Two days later, Ju Shou arrived with a stack of performance review files for the officials.
The officials in Ji Province were a mixed bag. According to the standards Zhang Chen had set beforehand, Ju Shou had already divided them into grades and added brief summaries of their political achievements.
Zhang Chen scanned through them and couldn't help but frown inwardly.
As expected, there were mostly 'C' and lowest grades. It seemed this was all the result of selling official positions and bartering for ranks! These appointed officials only knew how to line their pockets and didn't care about the common people at all.
Since Ji Province was now his, Zhang Chen's, he couldn't let these corrupt officials run rampant.
Zhang Chen immediately issued an order: based on the results of this evaluation, those with a 'B' grade would be retained, those with a 'C' grade would be demoted, and most of those with the lowest grade were corrupt officials and oppressors of the people. They were all to be arrested, imprisoned, and dealt with according to the law.
As for those with an 'A' grade, they were truly talented individuals. Zhang Chen planned to meet with each of them individually and assign them important positions based on their abilities.
Fortunately, there were still a few officials with an 'A' grade. Zhang Chen looked through them one by one and saw the names of Qian Zhao, Fang Ping, Dong Zhao, and Jiang Qi prominently listed.
However, there was one person among them who made Zhang Chen's eyes light up.
Prefect of Ganling, Liu Yu.
Liu Yu? Was he the later Governor of Youzhou?
Zhang Chen knew this person. He was also a descendant of the Han empress, known for his benevolent governance. He cared for the common people, and his reputation for virtue spread far and wide. In terms of benevolence, he was probably even above Liu Bei.
It was a pity that in times of chaos, merely speaking of benevolence and righteousness was useless. Liu Yu's benevolence was too pedantic; he couldn't gain a foothold in such a chaotic world and ultimately met his end after being defeated in battle.
Although a character like Liu Yu was not suitable to be a Marquis, he was an excellent official for a commandery.
And Zhang Chen needed such a person right now!
Since Liu Yu was the Prefect of Ganling, holding a position equivalent to a Prefect, with him governing, Ganling should be worry-free. However, Zhang Chen had to ensure one thing: that he would sincerely serve him.
“Gongyu, send someone to Ganling to summon Liu Yu. I want to see this person with my own eyes.”
“Understood.”
Ju Shou accepted the order and withdrew.
That night, Zhang Chen carefully reviewed the official evaluation files again until late at night.
He had already succeeded as Prefect, and next, his subordinates also needed to be properly arranged one by one. After all, his own people were easier to work with.
Zhang Chen pondered all night and finally drafted a promotion and transfer order.
Tian Feng was appointed as the Assistant Officer, Ju Shou as the Judicial Officer, also serving as a Military Advisor. Additionally, the position of 'Military Advisor Libationer' was established in the army to oversee military strategy, with Guo Jia appointed to this role.
As for the appointments of military officers, that was much simpler.
Since Emperor Wu of Han's campaigns against the Hun, those with military achievements were abundant, and with that came many 'Miscellaneous Generals'. These titles and positions had no distinction in rank, but they carried a strong sense of honor and could be used for bestowment. As for who would be in charge during wartime, they could be re-appointed at that time.
Immediately, Zhang Chen, with a flourish of his brush, drafted the imperial decree.
Qu Yi's position as Commandant of Wei Commandery was abolished, and he was enfeoffed as 'General Who Breaks the Captives'.
Gao Shun's position as Military Commander was abolished, and he was enfeoffed as 'General Who Attacks the Rebels'.
Zhang He's positions as Military Commander and Wei Commandery Bandit Registrar were abolished, and he was enfeoffed as 'General Who Displays Might'.
Gao Lan's position as Wei Commandery Military Registrar was abolished, and he was enfeoffed as 'General Who Displays Martial Prowess'.
Qian Zhao's position as Magistrate of Cheng'an was abolished, and he was enfeoffed as 'General Who Rouses Martial Might'.
Fang Ping's position as Magistrate of Linzhang County was abolished, and he was enfeoffed as 'General of the Vanguard'.
Dong Zhao's position as Magistrate of Yingtao County was abolished, and he was enfeoffed as Prefect of Wei Commandery.
Jiang Qi's position as County Commandant of Yingtao County was abolished, and he was enfeoffed as Commandant of Wei Commandery.
Xu Huang was enfeoffed as 'Deputy General', and Zhao Yun as 'General of Tiger Might'.
For the remaining vacant positions, the Prefect of each commandery would be responsible for recruiting and recommending individuals, appointing them based on their abilities. Zhang Chen would not inquire about each one individually.
Zhang Chen breathed a sigh of relief after drafting the imperial decree.
Now that he had a wealth of talent under him, he could make great strides!
He would accumulate grain and fodder, recruit Soldiers, and buy horses. He wanted to become a true hegemon before the chaos arrived!
