Chapter 197: The People Decide the Rise and Fall of Officials

“Entrusted to the people? What exactly do you mean by that?”

Li Shun narrowed his eyes slightly, deep in thought.

Kong Zhao snorted coldly, a suppressed sense of indignation visible between his brows.

After a brief pause, he patiently explained, “The common people will also be granted the authority to evaluate every civil and military official of the imperial court. Their evaluations can cause an official's assessment grade to fluctuate by as many as two minor grades.”

“For example, suppose a county magistrate is originally assessed as Lower-Upper and should therefore be punished. If he enjoys the deep support of the people, he could not only be promoted to Middle-Lower, he might even leap all the way to Middle-Middle.”

“Conversely, if he has earned a notorious reputation among the people, his grade could fall as low as Lower-Lower. At that point, not only would his position be in jeopardy, he might even have to worry about keeping his head attached to his neck!”

“Thus, the countless voices of the people throughout the realm are, in effect, enough to determine an entire major grade of an official's final assessment.”

Kong Zhao's face was filled with displeasure as he said indignantly, “Junior Brother, tell me honestly. Is this not utterly absurd?”

“Those ignorant country bumpkins cannot even read or write. What could they possibly know about benevolence, righteousness, morality, and shame? And now they actually want to turn the tables and recklessly determine the future of officials like us? It is truly the greatest joke under heaven!”

Li Shun pondered for a moment without answering immediately.

Instead, he asked another question.

“This so-called popular sentiment and public opinion, what standards will be used to evaluate and measure it? Surely they cannot go door to door asking every household?”

“Besides, all those distinguished officials occupy lofty positions in the imperial court. How could ordinary commoners struggling merely to make ends meet possibly know the details of their political achievements?”

“Forget them. Even I cannot recognize all the civil and military officials of the imperial court.”

Kong Zhao grew even more irritated.

“That is precisely why the imperial court is preparing to make such a massive undertaking. The Mohist School has joined forces with the Directorate of Celestial Observation and intends to launch major construction projects throughout every commandery and county to establish the [Hundred Officials Towers].”

“Within each tower will be engraved the complete register and portraits of Great Qian's officials. From the Left and Right Chancellors, the Three Excellencies, and Nine Ministers at the top, all the way down to the magistrates of every province and county, every official will be included. Whenever an official is transferred, the inscriptions will be updated accordingly.”

“Beneath each official's name will be a record of his background and career history, as well as his recent political achievements.”

“Whenever the annual assessments approach, the people throughout the realm will go to the Hundred Officials Towers and evaluate the merits and shortcomings of the various ministers and officials.”

“And they claim these evaluations will leave no trace, making it impossible for anyone to discover who gave what assessment…”

Suspicion filled Kong Zhao's eyes as he let out another cold snort.

“Junior Brother, do you know that, in order to implement this Nine-Rank Official System, from today onward, whenever the imperial court issues a decree, it must bear the names of the officials responsible for it?”

“From major national policies to the taxes imposed by individual provinces and counties, nothing will be exempt.”

“For example, the official document announcing the implementation of this new Nine-Rank system lists, in great detail, the honored names of the Left and Right Chancellors, our Grandmaster, the Grand Commandant, as well as the various Nine Ministers and other central officials.”

Li Shun was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

“Could it be that all of them agree with this?”

“And having the people supervise them as well. Is that not taking things a little too far? In my opinion, it may not produce the results they expect.”

Li Shun thought for a while before shaking his head.

Kong Zhao sneered.

“How could that be?”

“Think about it. The Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers possess what sort of exalted status? Yet now they are expected to endure those lowly commoners pointing fingers at them, even deciding whether they keep their official positions…”

“Unfortunately, the implementation of the Nine-Rank Official System has already reached the point of no return. It is the inevitable trend of the times, and they have no choice but to comply.”

“However, if this system encounters failure, it will inevitably trigger turmoil throughout the imperial court and unleash a violent backlash.”

Kong Zhao's tone was utterly resolute.

At this, another question arose in Li Shun's heart.

“No wonder I heard long ago that the imperial court intended to reform the official system, yet the matter was dragged out for so many years before finally being settled. I never realized it involved so many far-reaching changes.”

“But this matter of giving two points of the assessment to the people, who exactly proposed it?”

