Chapter 27: The Four Departments Hold Office

  The heads of all tribes finished their meal with their eyes closed, and Liu Zhang saw that the head of the Zhang tribe did not move his chopsticks. He asked in puzzlement: "Why doesn't Old Man Zhang move his chopsticks? Does he despise these dishes?"

  Zhang family head bowed his head and said to Liu Zhang: "No, I'm just a commoner who often eats coarse grains, suffers from stomach disease, can only drink porridge, and cannot eat vegetables."

  "Oh, so be it." Liu Zhang ignored the discourteous gaze of the head of the Zhang family and ordered the female servant: "Quickly bring over the thin gruel that I have prepared for Old Master Zhang."

  "Yes."

  Before long, the waitress brought over a large bowl of black and white porridge made from dried alfalfa and coarse grains mixed together. Alfalfa was a wild vegetable for the poor but hay for the rich. Zhang Lao Yezi felt nauseous just looking at it, not to mention that there were countless bits of fatty meat residue inside, and the bowl was so large that one serving could top two portions of the meal sets eaten by other clan heads.

  Zhang's family head painfully drank the fatty porridge, while Liu Zhang sat in the main seat, leisurely saying: "Today I invited everyone to come, firstly to thank you all, and secondly there is a matter that I would like to hear your opinions on."

  "Please go ahead, sir."

  Liu Zhang said: "Everyone knows that there are many talented people in Western Sichuan, but the Han Dynasty only has a narrow path for selecting officials through imperial edict and recommendation. Think about it, although our Han officials are diligent in governing and loving the people, they also cannot discover all the talents under their jurisdiction. Many benevolent scholars have no way to serve the court. In view of this, I have decided to establish four categories of official selection."

  "We will set up four departments, namely literature, martial arts, medicine and craftsmanship. The imperial court will set examination questions based on the characteristics of each department. Regardless of who you are or where you come from, as long as you are willing to serve the great Han dynasty, you can take the exam. Those who pass the exam will be selected for various positions. In this way, all talents in Xizang, as long as they are willing to serve the great Han, can be employed based on their abilities. What do you think?"

  Liu Zhang's words had not yet finished, and they caused a great commotion among the various tribes. The tribal leaders thought to themselves: If Liu Zhang really did this, the sons of noble families would have to take the exam together with those from humble origins, wouldn't that mean the privileges of the noble families would naturally disappear? This move is meant to undermine the foundation of the noble families! How could such a policy, which affects their interests and benefits, not provoke resistance?

  The head of the Han family immediately stood up and said: "Sir, this is absolutely unacceptable! Think about those doctors and craftsmen, what kind of people are they? Those are inferior occupations that are not worthy of being in the same hall as scholars and gentlemen for an examination. Wouldn't it be an insult to literature?"

  Liu Zhang smiled and said, "What Mr. Han said is true, but I didn't say they would take the exam in the same room as the literati, we can separate them, and even if these humble professions pass the exam, they are still humble professions, I won't let a carpenter become a governor, will I?"

  "Your Excellency, the ancestral system cannot be changed arbitrarily, especially since you are a member of the imperial family and a descendant of the emperor. You should maintain the ancestral laws and regulations; otherwise, how can you face the emperors of past generations?"

  Liu Zhang coldly smiled and said, "What the head of the Yuan family is saying means that our Emperor Wu wronged Emperor Gaozu, wronged Emperor Wen, and wronged Emperor Jing?"

  "This... ordinary people didn't mean that at all." The Imperial Examination System was created by Emperor Wu of Han, and the head of the Yuan family had no words to refute.

  "Since that's the case, it means our ancestors' rules can be changed, and besides, I didn't say abolish the Imperial Examination System, local officials can still recommend talents to their superiors. We just have an additional channel for recruiting talented people, isn't this also upholding our ancestors' foundation?"

  "Sir, our Jiangzhou is currently facing financial difficulties and I'm afraid we are unable to host the examination." Another clan head stood up.

  "Don't worry, the provincial government has plenty of money."

  The various tribal leaders spoke out against it, raising all sorts of objections, but Liu Zhang refuted each and every one of them. The whole room was dissatisfied with Liu Zhang's policy, yet no one had anything more to say, and they could only fall silent.

