The day after his official enthronement, Roland convened the third plenary meeting in the castle's reception hall.
The main topic of the meeting was the distribution of power, the issue of greatest concern to all officials.
As supporters who had sided with him correctly, this was undoubtedly the moment they had been waiting for. Serving a local lord was a completely different concept from serving a king, especially since most of them had worked in the City Hall and had a basic understanding of the new king's centralizing philosophy of "weakening local power and strengthening the center." This promotion was even more significant. It meant that they would rise from being nobodies to becoming pivotal officials of the Kingdom of Graycastle, managing not just the Western Region. Their influence could be said to be even greater than that of the old nobles.
Roland naturally would not allow this "instant success" sentiment to continue to swell within his ranks of officials. Therefore, at the beginning of the meeting, he placed the general principles at the forefront. "First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone here. Those who have been invited to participate in this meeting will become part of the elite of Graycastle. In the coming decades, you will work with me to govern this kingdom."
"You are too kind, Your Majesty." Barov took the lead in standing up, bowing with a hand on his chest, "It is our honor to serve you! Please do not hesitate to give any orders. Your humble servant will do anything!"
Although he spoke humbly, the old chief steward's face was already creased with a smile, obviously full of expectations for the future.
Roland smiled and nodded, signaling everyone to sit down before slowly saying, "However, there is one thing I want to say beforehand. Taking back the nobles' fiefdoms is to allow the capable to replace them. The prosperity of a kingdom depends on how many outstanding talents are striving for it. Therefore, I don't want to see you become another kind of noble."
"Of course..." Barov said quickly, "No one can guarantee that their descendants will have the same talents. All positions should be filled by the best candidates."
His words immediately elicited a chorus of agreement.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Roland felt that these City Hall officials had undergone a significant change compared to before. Even their flattery had become much smoother, and their gazes towards him contained a more ambiguous sense of awe. This difference gave him a subtle feeling of pleasure.
This was probably the effect of the ceremony.
No wonder Tifeico and Garcia would not hesitate to drag most of the kingdom into war for this position.
However, Roland did not allow himself to indulge in this feeling for too long. Even the supreme king only governed a corner of the vast continent. If he was content with just this, what difference would there be between him and some island chiefs whose names he had never even heard of?
The world is so big; he wants to see it.
"What you said is just the most basic point," Roland looked around the hall, "In fact, no one can guarantee that the capable can always be competent in their positions! External temptations, the solidification of thoughts, and膨胀的yuwàng can all ruin a person's future! You are no exception."
As he raised his voice, the ministers lowered their heads, not daring to breathe for a moment.
"So entering the core is just the beginning. Your abilities and achievements will be given a comprehensive evaluation every year. Whether you are promoted or stagnate in place will be determined by it." Roland paused, "Of course, there will be even worse consequences. For example, those who knowingly act against what is possible, yet still cause losses to the kingdom, will have their positions stripped and sent to the Trial Court for disposal!"
"Your Majesty..." Barov asked cautiously, "I wonder who will write this evaluation?"
"I will be responsible for it," Roland looked at him, "Do you have any other questions?"
Although the real investigator was Nightingale of the Security Bureau, it was more appropriate to carry it out in his name on the surface.
"No, your humble servant... has none."
"I know what you are thinking," he continued, "After finally reaching this point, it should be a time to reap rewards. If you have to walk on thin ice and constantly work hard in the future, then what is the point of becoming a core official? What I want to say is that rewards and these things are not in conflict. On the contrary, they are symbiotic. As long as you can complete the tasks I assign, I don't mind you profiting for yourselves.
It's like dividing bread. The bigger the bread, the more you can fill your stomach even if you get less. If the bread is smaller, even if you eat it all by yourself, it's only a little bit. As for the principle that those who stand in the front are more likely to get bread, I think you should all be aware of it."
The resources that a core official can obtain are far more than just the apparent salary. Their connections and power are all more efficient capital. If he couldn't see this, he didn't need such people to continue staying in the City Hall.
The driving effect of the carrot and stick combination has been verified by the long river of history. Although it is still very rusty to use, Roland has begun to try to familiarize himself with it.
"Before I announce the new appointments and removals, you can still choose to give up. Those who withdraw will receive a large sum of gold dragons as compensation, enough to squander for a lifetime. But once you decide to stay, you must bear the responsibilities and obligations of an official. Now, make your decision!"
No one stood up, not even Kaimo Strale, the Minister of Chemical Industry, who had complained incessantly at the beginning and couldn't wait to resign. Obviously, more than two years of political experience had made him understand that the position of minister was especially important if he wanted to extract funds from Barov.
"Very good," Roland raised the corners of his mouth, "Then next is your list of appointments and removals!"
Compared to the past City Hall, the biggest change in the new zhèngquan system was the inclusion of other towns in various regions into the management framework.
He directly adopted the modern division method, setting those large cities as provinces, which governed the surrounding towns, villages and other residential areas. The administrator of the province was the governor, who was on the same level as the minister. Each province needed to establish a provincial City Hall, and its departments were responsible to the Winterless City Hall.
This set of transformations had the previous secondary City Hall as its foundation, so it was not difficult to operate. It was just that the minister's workload would increase a lot, and correspondingly, his power was equivalent to being upgraded.
Barov Hermon was promoted to the first King's Hand as he wished, concurrently managing the Ministry of Finance and coordinating the work of various departments. As the first batch of managers in Border Town and the old chief steward who had cultivated the most talents for the City Hall, this position was perfect for him. An offhand remark made four years ago had finally become a reality.
In addition, in addition to parallel institutions such as the Royal City Hall, the army, the Security Bureau, and the Witch Union, Roland also added a new department: the General Staff Department.
Unlike the staff organization that specializes in serving military operations, the General Staff Department is also responsible for formulating foreign policies. All detailed plans related to "strategic plans" are formulated by this department. With the continuous expansion of Graycastle's power and the threat of the Battle of Divine Will, the connection with the Dawn, Wolfheart, Eternal Winter, and the Fjord will inevitably become closer in the future. This part requires a broad-minded institution to assist him in controlling the overall situation.
The person who held the position of minister was Edith Kant, the Pearl of the North.