"I am no different from others, Commandery Princess, you jest. I too have two hands, two feet, one mouth, two eyes. Where’s the difference from others?"
Zhao Ya glanced at Chen Jie and said with a chuckle, "Are you playing dumb or being silly with me?"
Chen Jie quickly clasped his fist and said, while Zhao Ya responded, "What I meant by you being different is that you are unlike ordinary people here."
Zhao Ya pointed at her head.
Chen Jie said, "Commandery Princess, I’m neither stupid nor slow-witted, how am I different?"
Zhao Ya replied, "Smart, or rather, possessing great wisdom. Even a small White Tiger Hall was managed by you so well that it could also benefit the common people. I believe you are talented, something that the court lacks. Therefore, I don’t want your talent to go to waste."
Chen Jie was stunned. He had not expected Zhao Ya to take notice of him for this reason.
He had guessed that it might have been because his Martial Arts were good, or because he had a casual acquaintance with Zhao Ya, or even that perhaps his handsome appearance had caught Zhao Ya’s attention.
The only thing he didn’t expect was that his modern thinking in the governance of the White Tiger Hall would be valued by Zhao Ya.
At this moment, Zhao Ya said, "Actually, I wanted to see how you would manage a guild after becoming a Gang Leader. I’m curious to see your management methods for the people under you and find out if you can make them live as well as the people living in the four streets under the White Tiger Hall’s territory. I wanted to evaluate your abilities, and then earn a favor from you!"
Zhao Ya stretched out her hand and said, "That makes two favors. Remember, you owe me two conditions."
Hearing this, Chen Jie clasped his fist again and said, "Yes, I owe the Commandery Princess two favors and must agree to two conditions of yours."
Zhao Ya’s lips curled up with satisfaction, "Very good."
"Let’s go, Chen Jiusi, now that you are a gang leader, how do you plan to manage your guild? And what methods do you have for managing the common people under your rule, so that they can live lives similar to those in the four streets under the rule of the White Tiger Hall?"
Chen Jie had never imagined that Zhao Ya would be so interested in administration.
A young girl not caring about gold and silver jewelry, beauty and makeup, but concerned about the state of the nation.
It had to be said, this young girl was indeed very ambitious.
At this moment, Chen Jie and Zhao Ya were sitting on a large rock, beginning to plan for the Fishing Guild.
Chen Jie then said, "The Fishing Guild is now facing problems of internal chaos, unclear level promotions for disciples, inadequate reward measures, imperfect penalty systems, and the need to strengthen internal oversight..."
Chen Jie slowly shared his plans with Zhao Ya.
Zhao Ya listened, dumbstruck, occasionally asking Chen Jie specific questions, confirming the key points before moving on to another question.
"What do you mean by inadequate reward measures?"
Zhao Ya looked at Chen Jie with a thirst for knowledge.
Chen Jie replied, "Due to Nan Batian’s management issues, there was a severe case of favoritism. Many incompetent people held high positions while many capable ones couldn’t get a promotion. Rewards and punishments were unclear. For the same deed, like capturing an enemy, a normal disciple would get one tael of silver, while Nan Batian’s confidants would directly get ten silver taels or even twenty."
"Who could accept such discrepancies? Over time, this led to a lack of motivation amongst the lower-level disciples while Nan Batian’s confidants were making a fortune. There were also instances of hiding merits and falsely claiming credit, among other things. The first thing I did after taking office was to break these bad practices and let everyone feel fairness!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya’s eyes widened.
She realized that the issues Chen Jiusi spoke of were not only present in the small Fishing Guild but also existed in the upper echelons of the Daqian Dynasty.
Especially so in the army of her father, the Ruyang King, where such issues were all too common. Zhao Ya instantly empathized, acknowledging these strategies as sound governance. Chen Jiusi was indeed the great talent her master spoke of. If she could put him to use, he would certainly be a master strategist for the Daqian, aiding her father and the kingdom to thrive and consolidate national fortune.
Thinking this, she looked at Chen Jie and said, "Brother Chen, have you ever considered joining the court?"
Chen Jie was taken aback and looked at Zhao Ya, "Me, join the court?"
Zhao Ya nodded emphatically, "Yes, join the court! I can introduce you to my father, and you can offer all your management strategies to him to assist my father in governing the realm. How about that?"
Chen Jie looked into Zhao Ya’s innocent eyes.
He couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Ah, to be referred to your father, do you really think my management methods can be used in Daqian?
Commandery Princess, oh Commandery Princess, you are too naïve.
You can’t really believe that good policies will always be implemented, can you?
Wrong, good policies are not necessarily used, more often they are shelved or targeted.
The efficacy of policies is relative; mine benefit the majority of commoners, perhaps the Mulan’s minor nobility and common people.
But they seriously impact the interests of great nobility, fatally so.
Like what I said, about not allowing the higher-ups to falsely claim credit.
Those great nobles, the offspring of prominent families, if they can’t maintain their status through false merit or connections, how do they stabilize their positions?
If I implement these policies, then I am making enemies of these great nobles, who will do everything in their power to prevent new policies from being established.
And from what I understand, the Mulan Clan uses a tribal alliance policy, meaning high authorities like the Ruyang King are elected by a few or more than a dozen large tribes.
Now if you want to implement any new policies, it will harm these large tribes’ interests, and they will definitely oppose it.