Chapter 133: The Three Departments and Six Ministries System and The Bronze Code

Sun Fei was a third-rate university student before his transmigration, lacking deep life experience. He possessed no exceptional talent or significant merits. Therefore, when it came to reforming Shampoo City, he couldn’t offer much constructive input. The division between its Saints and Urban Management members mostly stemmed from his own playful mischief. These represented Shampoo City’s visible military forces. To carefully define their differences: the Saints resembled more the imperial guards of feudal dynasties from his past life—the King’s personal protectors responsible for safeguarding the Royal Palace and executing special royal commands. The Urban Management units, however, were the conventional forces. Besides daily national defense and military operations, they also handled urban management duties reminiscent of the Urban Management corps from his previous life. After all, Shampoo City was still too small to justify establishing a more detailed and sprawling military structure.

Of course, what nobody knew was that Sun Fei had originally intended to establish another force—a mysterious shadow unit he initially planned to call the ‘Imperial Secret Guards,’ tasked with carrying out covert, dark operations. To some extent, such a unit was essential, similar to the captured raiding squads under the Cold-Blooded Enchantress, Paris. But discovering that Shampoo City currently lacked suitable talent for this purpose, Sun Fei had temporarily shelved the idea.

Nevertheless, Sun Fei possessed the [Assassin Mode] of Diablo. He was proficient in shadow camouflage, infiltration, assassination, poisoning, trap setting, and various other dark arts. As long as he found the right people in the future, he could still establish such a unit eventually.

Therefore, including the yet-to-be-formed Imperial Secret Guards, Shampoo City’s military structure would be divided into three major systems.

The highest commander of all three military systems was the King. They answered directly to him.

Sun Fei firmly remembered what Chairman Mao had said in his past life: political power grows from the barrel of a gun. Hence, he kept military power tightly gripped in his own hands. This approach matched the habits of monarchs across the Azeroth Continent. Consequently, while many found the new military system’s names a bit odd, people like Best and Brook, as well as ordinary civilians, all showed complete, unwavering obedience to the supreme royalty.

As for the administrative reform distinct from the military system, despite collecting numerous suggestions over the past month, none presented genuinely brilliant ideas that truly impressed Sun Fei. Best worried over it until his hair nearly turned gray, yet found no solution. Eventually, Sun Fei had to step in personally again, this time unapologetically borrowing from the great minds of his past life—he adapted the Three Departments and Six Ministries system, employed since the Sui and Tang dynasties, and introduced it to the Azeroth Continent.

In the King’s name, Sun Fei completely abolished the previous centralized system where the Herald alone controlled the administrative apparatus. He appointed Left and Right Chancellors and established a ‘Petition Office’ headed by a Remonstrance Official. This fractured the former Herald’s power. Below the Chancellors and the Petition Office were the following Ministries: the Ministry of Rites (Li Bu), responsible for state ceremonies, etiquette, and sacrifices; the Ministry of Personnel (Li Bu), overseeing the assessment and appointment of officials; the Ministry of Justice (Xing Bu), handling Shampoo City’s judiciary, criminal trials, and the Black Room prison; the Ministry of War (Bing Bu), managing logistics for the military systems; the Ministry of Works (Gong Bu), overseeing construction and artisans; and the Ministry of Revenue (Hu Bu), in charge of state finances and the treasury.

This was a localized adaptation of the Three Departments and Six Ministries system.

Sun Fei streamlined numerous complicated procedures and altered many functions of the original six ministries. For example, Shampoo City’s Ministry of War had significantly reduced power; while the Ministry of War in his previous life’s dynasties could directly command armies, Shampoo City’s Ministry was solely responsible for the army’s supplies… Regardless, this represented a detailed and explicit plan. The Three Departments and Six Ministries system had endured for centuries in feudal China, embodying the wisdom of countless ancient sages. It possessed unique strengths and could at least ensure that though Shampoo City was small, it possessed all necessary institutions, unlike the previous system where roles and responsibilities were blurred and misplaced.

This series of changes was nothing short of revolutionary for the tiny Shampoo City.

Best stared at Sun Fei’s proposed administrative reform plan for a long time, utterly speechless.

After the recently concluded Battle of Eastern Peak Summit, the old noble had thought he finally understood the full extent of his future son-in-law’s capabilities. But time and again, faced with reality, he found himself stunned anew.