The next day, Zhang Chen issued the imperial decree, widely circulating it among the commanderies. Everyone who received a reward was overjoyed and grateful for Zhang Chen's kindness.
After handling the official promotions, Zhang Chen went to the Military Camp to discuss matters with the Generals.
Qu Yi had finished compiling the military affairs and came to report to Zhang Chen.
Ji Province had a total of 150,000 troops across its nine commanderies: 50,000 from Wei Commandery, 20,000 from Zhao Commandery, 30,000 from Ganling, and a combined 50,000 from the remaining commanderies.
As for military provisions, there was enough to supply the army for two years.
Although the situation seemed good, there were still some issues.
Qu Yi reported them to Zhang Chen one by one.
Firstly, there were Zhao Commandery and Ganling. These were commanderies, and although nominally under Zhang Chen's rule, the enfeoffed areas followed the orders of the enfeoffed king. When needed, Zhang Chen might not necessarily be able to mobilize the troops from these two areas.
However, Zhang Chen thought about it briefly and felt the impact would be minimal.
In Zhao Commandery, there was the previous incident of the Yellow Turban colluding with military officials, and King Zhao, Liu She, was also placed under house arrest in Handan. Later, it was thanks to Dong Zhao leading troops to rescue him. In this matter, King Zhao owed Zhang Chen a great favor, and if needed in the future, King Zhao would not refuse to cooperate.
As for Ganling, military and political affairs were currently handled by Liu Yu. After Zhang Chen met him, he would find a way to recruit him for his own use. Moreover, Liu Zhong had no son, and once he died, Ganling would be removed from the list and truly become a commandery under Ji Province's rule.
Another issue was that apart from the troops in Wei Commandery, which could be considered elite, the troops in other areas were poorly trained and had hardly ever been on the battlefield, making their combat effectiveness questionable. Furthermore, excluding Wei Commandery, Zhao Commandery, and Ganling, among the other six commanderies, there were instances of military officials embezzling rations and even falsely reporting troop numbers, taking pay for non-existent Soldiers.
“...Therefore, whether the troops in the other six commanderies truly number 50,000 still needs further detailed investigation.”
After hearing Qu Yi's report, Zhang Chen furrowed his brows and said, “Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Military matters are of great importance, and no rotten apple will be tolerated. Once the facts are confirmed, there's no need to report to me; everything will be handled according to military law!”
“Understood!”
“What types of troops does Ji Province currently have, especially cavalry? How many?”
Qu Yi replied, “The army is still primarily infantry. According to the troop roster, there are 80,000 infantry, 30,000 archers, 20,000 spearmen, 15,000 cavalry, and the rest are scouts, cooks, medics, quartermasters, and so on. However, the troop numbers may be falsely reported, and the actual number should be less than this.”
Zhang Chen pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, “It seems our current military strength is still too weak. Qu Yi, Gao Shun.”
“Zhang He is here.”
“Compile the actual troop numbers in detail and select the existing Soldiers. Those who are old, weak, sick, or disabled will be given money and provisions and sent home. The remaining Soldiers will undergo intensified training. In short, I want the troops of Ji Province to be all elite. In addition, after the spring plowing, prepare to begin recruiting and expanding the army.”
“Zhang He accepts the order!”
“There is one more matter.” Zhang Chen said, “Now that we have ample funds and provisions, I want to expand the 'Trap Camp' and 'First to Ascend Camp'. I want to expand each camp to 3,000 men. What do you two Generals think?”
Upon hearing this, Gao Shun immediately said, “Zhang He has no objection. At that time, Guangping County was short on funds and provisions, so the 'Trap Camp' only recruited 700 men. Now that the treasury is full, Zhang He is willing to train troops for the Lord again!”
“Good!”
“Lord, Zhang He...” Qu Yi looked a bit troubled, unsure how to speak.
“Brother Qu, if you have any difficulties, feel free to speak frankly.”
Qu Yi thought for a moment and said, “Lord, the 'First to Ascend Camp' has followed Zhang He through life and death for many years, fighting from Liang Province to Ji Province, experiencing over a hundred battles, big and small. That is why each of them is brave and skilled in combat. If we recruit and train anew, it may be difficult to achieve the current effect. However, the 'First to Ascend Camp' is skilled in cavalry archery and heavy crossbows. Zhang He can train a strong crossbowman unit for the Lord. Although they may not be able to shoot from horseback or wield two crossbows simultaneously, hitting targets within a hundred paces without missing is not a problem.”
Strong crossbowmen? Zhang Chen's eyes couldn't help but light up.
That's good. Although crossbowmen have a shorter range than archers, their killing power and accuracy are greatly improved. They are not only useful in field battles but also very effective for defending cities and strongholds. It's a quite good type of troop.
Zhang Chen immediately said, “Good, then I will trouble Brother Qu with this matter.”