ushernet Chapter 113 Waves
Chapter 113 Waves
“Li Bang is the head of the Security Bureau, and Li Meng is a captain under the Yuyang Bureau. I don’t believe there’s nothing fishy going on here. At the next meeting, write my suggestion for today into the Political and Legal Affairs Department. That is, immediate family members cannot work in the same prefecture or the same system. No matter what the job is, as long as they are immediate family members, they cannot work in the same county. I can’t say that everyone can’t be together, but there are conditions,” Chen Er said to Xun You.
Xun You stepped forward and replied to Chen Er, "Your subordinate understands." Xi Zhicai, who was standing to the side, stood up and said to Chen Er, "My lord, I have another suggestion."
"Zhicai, please speak."
"My lord," Xi Zhicai said to Chen Er, "I suggest that this incident be used as a model to spread to all counties and towns. In addition, I believe that the Li family is not the only one in Yuyang and even the entire autonomous region to have such a phenomenon. I think we should use a combination of punishment and reward to deal with a group of people with serious crimes, punish a group of people with minor crimes, and at the same time reward some families with good family education, so as to set an example."
Chen Er nodded after listening, indicating that Xi Zhicai's idea was feasible.
“Let’s proceed as Zhi Cai suggested. This matter will be handled by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), with Du Tao, the head of the Security Department, providing assistance,” Chen Er said to Du Tao.
Du Tao's heart tightened. This time, the security system was about to be slaughtered like lambs to the slaughter, and he had no way to refute it. It was all because his subordinates were incompetent. However, for him, wasn't this also an opportunity? Since his lord had asked him to cooperate fully, it at least meant that he had a good impression of the lord, and he still had a chance. Thinking this, Du Tao's mind immediately began to stir again.
With the cooperation of Du Tao and Yu Jin, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) quickly became more staffed. A large number of soldiers armed with the most advanced flintlock rifles joined the ICAC. With its powerful military deterrent, the ICAC no longer cared about the Security Bureau's threats. Previously, the ICAC only had a small number of sidearms, which were negligible. Now, everyone in the ICAC was cheering themselves on. It was time to let those evil officials see whether the ICAC's blade was sharp.
In the afternoon, a large number of uniformed ICAC officers stormed into the home of Li Bang, the head of the Yuyang Security Bureau, and took away most of the Li family members whose crimes had been proven. Those with official positions were all taken away by the ICAC, while those without official positions were handed over to the Security Bureau.
In accordance with the principle of handling cases in different locations, all criminals under the jurisdiction of the security system will be investigated by the Dai County Security Bureau, while the Yuyang Security Bureau will only be responsible for the detention of the criminals and cooperating with the Dai County Security Bureau in the investigation. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will send a small number of members to communicate with the Security Bureau and supervise the security bureau's handling of the case.
The people of Yuyang were shocked. Li Bang had actually been arrested. According to Chen Er's principles, if there was no problem, then all was well; if someone was going to die, then there was a problem. Even if it was just some minor issue, Li Bang's life would be much harder from now on. However, as the saying goes, what the superiors do, the inferiors follow. If Li Bang hadn't been backing him up, how could the two Li brothers have been so bold?
The downfall of the Li family caused a huge uproar in the autonomous region. For a long time, the political circles of the autonomous region had been calm and uneventful. Now, Chen Er's sudden attack made everyone realize that there is a set of basic behavioral rules for being an official in the autonomous region.
The people were shocked, and even more so, they exclaimed in amazement. They saw the remarkable results the autonomous region had achieved in limiting the power of officials. The Anti-Corruption Agency, a department that was not valued by everyone before, immediately became the object of fear for all officials.
Of course, Chen Er and other high-ranking officials in the autonomous region also saw some problems with the security system, and Chen Er also brought up the issue of the division of security functions at the right time.
Security services with various functions, such as general security, criminal security, prison security, and inspection, are being gradually improved. Chen Er even revealed a part that no one understood: fire security. Fire security personnel in orange uniforms have become the most popular presence in Shencheng. After all, it is still an era in which wooden structures are prevalent, and fires are an unavoidable problem. The emergence of fire services is in line with the requirements of the times.
While the internal reforms within the autonomous region were in full swing, the various warlords in the south, who had gradually completed their initial reforms, began to stir again. Gongsun Zan, in particular, seemed eager to make sure everyone knew he controlled the emperor, frantically using Liu Xie's name to issue his own orders. His imperial edict ordering the Liangzhou warlords to lay down their weapons and accept the court's reorganization was a revelation to the entire Wei kingdom. Faced with this formidable enemy, the Liangzhou warlords put aside their past grievances and began discussing an alliance to jointly resist Gongsun Zan.
The warlords of Jingzhou and Yizhou raised their wine cups, laid out delicacies, and began to enjoy this good show. Regardless of whether Gongsun Zan won or lost, they all had to think about their next plan.
Chen Er was very optimistic about Gongsun Zan's future development. As for whether he would raise a tiger that would become a threat, Chen Er was not worried about it. As the feudal lords of the world gradually accepted the arrival of the firearms era, the course of the war was actually more favorable to Chen Er, because Chen Er's understanding of firearms was definitely superior to those who had just transitioned from the era of cold weapons. Not to mention, Youzhou had already established a relatively complete military industrial system, and Chen Er was using the prisoners captured in the wars of the past few years and the hired laborers to carry out road construction throughout the entire autonomous region.
Cement, a special building material that can play a huge role in the construction industry, has been invented by the craftsmen of the autonomous region. Chen Er once said that it was made from limestone and then never paid attention to it again. Unexpectedly, two years later, after countless experiments by the craftsmen, qualified cement was produced. After more than half a year of development, the cement in the autonomous region can now meet the requirements for building cities and roads.
Chen Er eagerly anticipates that within a year or two, all cities at the county level and above in the entire Northern Autonomous Region will be connected by cement roads. In Chen Er's plan, all roads will be six meters wide and constructed as straight as possible. This will allow for rapid troop movements during wartime and facilitate civilian travel during peacetime. Currently, the Autonomous Region is fully committed to constructing the cement road from Yuyang to Jizhou City, then to Linzi, the capital of Qingzhou. However, there is one major problem that Chen Er cannot yet solve: the Yellow River!
Although cement and steel are available, building a bridge across the Yellow River remains a challenge. For now, Chen Er can only put this issue aside and have the road built first, with the bridge to be discussed later. In any case, large ferries will be used for the time being.