“To force the entire imperial court's senior officials to bow their heads and compromise… Even if the Left and Right Chancellors joined forces, I'm afraid they might not have been able to accomplish that, right?”

Kong Zhao's expression suddenly became somewhat strange.

He remained silent for a long while before finally speaking in a quiet voice.

“Just a rumor. It may not be true.”

“According to what I've heard, the reason every civil and military official in the imperial court raised no objections whatsoever to this policy of giving the people two points is because it was His Majesty's intention.”

“Emperor Qian?”

Li Shun's heart tightened, and he immediately found the notion somewhat absurd.

“The details naturally were not His Majesty's intention. The proposal for the Nine-Rank Official System has existed for a long time. When His Majesty first reviewed the draft, he casually wrote a sentence.”

“[If all matters of right and wrong are entrusted entirely to Heaven, then the officials will fear Heaven while slighting the people. The people are the foundation of the state and cannot be neglected.]”

“It was precisely because of those few words that this method of allowing the people to determine two points of an official's assessment eventually emerged.”

“As for how the numerous specific regulations were ultimately decided, and what kind of earth-shaking struggle and political maneuvering took place within the imperial court, that is beyond my ability to see.”

Kong Zhao let out a long sigh.

The two of them continued discussing the new Nine-Rank Official System for quite some time.

Gradually, Li Shun began to understand the situation.

He could not help but laugh as he clapped his hands.

“Senior Brother Kong, the reason you've been so gloomy all this time couldn't be because you feel that your position as an Investigating Censor will have no purpose in the future, could it?”

Kong Zhao sighed once more.

“Only you understand me, Tuizhi.”

“If the merits and faults of officials are to be decided by Heaven and the myriad people, then why would the imperial court still need Investigating Censors like me?”

“Besides, I've grown accustomed to impeaching officials. Now, instead, I have to become the subject of discussion among those ordinary commoners, allowing them to judge and criticize me as they please. It truly leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Li Shun pondered for a moment before suddenly becoming solemn.

“In my opinion, Senior Brother, this Nine-Rank Official System is not a shackle for you at all. Rather, it is an extraordinary opportunity that may come only once in a thousand years!”

Kong Zhao's eyes immediately filled with confusion.

Yet seeing the certainty on Li Shun's face, with not the slightest hint of jest, he immediately composed himself and cupped his fists.

“Junior Brother, what do you mean?”

“Two points in the hands of the people.”

“Hmph. The idea sounds good. However…”

“Senior Brother, have you ever truly spent day and night living among the common people at the very bottom?”

Kong Zhao naturally shook his head.

Li Shun continued.

“I spent several decades struggling and making my way through Lengshan County. I understand the common people better than most.”

“The existence of the Hundred Officials Towers can indeed somewhat alleviate the problem of ordinary people being completely in the dark about the government and its officials. But it is still far too complicated.”

“The various policies issued by the imperial court are intertwined and exceedingly complicated. Even if you assigned specialists to carefully untangle and explain every thread to them, they might still be unable to understand the whole picture, let alone those few dry lines of description engraved upon the tower.”

“The common people do not understand the principles of governance. Their knowledge is fragmentary at best. More often than not, they can only rely on their own tiny gains and losses to judge matters blindly, like a blind man trying to understand an elephant.”

“Some policies may clearly be magnificent measures whose benefits will endure for generations, yet because they cause temporary hardship and provoke resentment among the people, they will inevitably receive poor evaluations.”

“You will see no shortage of such cases in the future.”

Kong Zhao's heart stirred.

He had already begun to grasp the deeper meaning behind Li Shun's words.

“Junior Brother, you mean that the people's understanding has yet to develop. When confronted with such complicated matters of governance, they simply have no ability to understand the truth of the matter?”

Li Shun smiled faintly.

“The thoughts of the common people are extremely simple.”

“In their eyes, there are only two kinds of officials in this world.”

“Corrupt officials, and good officials.”

“Senior Brother Kong, as an Investigating Censor, you travel throughout the realm on Heaven's behalf, specifically responsible for impeaching and punishing the various vermin who harm the state…”

“In the hearts of the common people, you are naturally the upright official beneath a clear mirror of Heaven, the very embodiment of justice.”

“The more corrupt officials you root out, the more resounding your reputation for integrity will become among the people.”