Best hailed from a once-prominent noble house and had received a very complete and rigorous education in ancient aristocratic etiquette. That was why he could always project such poised and elegant noble grace wherever he was. Sadly, due to certain events, his family fell into decline and ruin. Best drifted to Shampoo City carrying his infant daughter, Angela, was taken in by the kind-hearted Old King. Out of gratitude, and hoping to secure a good future for his daughter by linking her with royalty, he arranged Angela’s betrothal to the young Alexander. Alexander was still normal then. Who could have foreseen he would become an idiot as he grew older…

Best had regretted this deeply. However, the honor of a noble’s sacred bond and the Old King’s life-saving grace prevented him from ever voicing thoughts of breaking the engagement.

After the Old King’s death, Best exhausted himself heart and soul to protect the idiot Alexander’s throne. Two months prior, he had absconded with the royal treasury. Outsiders thought him a greedy man who sold his daughter and fled. Only Lampard knew the truth—the old noble had actually journeyed to the Imperial Capital of the Zenit Empire. He discarded his dignity to ‘beg’ for Alexander’s throne recognition. Squandering all the treasure and enduring countless humiliations, he finally managed to meet the Empire’s influential figures. He reminded them that in a tiny, distant frontier country called Shampoo City, a Little King named Alexander was nearing his eighteenth birthday and required formal imperial investiture.

Once Alexander received the Empire’s official seal, Herald Bazel, no matter how powerful, could never shake Alexander’s hold on the throne.

This had been Best’s original plan.

Unexpectedly, however, the Princess Royal and Paris—two of the most formidable women in the Imperial Capital—already viewed Shampoo City as the perfect chessboard for their rivalry. They ended up doing Best a favor by sending the imperial investiture delegation to Shampoo City in grand fashion. On the journey, Best received reports from Scouts that Shampoo City was under attack from the Black Armored Army. Frantic with worry, he feared arriving too late only to find smoldering ruins and the cold corpses of his daughter and son-in-law… But Dreaming never imagined the war would yield such an impossible joke. His idiot son-in-law not only regained his senses but transformed into a truly awe-inspiring, unparalleled King.

Looking at this blueprint for Shampoo City’s administrative reform, Best had to once again admit he had underestimated his future son-in-law. Alexander’s terrifying rate of growth surpassed even the most fantastical characters sung by wandering Bards about any renowned rulers on the continent. The perfection of this reform plan had utterly exceeded Best’s most optimistic prior expectations. As someone who had received a noble’s classical education, Best possessed a far keener sense towards administration than grassroots figures like Brook. He foresaw what changes this system would bring to Shampoo City once implemented, and the upheaval it could cause within the Zenit Empire.

This constituted a terrifying power far surpassing personal strength—a force capable of changing the entire world.

“This isn’t a complete plan,” Sun Fei said. “Some parts need further refinement. Uncle Best, I hope you can swiftly finish it. Shampoo City currently lacks talent in civil governance. So, may I trouble Uncle Best to take on the responsibilities of both Left and Right Chancellor? Also, please help select candidates for appointing the ministers heading the Six Ministries…” As he spoke, Sun Fei once more felt the immense difficulty of running a country. It made sense why a great man in Earth said: “In the 21st century, the most valuable resource was—talented people!” Frankly, Shampoo City was little more than an upgraded bandit camp. Military issues were solvable; internal governance talent was scarce.

“If there’s no other way, set up an administration course at the Chambord City Civil and Military School and start training children!”

…

The phrase ‘everything waiting to be done’ perfectly described Shampoo City at this moment.

Having swept aside the old noble factions, Sun Fei seized the chance to abolish the obsolete hereditary aristocratic system outright. A series of commands were implemented smoothly and thoroughly throughout the nation.

Shampoo City’s origins were lost to time, but its layout was scientifically sound and reasonable. Yet, long periods of disorganized settlement resulted in a messy, chaotic urban impression. Under Sun Fei’s direction, the city’s functional zones were clearly redefined. Masses of residents moved out of their haphazardly occupied dwellings. Arranged by the nascent Ministry of Revenue, not yet fully established, they received new housing. Residential zones, commercial areas, trade districts, administrative sectors, military quarters—all obtained their most efficient utilization.

Three days after the Battle of Eastern Peak Summit…

King Alexander accomplished another unprecedented feat.

He erected twelve bronze Warrior statues, each six meters tall, before the temple in Shampoo City. Covered densely with inscriptions, these were Sun Fei’s new legal code for the nation. The text on each statue declared the laws for a specific area of governance. The first nine imposing Warrior statues bore carved laws detailing: Summonses and Arrests, Trials and Judgment, Law Enforcement and Execution, Rights and Powers of the King, Inheritance and Guardianship, Ownership and Possession, Land and Property Rights, Private Law (detailing specific crimes), and Public Law and Offenses. The final three bronze statues remained blank, bearing no text.

The appearance of the Twelve Statues Code shocked the entire nation.