to wars and chaos.

Not only did the population drop from its peak of 600,000 households and 3 million people to just 360,000 households, and 1.8 million people, losing nearly half of its population.

Even local scholars were either killed by rebels or forced to move and flee to other prefectures in the succession of wars and chaos.

So now that Lu Yuan is establishing a nation, after counting, there are only more than 2,300 scholars left in the entire country – a true cultural desert.

Facing such a desolate scene, Lu Yuan could only sigh deeply, think carefully and finally said: “Scholars from the imperial court cannot be used, but scholars who do not belong to the imperial court can always be used.”

“Now that Nanhai Country and Ninghai Country have been established, although they have also experienced war and chaos, several years have passed, and they have already restored peace.”

“Especially Nanhai Country, which was not deeply affected when it was invaded by Jinghai Country, and has now fully revitalized.”

“I am in an alliance with both countries, and I will send envoys to them to describe our current difficulties, requesting them to allow their scholars to participate in our imperial examinations and serve as officials.”

“Given the current situation in these two countries, they should agree to it.”

When Lu Yuan and Yan Wangqiu, Su Xuange formed an alliance, they had agreed to help each other and assist Lu Yuan in maintaining his country against the threats from the north, Zhou Country and Yue Country.

Now, as Lu Yuan’s country is without sufficient officials, he sends a letter to seek help, and the likelihood is that the two would not refuse.

After hearing Lu Yuan’s compromise solution, Sun Siwen hesitated slightly before nodding and smiling, saying, “If we can seek help from Nanhai and Ninghai countries, there should be no problem.”

On the side, Cui Changqing also smiled and teased: “It has been heard that when Nanhai and Ninghai countries were first established, the martial artists from Nanhai Sect and Nine River Sword Sect couldn’t wait to jump out and grab key positions in the two countries.”

“Not only occupying more than half of the central court positions, they also filled local government positions with their trusted followers and planted their factions.”

“According to rumors, within just half a month of the establishment of the two countries, more than half of the local officials from their respective original prefectures were dismissed or forced to leave.”