  At this time, Zhang's family head finally finished drinking the fatty porridge, stood up and bowed to Liu Zhang, saying in a deep voice: "Sir, all new things should be widely accepted by the people. When Emperor Wu of Han established the Chaju system, he also sought many opinions. Since the governor wants to implement the four-category civil service examination, he should also listen to the opinions of officials and the people. If it goes against the will of the people, I hope the governor will withdraw his order, so as not to cause great chaos."

  Liu Zhang burst out laughing: "After all, Director Zhang has hit the nail on the head. This official has always been open to loyal advice and will never go against the people's wishes. How about this? I'll try it out in Jiangzhou first. If there's no backlash from the people, then we can implement it throughout the state. But if the people resist, I'll never mention it again. What do you think?"

  "The adults are wise." Zhang family head said loudly.

  The banquet dispersed, and the tribal leaders walked out of the provincial government office. The leader of the Han family said to the leader of the Zhang family: "Old Master Zhang, Liu's move is a disaster for all of us, we are all in danger, why didn't you oppose it?"

  Zhang family head coldly snorted: "Old friend, why can't you grasp the key point? Liu Zhang wants to implement the four-category civil service examination system and is seeking our opinions. What's the use of us opposing it? It would be better to hinder him during the implementation process and let him see what public opinion is like. This four-category civil service examination system, I think Liu Zhang's brain has rusted from staying in the provincial governor's position for too long. Such a retrograde policy can actually be thought of."

  "That's right." The head of the Han family's eyes lit up and said, "Old Master Zhang really has a keen eye for the future. When Liu Zhang implements the four-part imperial examination system, we will exert our influence, gang up to oppose it, I think he won't even be able to open the examination hall. At that time, Liu Zhang will see that it goes against public opinion and can only withdraw the new policy with a humiliated face, making a huge joke out of it, and the governor's dignity will be completely lost."

  The head of the Zhang family smiled softly: "It seems you're not stupid after all."

  "Come to think of it, that Fe family seems to be not on the same page as us." The head of the Yuan family said to the head of the Zhang family while looking at a lone figure walking ahead.

  Zhang's family head coldly snorted: "This kind of sycophant should be punished, you all go back to the clan and pass down the order, I want to make it so that the Fei family can't stand in either the official or business world. If they still don't know their place, we'll go to the prefecture government to accuse them of the Fei family's lawlessness, which of our great families in Shu Nan has clean hands?"

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  In the garden of the prefecture, Liu Zhang found a rattan mat and lay down on it to comfortably gaze at the starry sky. Fa Zheng sat alone on the flower platform, silently not speaking. A small official wearing a household servant's uniform stood in front of Liu Zhang, casually reporting on the affairs of Fuling, his tone relaxed. Liu Zhang listened with a gentle smile.

  "Please sit down." Liu Zhang looked at the little official standing and struggling, his body shifted to the side, making room for him. The little official was stunned, because he saw Liu Zhang being very casual, so he also relaxed from the tension of seeing the governor from the beginning. At this time, seeing Liu Zhang actually let him sit together, he couldn't help but feel honored.

  The little official sat down, still trembling with fear, and continued: "Your Excellency, today we received accurate information that Zhang Zhongjing from Changsha has already arrived in Yizhou. We also spread the news that Aguada, the divine doctor, would return to the vast forest after treating Ye Wu's injury in Fuling. So Zhang Zhongjing set out overnight, riding non-stop, and is expected to arrive in Yizhou within a few days."

  "You don't know, Zhang Zhongjing didn't come, but a group of big-footed doctors came first, and some common people who came to seek fame, all surrounded the outside of Ye Wuti's ward, wanting to see the divine doctor's demeanor. Every day after Aguda finished treating Ye Wuti's illness, he could only hide and sneak around, even so, occasionally poking his head out would be surrounded by a crowd..."

  The little official was probably just a chatterbox, sitting on the mat and being restrained for only a short while before becoming reckless again. Fa Zheng sighed beside him, truly, the ignorant are fearless; if the little official knew that Liu Zhang often killed people in the midst of conversation, he wouldn't be able to sit so lightly.